If your lead generation reps aren’t properly trained and the program isn’t managed effectively, you shouldn’t expect excellent outcomes.

How effective would a surgeon be in an operating room without the right tools? And could MIT’s best engineering graduates build a single thing without the right systems, materials, and training?

The answer’s pretty apparent. Despite the cleverest minds and finest talent can’t succeed unless they’re given the knowledge and tools to essentially help them to perform in their jobs.

So why do so many expansion stage companies expect their lead generation programs to get to the top in their absence?

Over the last week or so, I’ve discussed two important pitfalls of most lead generation systems, the shortage of overall commitment and failure to recruit the suitable individuals for the job. Those are both major mistakes, however, this one happens to be particularly critical: all too often, CEOs and managers fail to arm their lead generation staff with the right training and program management to be successful.

And when I say “right training and program management,” I don’t refer to welcoming in your new lead gen hires on the first day with a 50-page handbook, a marathon Power Point presentation, a couple of role-plays, a list of clients to call, and a cheering pat on the back.

That isn’t enough. To be actually successful, here are just a few things that lead generation training programs must have:

• Thorough explanations of customer pain points and needs
• Promulgating a consistent company-wide message that expresses a true value proposition
• Thorough measurement criteria of the exact results that that all lead generation programs strive to reach

Alas, a number of lead generation programs lack at least one (if not all) of the bullet points above. And that’s why, as Vorsight co-founder and head sales trainer Steve Richard reveals, a majority of training programs fail.

Here are three prevalent training blunders that Richard says companies make:

1.  A majority of training programs are death by Power Point. As Richard mentions, merely reading word-for-word from a training sheet isn’t only boring, it insults your employees’ intelligence.
2. So much time is concentrated on teaching the product and its features, instead of concentrating on the pain points it solves and it is significant to your customers.
3. Training often times lacks instruction on how to practically apply the skills you’re teaching. Role playing, Richard says, doesn’t count as practical teaching either. On the other hand, a manager making live cold calls in front of – and with – new hires does.

Now ask yourself this question: Are you setting your lead generation reps up for success with a powerful training program and proper performance measurements?

Each of the three pitfalls I’ve discussed over the last few weeks can be implemented independently and collectively for lead generation programs. Everything must work in perfect synchronization if you want to have a chance at success.

To illustrate, if you do manage to hire the right people and you have a great training program in place, you may still fall short if there’s no company-wide commitment to the cause. Ditto if there’s a strong company-wide commitment and an excellent training program, but you hire the wrong people.

Just a single misstep can ignite a domino effect that can eventually snowball the whole operation. So take a closer look at your lead generation program. If it’s floundering, I’m willing to bet at least one of these pitfalls is the root of the problem.