The Future Of Sales Training Programs Is Now

There are two alternatives in sales training programs. Change required
Online recorded programs are sales training programsThe move to online live and online recorded training is
which have been recorded, and may be played backnot as simple as it sounds. Certain principles of course
over the World Wide Web. Online live programs areinstructional design must be followed to maximize the
those programs which are delivered by such livebenefits.  We see sales training companies
webinar technologies as WebEx and The third, hybridundertaking this task more readily than internal training
mode, is to intersperse online recorded training withdepartments for several reasons, not the least of
several online recorded sessions where discussions,which is that they can amortize the cost of electronic
projects, or general working sessions are incorporated.development over many clients. Only the largest of
Trend advantagescorporations can afford the technology to train inside
First, time away from the field is minimized. Onlinepersonnel.
recorded sessions can be viewed before and afterOne of the first benefits of online training is that
working hours, on lunch breaks, and if audio only –students can be quizzed, tested, and the training
while driving. While it is desirable to gather field salesreinforced at almost no cost electronically, where such
personnel together occasionally, it is expensive,quizzing and testing are both expensive and
time-consuming, and inefficient to do this more thantime-consuming in classroom situations. Yet, these
once or twice annually, even though product andactivities alone increase knowledge retention by almost
strategy changes are often more frequent. There is30%.  However, when training online, we must
also the problem of new hires and transfers whichremember that the attention span of a person sitting in
occur in between live meetings.front of the computer is not reinforced by peer or
The second problem is knowledge retention. Theinstructor pressure. Therefore, successful online
effect of a sales training event is typically 30 to 90learning engagements are broken into 10 to 20 minute
days, as we have seen in numerous studies. Aftermodules interspersed with reading materials and
that, sales people have a tendency to revert to theirquizzes.
former, familiar, less productive practices, as the newAs we said, it is evolutionary rather than revolutionary.
training excitement begins to wear off. This knowledgeIt is inevitable, but nothing moves rapidly in the world of
decay is almost universally present, but rarely noticedsales training. If you want to be a leader, move to
by sales managers or executives because the trend inonline/on demand training. Don't worry; we're well past
the sales profession is to watch current performancethe time where you would have to be a pioneer.
rather than track historical productivity.