How to bring about sales force development in a organization?

From my view point, the most active and busy organization in the company is often left out when it comes to training, knowledge sharing and getting an inside view of the organization.
Sometimes as a strategy, the sales folks do come up with seemingly absurd clients and projects for the delivery to execute, but that is later turned around to be a new business line altogether. But many a times, the promises that are made are seldom communicated back to the folks who actually execute the projects – resulting in peeved customers and employees and ultimately bad business.
So I believe that there has to be a good knowledge management system and a communication framework in place to ensure that there is a good information inflow and outflow to and by the sales force. These communication and/or knowledge sharing sessions should cover the happenings in the projects and the view into the world of sales.  In many organizations, the only view the project team has is when the project comes to them. May be it is being safe that way, but at the same time, there has to be a proper communication flow to ensure that the project teams are aware of what is being done.
Similarly, the sales force who are either working odd hours or traveling should be anchored – not just to meet the CXO’s but should also participate and take time out to understand, mingle and share their experiences within the project teams.
When I mention share knowledge, it should not be limited to just the sales and delivery, but should include other support functions like HR, Admin, IT, Quality, Training, Finance etc. They also are part of the company.
Unless these are in place, “True” development never ever happens.

the complete sales force can be  developed if  each  individual  is  ready  to  take  the  challenge.

This is  possible  only  by grooming them, training  them on  presentations skills, corporate  communication  skills, increasing  each  one's understanding  of the company  and  its  product

Effective execution of sales strategy requires having capable sales performers that know what to say and how to say it when dealing with prospects. To do this consistently and effectively requires a selling system - a comprehensive and consistent set of practices and principles, consisting of questioning strategies and selling approaches, so salespeople know what to do and say in all selling situations, like how to stay in conversation on a cold call, how to sell value not price and how to help prospects make decisions to either close the file or close the sale. This will help a lot in developing the sales force.

4 things are of utmost importance

• The sales people must have Indepth Product Knowledge.They should bear the knowledge of the product at their fingertips...If they are not convinced about the product then how they can sell it to a client.Providing customised solution to a client also requires deep knowledge about the product.
• Strict Monitoring on a daily basis is a must for frontline sales people.Apart from pulling in business for the current period it is also very much reqd to create pipelines for the future.Whether a sales person is workibg or not you may come to know at the end of the month which may be fatal for the business as you lose out on the time factor.
• Every body works for money,specially people in the forefront are bearing huge load to achieve sales target which eventually saves their own job.Incentivising the people who actually bears a huge role to run the show is a must.This should be very well communicated to the entire sales fraternity on a micro basis, this works a huge motivation for the sales guys.
• Good working environment is reqd in the premises so that sales people should not find it a pinch to come to the office everyday

Most sales people are not really well groomed! They do not wear the correct combinations, their ties are misplaced, the knots are shabby, shoes are never polished and most of them here in India have a habit of chewing beetleleaf or gutkha!! These are gross habits. Grooming them and making them see a better self will always induce confidence in them to look better and conduct themsleves better. Just dressing better would induce an attitude in them!!

Training in techniques of selling, the art of the game, closing etc would bolster them with some weapons that will make them skilled!

Appraisals on monthly basis on aspects of self improvement would make them confident and encourage them to PUSH the envelope!

Add to this the fact that incentives are applicable, believe me you will se a new improved team!