Global Sales Training

“Selling in our part of the world is very different from selling in the United States,” is a common concern U.S. executives often hear when traveling overseas. What works in Peoria, IL, will not work in Pretoria, South Africa. The same is true for sales training. While salespeople in the U.S. are comfortable giving spontaneous replies to an instructor’s questions, for instance, salespeople in Japan will sit silently through training programs out of respect for the trainer.

To explore how to deliver consistent training worldwide while adapting to the local language, customs and learning styles, Selling Power interviewed Stephan Mardyks, president of DOOR Training International, a global network of exclusive training franchises operating in more than 50 countries worldwide. DOOR Training is part of Raytheon Training LLC, a division of Raytheon Commercial Electronics.

SP: What are the biggest challenges companies face when they train a global sales force?

M: Large companies are frequently unaware of the cultural differences or unique needs of their sales organizations around the globe.

SP: Can you give some examples?

M: For instance, an independent American trainer went to Frankfurt, Germany, to deliver a program. He tried to warm up the audience with a joke and said, “I am very pleased to be with you today. I am the second member of my family to visit Germany. The first one came in a tank.”

SP: What are the keys to cross-cultural adaptation?

M: The first key is to implement globally consistent training with effective local flavoring. For instance, when you walk into a McDonalds in Amsterdam, you will see the fish sandwich prominently displayed in recognition of the Netherlands’ connection with the sea. In Hamburg, you can order a Big Mac with a glass of local beer. In Bombay, India, the burger is not made with beef, but with lamb. The principle of local flavoring as applied to training means that you tailor your training to suit the customs of your local audience. At DOOR Training we have identified five elements of cross-cultural adaptation. They are language, culture, business law, local pride and learning preferences.

SP: Let’s start with the local language. What would be the best way to translate a U.S. sales training manual?

M: When you read a poor translation of a product guide, how confident do you feel about that product or company? The same is true with sales training manuals. At DOOR Training International, the local master franchisees are responsible for translating each program into the local language, because they are closer to the market. The proper language is critical to comprehension. For example, most Americans would not know the difference between the Portuguese spoken in Portugal and the Portuguese spoken in Brazil.

SP: How do different cultures respond to role-playing?

M: First, role-plays need to be adapted so they reflect the business environment of the local market. Generic case studies lose their effectiveness if the scenario is foreign to participants. For instance, Dutch and Polish salespeople want frequent and practical role-plays. Swiss and Austrian salespeople need a longer warm-up period. Salespeople in the Far East are more used to the traditional, didactic training approach.

SP: What about adaptation to the legal environment?

M: Every country has its own code of conduct, which must be considered in the adaptation of the training material. This is very important for management training. In every country there are different laws for hiring and firing salespeople. That is why companies need to rely on legally and culturally competent experts. I remember an American trainer who presented a team-building program in the United Arab Emirates. Although men and women both attended the outdoor experiential learning program, the training plan called for personal contact between the participants – regardless of gender – which made the group very uncomfortable.

SP: You mentioned local pride. How does that play a role in training?

M: For example, Dutch salespeople are very enthusiastic about sports. DOOR Training Netherlands uses many sports analogies to drive home important lessons. Another way to leverage local pride is to demonstrate the economic power of your company and its impact on the local economy.

SP: What about learning preferences?

M: Every culture has preferences as to how salespeople want to be taught and how customers want to be sold. In Western Europe and in North America, salespeople are more interested in consultative and team-selling approaches. In China or Eastern Europe, the best sales training programs are based on traditional selling techniques.

SP: Can you give us an example of how DOOR Training has applied these principles in a global sales training program?

M: We’ve rolled out multinational training programs for many global companies and we are doing many new-product launches. We build training programs for computer giants in the U.S. or, for example, soft drink distributors in Europe and Asia Pacific. Our master trainers in each territory speak fluent English in addition to their native language and dialect and can adapt all training to the local needs. We are implementing a system to enable us to deliver consistent training in different countries and issue a single invoice with a pricing structure that is competitive in each local market.