Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
In a recent blog post, I wrote about the top 8 use cases for private podcasting and so in this post I want to expand on one of those examples: sales training.
As a sales manager (in a previous life) responsible for a telesales team that needed motivation and inspiration to “smile and dial” every single working day, I have some insight into the challenges and sheer breadth of communication required for sales teams to succeed. Our team was one of 50 in this sales-led company where targets were tough but the rewards were meaningful. Working towards a target was like climbing a ladder – and when you got to the top, you were at the bottom of the next one. It was relentless.
The perpetual cycle of duties and training for the team included: presenting product updates, sales tips, offering objection handling techniques, success stories, customer feedback, motivational and inspirational training, peer-to-peer training, rewards and recognition – all of this day-in, day-out, week after week.
The challenge was that any time taken away from a sales rep in individual or group training sessions was time that they were NOT selling. Field sales teams would come to the office only once a week to set up their upcoming appointments, meanwhile telesales team members needed to get in their quota of dials for the day. A salesperson’s time therefore was, and still is, precious. It is a fact that the importance of regular communication ultimately ensures that more sales people feel connected, motivated – and therefore successful. However, even in sales-led organisations, I am witnessing reductions in the human and other resources whose role is to train and educate their sales professionals.
An engaging opportunity
Now with the advent of podcasting – and, more importantly, private podcasting – organisations can have their own branded mobile app. This enables sales staff to download audio content on to their phones, to access a myriad of channels, and listen to training and other important content when it suits them. Often, this may be while travelling or commuting, or at the gym. Most people listen to podcasts through headphones and therefore this becomes a very intimate experience as the individual has a 1:1 connection with the episode host.
A recent study, which intended to find out whether video or audio content is more engaging, discovered that participants’ “physiological responses revealed more cognitive and emotional engagement while listening to audio narratives [compared to video].”
While this isn’t to say that video isn’t powerful in its own right – you may even wish to capture video content if you are, for instance, uploading your podcast to YouTube or a staff intranet – we cannot deny the importance of audio-focussed work when we want to create content that is meaningful, impactful and engaging. After all, many people find recording a podcast much less intimidating than sitting in front of a camera and this relaxed, informal environment can really help to create authentic content.
Stronger communication
Do not think that this communication is one way either. Podcasts can become an open conversation between the host and listeners. For example, encouraging employee questions – and then answering them in the episodes – or including shout-outs to a successful sales rep or team all help to foster more connections within the organisation and will cause individuals to push harder so that their names are mentioned.
Auddy provides an end-to-end private podcasts solution, which does all the heavy lifting in setup and running this audio communication channel for you – from curating content from external specialists to developing custom content based on your desired curriculum and format planning, plus all of the production and hosting.
In return, your sales people will be happier, more productive and successful, and will stay with you longer. Target achieved!
