The Secret Weapon for Sales Success: Why Training Fails and How to Fix It Today!
Carson V. Heady
Best-Selling Author | Managing Director, Americas - Microsoft Tech for Social Impact | Podcast Host | Sales Hall of Fame
Training: The Biggest Miss in The Selling Game – But it Doesn’t Have to Be!
Training is the backbone of success in sales and leadership. Yet, far too often, organizations fall short, leaving their people underprepared and disengaged.
It’s not just about what you teach—it's about how you follow up, track results, and ensure long-term impact. Without proper training and reinforcement, even the best intentions and strategies crumble.
Are you investing in your team’s future or simply checking the box on training?
Training isn’t a one-and-done activity; it’s a continuous investment that directly impacts individual, team, and business success.
The Training Dilemma: A Common Scenario
We’ve all seen it:
According to a LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report, 74% of employees feel they are not reaching their full potential due to lack of development opportunities. This is a stark reminder that training, if done wrong, can cost more than it saves.
The Core Truth About Training
Training isn’t just a process—it’s an investment in people. And like any investment, it requires strategy, consistency, and tracking to yield returns. Here’s what training must deliver:
Training is not about the number of slides or hours spent in a room. It’s about arming your people with tools, confidence, and motivation to face challenges and win.
The Elements of Successful Initial Training
When onboarding new talent, they are a blank canvas. Every detail matters. Here's how to set them up for success:
📋 Plan a Strong Itinerary: Build a syllabus that focuses on foundational knowledge and logical progression.
🏗️ Lay the Foundation: Cover company values, customer needs, product/service benefits, and go-to-market strategies.
🎭 Balance Education with Engagement: Use a mix of storytelling, skits, and practical exercises to keep it lively and memorable.
🕒 Don’t Rush: The urgency to deploy your team is real, but skimping on training will cost more in the long run.
Continuation Training: The Key to Long-Term Success
Your products, services, and customer needs evolve. Training must keep pace. Here's how to keep your team sharp:
🔄 Regular Updates: Host weekly pulse-checks, quarterly refreshers, or annual deep dives into key topics.
🎯 Tailored Content: Focus on real-time challenges and specific knowledge gaps.
📊 Measure Outcomes: Evaluate team performance before and after training to track ROI.
Recommended by LinkedIn
The biggest miss in training isn’t the material—it’s the lack of follow-up to ensure retention and application.
Practical Steps to Modernize Your Training Approach
Transform your training programs from mundane to magnificent with these actionable strategies:
✅ Pick the Right Trainers: Choose trainers with field credibility who resonate with the audience.
✅ Train the Trainers: Even the best trainers need preparation tailored to your specific needs.
✅ Encourage Feedback: Use surveys, exit interviews, and post-training evaluations to refine your approach.
✅ Leverage Technology: Use digital tools to track performance, deliver microlearning, and ensure consistent follow-up.
✅ Reinforce Regularly: Revisit key concepts through follow-up sessions, real-world applications, and coaching.
Accountability: The Missing Link
Training’s effectiveness hinges on accountability—both for trainers and participants. Ask yourself:
Statistics Speak: According to the Association for Talent Development, companies that invest in training see 24% higher profit margins than those that skimp.
Key Takeaways: What You Can Do Right Now
🚀 Map It Out: Create a training syllabus that aligns with your team’s needs and organizational goals.
👩🏫 Empower Your Trainers: Ensure trainers have the knowledge, credibility, and enthusiasm to engage the team.
🔁 Reinforce Consistently: Use weekly check-ins, digital reminders, and role-playing to cement knowledge.
📈 Track Results: Use analytics to measure training ROI and make data-driven improvements.
📣 Communicate Relentlessly: Never assume your team remembers everything; over-communicate the essentials.
If your training isn’t driving consistent results, are you truly setting your team up for success—or are you leaving them to fend for themselves?
Training isn’t just an event—it’s a culture. Make it part of your DNA.
#SalesLeaders #SalesTraining #LeadershipDevelopment #ContinuousLearning #SalesSuccess #TeamBuilding #TrainingMatters #SalesStrategy #GrowthMindset
Design Source 360 Hospitality + Commercial Sales - NEWH Atlanta Fundraising Director 2024
2moGreat advice
RetailRESULTS/Sales Pros 360
2moTraining is a ongoing PROCESS, it's not an EVENT. Professional athletes train, practice, receive coaching and execute on a daily basis. It's the only way to improve. It's the only way to produce consistent, desired RESULTS.
AI based Regulatory Compliance | Prior Accenture, EMC & Microsoft | 18x Full Marathon Finisher | Truett Cathy Coaching Tree
2moMy big discovery about training is how repetition of new information is the key to retaining it. Far too often, training is presented as a one & done, and where it’s assumed everyone retains & practices what was learned a week, month, or quarter before. That doesn’t work. One of my early mentors was Zig Ziglar who famously suggests listening to training material up to 15 times, and or when you’re able to complete the sentences of the trainer. Microsoft used to produce and distribute a frequent CD (this firm metalic platter you could listen to in your car,) called #drivetimeaudio . It sounded like an NPR production with upbeat background music, speakers who weren’t above a little humor and so it went. I used DTA to quickly internalize new products, their use cases & early examples of #msft clients who were using them already. Microsoft may not have known it then, but they provided a medium that could easily be repeated. 🔥
Salesman/Speaker/Sales Trainer @ "The Closers"/Coach/Consultant
2mo👍👍👍
Sell Smarter. Win More. Stress Less. | Sandler & ICF Certified Coach | Career Strategist | Advisor | USA National Bestseller | 2 Time Amazon Bestseller Status | Top 50 Fiction Author (India)
2moEffective training is about consistent follow-up and reinforcement, not just a “check the box” approach. When organizations invest in training, they’re investing in long-term growth and success✨