In the last article, I noted that many sales training programs focus on learning objectives without a similar emphasis on improving (or measuring) business outcomes. In other words, most programs are designed to teach employees new skills and behaviors, but fail align these objectives with goals such as greater market share or higher customer retention. To bring both sets of goals into alignment, future training programs can be built around the principles of “Design Thinking” as outlined in Design Thinking for Strategic Innovation. Below are eight principles that trainers can map any... Continue Reading

CEOs have good reason to expect sales training programs to produce better business outcomes, but many training programs don’t measure these. How can sales training and enablement professionals improve what they don’t measure? What CEOs Want from Sales Training, But Don’t Get In fact, the kind of training-outcomes data that executives most want to see is rarely provided. A survey of Fortune 500 executives by The ROI Institute and the Association for Talent Development (ATD) found a yawning chasm between the outcomes that training programs typically measure and what CEOs want them... Continue Reading

What makes a sales manager a great leader? Is he or she a “numbers person” or a savvy pipeline manager, a skilled trainer or a Yoda-like mentor? In my experience, the best leaders wear four hats – supervisor, trainer, mentor and sales coach. They recognize that while some of the roles are more valuable to sellers than others, they can’t afford to fall down on any of the jobs. Formal and Informal Roles of Sales Leaders Managers sometimes find it tricky to master these responsibilities because in some organizations, the supervisory function... Continue Reading

What are your choices if you refuse to accept a “tolerable” learning management system? In the past you basically just lived with it, with your back office employees grumbling and the sales team outright ignoring it. The modern learning ecosystem is born out of the understanding that learning happens everywhere, all the time, and that sales organizations in particular have unique needs. Effective learning isn’t possible without either building upon or simply replacing your learning management system. LMS is a world full of compromises that sales organizations no longer accept. The desire... Continue Reading