How do you evaluate the impact of your sales training efforts?

I agree with different perspectives put forth by other contributors. In my opinion, sales training has a primary impact on the input parameters ???? efforts, time, adherence to sales process, cost etc. These in turn affect the end result ???? increased sales, improved profits, enhanced customer perception, better brand image etc. Therefore, defining & monitoring input KPIs provide a better measure for sales training effectiveness. Sales training also impact attrition of the sales team, retention of active customers, conversion of competition customers etc. Along with one time sales training intervention, follow through interventions like OJT, Refresher, Booster etc. help to increase impact of sales training

A proper sales training will improve morale, which in turn will improve sales numbers. Customer service should also be involved in the sales training as much as possible.

Instead of solely focusing on a 15% increase in the pipeline, set clear and specific goals for the actions we want our team to undertake. Should they refine their messaging? Strengthen their research and tailor their activities? Or perhaps enhance their ability to ask effective discovery questions? We can better understand the cause-and-effect relationship between enablement efforts and outcomes by establishing metrics that track these behaviors. Utilizing tools like Gong can provide valuable insights into conversations and actions, helping us move beyond assumptions. While these behaviors contribute to our overall business objectives, it's essential to consider the numerous other data points that shape these goals.

In my experience, it is very important to define KPIs also on the quality of the training offered to find ways of improvement. Relevant indicators are a questionnaire of satisfaction to be sent to the team involved for a prompt feedback and certainly the number of enquiries for assistance by those teams in the coming weeks.

I think a very easy way to evaluate the value of any training program is to look at the ideas and concepts that your team embraces and uses. Training is about helping people learn new skills to put those skills to use. To create new habits that impact their behavior and future results. If your team is not embracing these new concepts by putting them to work, the training fell short of its objective.

As the saying goes, you cannot manage what you cannot measure. Whenever possible, organize your sales training in relation with certain product features offered by your Sales Management tool(s), and make sure that you can track the utilization rate of such features on an individual basis. Also, as Tracy Bedwell wisely recommended on a great contribution below, make sure to couple training with coaching: the latter will allow you to capture all the little things that cannot be measured in an automatic fashion.

Sales Training is far more than a simple % result. Sales training can hep: ?Increase leads / pipeline ?Convert leads into sales ?Increase margins ?Add new clients ?Retain existing clients And it can also... ?Motivate the sales team ?Retain good staff ?Attract new staff But it can't be a standalone thing, it needs to be coupled with sales coaching - so you can see improvements. It also needs to focus on the right things and be an ongoing process and not a standalone hit