Whether you’re a coach, an area manager, a territory manager, a company representative, or some other term, the job is basically the same.
You need to be the bridge between the product side of the business and the sales side of the business.
Typically that means that you need soft skills and lots of them. While the product people are focusing on numbers and processes, you are focusing on helping people solve problems and move the business forward.
You really are a coach! And coaches aren’t born, they’re made.
If you’re going to get training to up your coaching game, you have the same options as everyone else:
- Piece it together for free using YouTube
- Upend your life by taking expensive, formal, university classes
- Engage in online e-learning
The advantage of e-learning is that you can study on your own time, from anywhere, at your own pace. You will learn from industry professionals instead of theories out of books.
What you are looking for is practical knowledge. A diploma might look good on your wall, but it won’t add much to your business results.
So, here is our list of five great e-learning courses that are relatively short (between two and three hours), certificated, affordable, and very practical:
Top 5 courses for company reps course #1:
Course #1: Personality testing using DISC
This course is free, and comes with a free, 25 question assessment and a seven-page booklet to go along with it. It’s simple and very effective. The people you work with are all motivated differently. A leader must know where people fit in the organization, and what buttons to push to get their attention.
This course provides a free tool that you can give to the people you work with. And who doesn’t like free?
In this course, you will learn to understand the motivation and communication style of others and learn how each person is motivated. The course includes downloadable templates and cheat sheets and can be viewed here:
https://learning.professionalleadershipinstitute.com/courses/personality-testing-using-disc
Course #2: Objectively assessing your team
You are a company rep because you have specialized knowledge. A big part of your contribution is going to be dealing with people. You will need to assess everyone in your territory so that you can know if they will hit the targets you need them to hit.
This course teaches a simple tool that takes away the subjectivity of assessing people.
It will also teach you how to build a development plan for the people you work with so the organization can thrive. This course also comes with templates, cheat sheets, and book you can purchase on the topic if you’re interested further. Find out more about it here:
https://learning.professionalleadershipinstitute.com/courses/assessing-your-team
Course #3: Building your personal plan
It’s fine to have a plan for your territory, but how a plan for you? Do you know where you want to be in 10 years? Do you know what you need to accomplish this year and this month and today in order to get there?
If you’re like the vast majority of people, you don’t have a written plan for yourself.
Those who do make a lot more money than those who don’t, and they achieve their life goals as well.
This course helps you discover where you want to be in the future, evaluate where you are today and what needs to change, and puts both a plan and an accountability structure in place to help you get there.
The course comes with downloadable cheat sheets and templates. Find out more about it here?
https://learning.professionalleadershipinstitute.com/courses/107-personal-annual-plan
Course #4: Dealing with underperformers
When you’re a company rep, much of your time is spent talking about, strategizing over, and dealing directly with people who are underperforming. Underperformance happens for a variety of reasons, not all of them your, or your company’s fault.
In this course you will learn to diagnose the reason behind the underperformance. You will also learn how to prepare for and conduct difficult conversations. This is a key skill that every area manager needs to have.
In addition, you will learn a variety of possible responses you may receive from underperformers and how to respond to them effectively. This course comes with downloadable templates and cheat sheets.
Learn more about dealing with underperformers here:
https://learning.professionalleadershipinstitute.com/courses/109-dealing-with-underperformers
Course #5: How to read financial statements
Are you embarrassed by your lack of financial literacy? Are you confused by terms like Profit and Loss statement, earnings statement, and income statement? Do your eyes gloss over when sheets of numbers are pulled out? If so, this free course that will take away the mystery of the most basic financial statement.
You can’t advance in a company, or gain the respect of your customers without a basic understanding of how financial statements work.
This course on financial statements will help you understand the financial strength of a company so that you can make informed decisions. Find out more about it here:
https://courses.corporatefinanceinstitute.com/courses/learn-to-read-financial-statements-free-course
In summary:
Territory managers are put in their role for what they know, not what they can do operationally in the business. So, they must continually upgrade their skills. Online courses are a simple, affordable, and effective way to do that without the cost and time required to attend formal schooling.
The top 5 courses for area managers are:
- Personality testing using DISC
- Objectively assessing your team
- Building your personal plan
- Dealing with underperformers
- How to read financial statements
Additional resources
Thanks for reading this article on The Top 5 company rep courses. Below are additional resources from Professional Leadership Institute, the global provider of online human resources and leadership tools:
- What is the DISC test? https://www.professionalleadershipinstitute.com/resources/disc-test/
- Objectively assessing your team https://www.professionalleadershipinstitute.com/course/objectively-assessing-your-team/
- The 7 questions to answer to build your personal annual plan https://www.professionalleadershipinstitute.com/resources/the-7-questions-to-answer-to-build-your-personal-annual-plan/
- A simple strategic plan for you https://www.professionalleadershipinstitute.com/tips/a-simple-strategic-plan-for-you/
