Effective sales training is widely acknowledged as a critical success factor for sales organizations. But how many companies are truly excelling in this area? And what distinguishes those with highly effective sales training and development from the rest?
The answers may surprise you.
RAIN Group recently partnered with Allego to survey 242 sales professionals across various industries and regions. Our goal? To uncover the state of sales training and reveal what organizations with highly effective training and development do differently.
Our Top-Performing Seller research confirms that when sales training is done well, organizations experience dramatically better business results. Organizations with highly effective training see:
Yet a significant gap exists between recognizing the importance of sales training and implementing truly effective programs.
In this article, we'll dive into the key findings from our study and explore:
Let's examine the data and uncover how your organization can join the ranks of the sales training elite.
One striking finding from this study is that only 33% of respondents rate their organization's sales training and development as extremely or very effective in helping achieve strong sales performance and productivity. This means that a staggering 67% of organizations are falling short in their training efforts, potentially leaving significant performance gains on the table.
This gap in training effectiveness has real consequences. Organizations with highly effective sales training programs reported:
The stakes are high when it comes to sales training effectiveness. So what are the organizations with highly effective programs doing differently?
Our research uncovered several key differences in how highly effective organizations approach sales training. Many of these methods can be applied with limited enablement budgets, making the most of your training and enablement investments.
While virtual training has become increasingly common, in-person, instructor-led training remains a hallmark of highly effective programs. In fact, 93% of organizations with highly effective training use in-person, instructor-led methods compared to only 65% of those with less effective training.
Delivery Methods for Highly Effective Training
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However, it's not an either/or proposition. Highly effective organizations also leverage virtual instructor-led training (66%) and virtual self-study (50%), suggesting that a blended approach yields the best results.
Organizations with highly effective training tend to provide a wide range of online learning materials and support, including:
Online Learning Materials and Support in Highly Effective Sales Training
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Compared to organizations with less effective training, they're also more likely to offer:
To maximize training effectiveness, be sure to offer a diverse array of online learning resources and support tools. In addition to essential materials such as sales tools and videos, prioritize offering learning reinforcement, online coaching, and role-play simulations. This approach not only enhances skill acquisition, but also fosters deeper understanding and application.
A regression analysis identified three critical factors that drive sales training effectiveness.
3 Key Drivers of Effective Sales Training
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When developing your sales training, be sure to attend to these three factors.
Beyond these key drivers, organizations with highly effective training share several important characteristics, including:
Our findings hint that organizations with the most effective sales training take a holistic approach to their training that starts with assessments to identify skills, is supported by leadership, and involves sales managers motivating their teams and offering regular mentoring and coaching. This level of support beyond the classroom, paired with ongoing reinforcement applying the new skills, ensures that learning translates to performance improvement.
One of the most significant differences between organizations with highly effective training and the rest is their approach to continuous learning.
Highly effective organizations are 2.2x to 5.5x more likely to embrace each of these elements of a continuous learning culture.
Continuous Learning Culture
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This includes practices like delivering a series of training experiences over time, transitioning smoothly from onboarding to "everboarding," and encouraging accountability partners or peer review.
Highly effective organizations are also 2x to 3.3x more likely to implement each of five more tactical aspects of continuous learning.
Tactical Approach
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When training content is tailored to learners’ role, easy to apply to the scenarios they face, and delivered in the flow of work, where and when they need it, it's much more relevant and valuable. This approach bridges the gap from classroom to in-the-field application so skills build over time.
Another key difference between organizations with highly effective training and those with less effective training is their approach to measurement. Organizations with the strongest training are significantly more likely to measure effectiveness using a variety of metrics.
Training Effectiveness Measures Used by Organizations with Highly Effective Sales Training
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Notably, organizations with less effective training are 13.8x more likely not to measure training effectiveness at all. We’ve noted the words of Peter Drucker before, “What gets measured, gets managed.”
Implementing robust measurement practices is critical to drive continuous improvement in your sales training efforts.
In today's digital age, technology plays an important role in enabling effective sales training. Our research found that 63% of organizations with highly effective training have invested in a sales learning and enablement platform. These platforms often provide key features that support continuous learning.
Highly effective organizations tend to make use of technology to deliver online training resources.
While technology is clearly important, it's worth noting that even among highly effective organizations, there's room for growth in leveraging these tools to their full potential.
Another key differentiator of highly effective organizations is their ability to seamlessly transition from initial onboarding to ongoing development.
Thirty percent of organizations with the most effective training strongly agree that their onboarding transitions directly to "everboarding" (i.e., continuous learning) compared to only 7.6% of those with less effective training.
This focus on continuous development is key to long-term success as it ensures that sales professionals continue to grow, adapt, achieve, and contribute to a high-performing sales team.
Based on our research findings, here are eight recommendations for organizations looking to elevate their sales training and development efforts:
This research paints a clear picture: while many organizations are struggling with sales training effectiveness (67%!), there's a significant opportunity for improvement. By adopting the practices of highly-effective organizations—from embracing a culture of continuous learning to using technology and implementing robust measurement practices—companies can dramatically enhance the effectiveness of their sales training efforts.
The potential rewards are substantial: lower turnover, faster ramp-up times for new hires, and better-prepared sales teams for the long term. In today's competitive business landscape, these advantages can make the difference between meeting quotas and leading the market.
We encourage you to take a critical look at your own sales training and development programs. How do they measure up against the benchmarks set by highly effective organizations? Where are your opportunities for improvement?
Ready to take your sales training to the next level? Schedule a consultation with our team to discuss your specific needs and how we can help you implement these best practices.
Don't let your sales training efforts fall into the 67% that are underperforming. Take action today to create a culture of continuous learning and drive your sales performance to new heights.