How Do You Measure the Impact of Your Sales Training Programs?

Whether you’re a sales leader, sales professional, or in a sales enablement role, if you’re investing in skill development through sales training programs you want to accomplish the right results. What are the results to be looking for, and how do you measure your progress?

Not all results are created the same. The role of sales training teams includes partnering with the sales organization to recommend and prioritize the relevant results.

Examples include:

• Objective results (backed by empirical data) and subjective results (backed by stories and experiences).
• “Progress” results, where a milestone has been reached on the path to the overall outcome, and “destination” results, where the outcome has been reached.
• Results at the individual sales professional level, results at the team level, and results at the strategic or leadership levels of the organization.

Six Sales Training Impacts

Below are several to consider in your next sales training program.

Sales Training Impact #1. Strategic Outcomes.

How well does your sales training content and overall program approach align to the strategic outcomes of your organization?

This involves understanding the outcomes most important to executive leadership in the next 12 months. For example, if it’s a strategic imperative to improve sales growth in the automotive sector with a specific product, your sales training program may focus on identifying the right prospects in that sector.

Sales Training Impact #2. Sales Culture and Engagement.

How does your work contribute to the sales culture you want to create and the overall engagement of the sales team?

Sales culture is your organization’s unique combination of factors that help you to create sustainable, meaningful, profitable growth. The strategy, people, processes, and technologies you employ are the pillars of your sales culture. Sales training programs should touch each of these pillars in a way that creates the right sales culture. When sales culture is intentionally created and curated, this is where you will create long term success and a company that elite sales professionals want to join.

Sales Training Impact #3. Mindset for Sales.

Are we cultivating the right mindset for sales at the individual and leadership levels?

Sales mindset is a key tenet of my Strategic Selling Academy, as well as the skill assessment work I perform with clients. When sales training programs cultivate mindset in addition to tactical sales skills, that’s where you’re able to develop the consultative sales professional. In addition, mindset is critical at all sales leadership levels. When sales management and senior leadership don’t practice mindset or approach sales with optimism, that permeates the sales team and ultimately results in stalled sales growth.

Sales Training Impact #4. Opportunity and Territory Progress.

Does our sales training approach contribute to progress in specific opportunities and sales territories / industry verticals?

Too many times sales training doesn’t properly track real and measurable progress with opportunities, territories, or industry verticals. While sales training isn’t the only answer to measurable progress, it needs to demonstrate that it’s a significant player in overall success. When it comes to tactical implementation, utilizing opportunity data and having teams track their progress via your CRM are options for you to demonstrate short-term and long-term progress.

Sales Training Impact #5. Structural Improvements.

How does our sales training approach actively support and integrate with structures like sales process, CRM, and key sales metrics?

Related to the above impact, this one connects your sales training to your organization’s sales structures. For example, sales content should easily align with your existing sales process and sales methodology. In addition, when sales training clearly aligns with your organization’s top three sales development metrics, you’re in a better position to demonstrate tangible ROI contributions.

Sales Training Impact #6. Contribution of Sales Training to the Organization.

Does the sales training function contribute to the business of the organization? Are we getting a seat at the table for business conversations and ingrained with the sales function?

The movement of employees out of organizations with the Great Resignation has hopefully taught us the value of people development needing a role at the strategic table. Training leaders and sales enablement leaders who build bridges between the people development function and its contribution to the organization will be the clear winners. Developing your executive communication skills and business acumen, along with your vision for the contributions of the sales training function across the organization will ensure your seat at the table.

Does Your Sales Training Have the Right Impact?

Amy Franko is the leader in sales training and sales leadership coaching, helping you to design best-in-class sales programs that accelerate growth. To significantly improve the outcomes of your sales training, let’s schedule a conversation. Don’t let your competition get an advantage. Contact us to schedule a conversation with Amy.