How do you personalize sales training to maintain consistency?

It is important to conduct an assessment to ensure you are investing learning time on those topics that will have the most immediate impact. Be sure to ask your team for their own assessment. What do they think they need to learn? And, more importantly, why? You might be surprised by the answers, but their engagement will prove invaluable as you begin to roll out a learning plan that they will actually want to use. In the end, they have to internalize and utilize what they are learning for you to see any real benefit in outcomes.

For consistency, develop your own consulting framework. I've learnt this based on my experience working with multiple consulting firms. In order to develop consistency and brand position, they develop a consistent framework which encompasses a standard way of consulting.

Encourage support from direct management and sales leadership to follow up on training. When you build a training for sales reps try to also build a follow up coaching program for direct managers to follow.

No matter which learning approach we employ, it's best done when the learner is motivated (willing) and their superior supports their development plan. The challenge I see in some of my previous work is that the learners are distracted and upon completion of the training, there isn't enough environment of support to help them practice the new techniques.

Simulations have proven to really enhance the sales process adoption. Build out scenarios that align directly with sale process. For example we built out a Simulation that had weighted points. Every answer was the right answer but the best answer contained the exit criteria of each step of the sales process vs the others had information that would be helpful... but didn't necessarily follow the exit criteria established by the sales process

The last thing that we want is to introduce a totally new process/flow compared to what they already have. Embed the learning into their process. Invite them to see how the new practice help improve what they are currently doing.

Be open to the changes and vigilant of the market and competitors. Explore what others are also doing and pick up their best practices. Challenge current way of work for optimization.

This is by far the hardest part especially for fast growing companies. If you can find ways to automate the Enablment building process the better you are in the long run. Hosting regular 1:1 with key stakeholders is super important

For early in career folks this is especially truly helpful for more senior level sales reps making the assets easily accessible is the key, giving them the information they need in one single place and easy to find is critical. One thing that I've noticed is you get a lot more adoption when you ask reps to train on a certain topic, the recognition is great and they learn by teaching

The real training starts, once the class ends. It's essential to pay attention to post training as important (or more important) than just the sales training itself. Create a community to encourage peer support and feedback. Perform check in/assignment to help them relate their new skills to their tasks.

When I led a sales organization, I learned that if the entire organization(CEO, CFO, VP Sales, Customer Service) adopted the same sales philosophy( SPIN,Challenger, Same Side), the sales team would embrace it even more. What happens in many cases the company invests in a training program and after the training, there is no reinforcement /coaching from management and the sales teams go back to their old habits