Professional sales skills development
According to research, within just an hour, people forget about 50% of what they’ve learned. Within 24 hours, they forget 70% and by the end of 30 days, up to 90% of the knowledge is lost. These statistics apply to nearly all learning situations, sales training included. So why do businesses still cling to traditional methods of sales training, knowing this?
The problem with traditional sales training
Sales training often focuses on intensive sessions that condense weeks of knowledge into hours or days. While these sessions may feel productive, the reality is that they overwhelm participants with too much information in a short space of time.
It’s not just about what’s taught, but how it’s taught. Long classroom-style lectures or seminars do little to engage active learning.
It’s a one-way flow of information, and the more that’s crammed into a session, the less likely salespeople are to retain or apply what they’ve learned effectively.
Why Traditional Training Fails
- Information Overload: In sales training, learners often receive more information than they can realistically process, leading to rapid forgetting.
- Lack of Application: Training that focuses on theory without practical application often fails to stick. Salespeople need real-world scenarios to anchor learning.
- No Reinforcement: Without consistent follow-up or reinforcement, it’s natural for people to lose the information they don’t use immediately.
- Time Constraints: Sales teams often face pressure to get back to work quickly, so training is rushed, leading to even faster forgetfulness.
What’s the alternative?
If traditional sales training leads to forgetfulness, the obvious solution is reinforcement and continuous learning. Here’s how modern approaches can help:
- Micro-learning: Rather than hours-long sessions, breaking training into smaller, digestible chunks can help with retention. Short, focused lessons delivered over time are far more effective in reinforcing memory.
- Coaching and Mentorship: Ongoing coaching helps reinforce learned behaviours. Regular feedback allows sales professionals to tweak their approaches in real-time, keeping learning relevant and practical
- Gamification: Engaging training methods that use rewards, competitive elements, and challenges can make learning more interactive and memorable
- Technology Integration: Leveraging CRM systems and AI-driven insights can act as real-time learning aids, providing salespeople with tips, suggestions, and reminders as they work.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
– Benjamin Franklin
The Future of Professional Development for Sales Practitioners
Moving away from traditional methods doesn’t mean abandoning them altogether. Rather, blending traditional instruction with modern techniques can yield the best results. Companies that embrace a continuous learning culture, where knowledge is refreshed regularly, will see the benefits in their sales performance.
Training isn’t just an event, it’s an ongoing process. The quicker businesses realise this and adapt their sales skills development strategies, the faster they’ll see their teams excel, without losing 90% of the knowledge after a month.
This is where the ISP’s Professionalising Sales approach and Sales Capability Framework come into their own.
The ISP’s Sales Capability Framework defines the essential knowledge, skills, behaviours, and tools required for effective and ethical sales performance.
It is designed to guide personal development, support professional advancement and deliver improved business success.
Download the free framework here.