2020 is here and the new decade promises opportunity, growth, and innovation in the training technology ecosystem.

Successful companies are integrating training—once a siloed function—into all aspects of their business. They’ve realized that they must help employees learn the skills they need to perform well now and adapt in the future.

This requires a shift in mindset throughout organizations and the creation of learning departments that are agile, strategic, and able to deliver just-in-time content that is relevant and accessible when and where it’s needed.

Training technology will be the enabler of this new approach. In today’s post, Allego President and Co-Founder Mark Magnacca shares his views on seven things chief learning officers and sales training and enablement professionals should know about training tech this year and beyond.

1. Increased Adoption of On-Demand Training Resources

Smart devices, video everywhere, and unfettered access to information have created a seismic shift that impacts both sides of the B2B buyer-seller dynamic. Today, both sales reps and customers expect immediate access to information and the ability to communicate in real-time.

The continued reliance on mobile devices and end users’ expectation of instant access to information will require organizations to evolve. To meet these growing demands, organizations must adopt agile approaches to sales readiness to ensure reps are ready for every selling scenario.

2. Integration of AI into Daily Functions

After years of speculation, AI will actually make its way into day-to-day sales programs. AI’s data analysis capabilities can help organizations gain deeper insights and apply a personalized approach to their sales strategies.

In the future, sales teams will rely on AI to make recommendations about who to reach out to, how to connect with the right people, which approaches work best, and more.

3. Younger Employees’ Growing Preference for Video

As more members of Generation Y/Millennials and Z enter the workforce, companies will need to add more modern learning and video knowledge sharing capabilities, both for learners and for trainers.

Millennials and Gen Z currently account for slightly over a third of the workforce (38 percent). In the next decade, that figure is set to shoot up to 58 percent, making younger generations the most dominant in the workplace. Organizations can expect that their preferences will dictate changes within the sales department and in general.

We predict an increased preference for modern learning and video training for these digital natives. Since both groups grew up on the internet and with social media, their default mode of info-gathering is online video. Providing more opportunities for employees to learn from video—and create videos to help train—will become essential in the year ahead.

4. Evolution of Personalization and Customization

The rise of personalization and customization in all industries have led to the development of niche technology solutions. As technology offerings become more specialized, organizations and their employees are going to require solutions that are hyper-specific to their business.

This trend will drive both the need for hyper-specific sales strategies and for improved training programs centered around agile learning and peer-to-peer collaboration. In 2020, organizations will need to adopt this mindset in order to empower their sales reps and drive revenue growth.

5. Surge in Content Generated by Sales Teams

In fast-paced, ever-changing environments where employees are constantly facing new scenarios, they need new ways to capture and share their learnings. Video is an easy way for people to document their knowledge and mobile video is becoming a default source of information. We can expect to see more sales professionals capturing and sharing field knowledge via mobile device.

Capturing real-life examples and telling stories through video can reach more members of the sales team and allow them to create more learning experiences. This year we’ll see sales teams take ownership in the sales enablement content creation process. By compiling a library of employees’ learnings on video, organizations can benefit from each individual’s experiences.

6. Switch from Laptops to Mobile Devices

The accessibility and ease-of-use of smartphones, tablets, iPads and other mobile devices is making its way to sales teams everywhere. With more organizations placing emphasis on on-demand content and just-in-time learning, reps can pull up sales collateral and relevant explainer videos created by top performing peers and SMEs wherever, whenever they may need it, giving rise to an agile approach to sales readiness.

This year, field sales professionals will increasingly make the swap from laptops to mobile devices. The increased use will make it easier for sales professionals to access content on the go, as well as create content themselves by capturing their winning ideas and field knowledge on video for others to learn from.

7. Renaissance of the Sales Profession

The sales profession will undergo a transformation in 2020. Harmful stereotypes have plagued the industry for decades, painting an unflattering portrait of salespeople as greedy, pushy, and rude.

But this won’t be the case for much longer. The sales role has proven to be a sophisticated, complex and very necessary part of any successful organization. Companies are investing more into the sales machine than ever before, with U.S. companies spending over $70 billion annually on sales training.

In addition to bucking outdated stereotypes, 2020 will see the sales profession grow as organizations continue to recognize the true value of their sales departments and allocate more resources to such efforts. 2020 is truly going to be the best year ever to be a sales rep.

The Future is Now

Training, upskilling and reskilling employees have become critical for companies in all industries. New tools are emerging to meet this demand, with training platforms specifically designed for sales, customer success, and other teams. As the role of sales continues to evolve, adopt sales readiness technology to stay ahead of your competition in 2020 and beyond.