Often sales professionals find themselves in a competitive market space and proper training is crucial to gain the advantage to win. Furthermore, sales training is a crucial continuous exercise that does not build skills in the early year, but also helps to adapt to ever-changing market dynamics.
Nowadays sales enablement strategies incorporate three general key types of learning: normal, blended, and personalised learning. Each of these learning models has unique advantages and their effectiveness often depends on the specific requirements of the sales team. In this blog we look at each type, assess success rates and aim to give an insight in which type of learning fits you and your organisation.
Normal learning, often referred to as traditional learning, is a conventional approach where learners gain knowledge in a classroom environment or through standardized online courses. While this method ensures a uniform learning experience and allows for examination and certification, it may not cater to individual learning styles and preferences. I am surprised how much traditional, class based learning still takes place given the alternatives available.
In terms of success rate, normal learning in sales training yields mixed results. Some learners excel in a structured learning environment, while others may find it challenging to engage or keep up. Another issue is the lack of personalisation. Trainees follow a set program at a set pace and as a result, personal challenges may not be addressed effectively.
So where does our traditional model fit? Often more old school programmes that have exams, essays and other tests favour this model since there is an increased level of control. Secondly this model allows for larger groups to push through a guided training at higher pace, which can help to onboard larger groups of starters.
Blended learning combines the conventional face-to-face instruction with online learning. This approach provides learners with the flexibility to learn at their own pace while benefiting from in-person interactions and discussions. This learning method can be particularly effective in sales training, offering a balance of theoretical knowledge and practical role-play scenarios. In our case we have gone a step further and achieved the blended learning by integrating AI and offering virtual coaching sessions.
Studies have shown that blended learning can lead to improved learning outcomes. According to the U.S. Department of Education, blended learning strategies often outperform purely in-person or online learning. The ability to cater to different learning styles and provide immediate feedback contributes to the higher success rate of blended learning.
We see the blended model as a hybrid between the traditional model and personalised learning. It is more effective than the normal model and gives more freedom to the learner, whilst also requiring more discipline from them. At the same time there still is an opportunity for examination through face to face sessions. This is probably the most prevalent model in use today and shows reasonable results.
Personalised learning elevates the learning experience by customizing the content, pace, and method of instruction to meet individual learner's needs. In sales coaching, this could mean focusing on a specific salesperson's weaknesses, such as negotiation skills or product knowledge. In extreme examples it could even mean creating whole courses that adapt to the needs of the learner.
The success rate of personalised learning is very promising, primarily due to its learner-centric approach. During my time at Gartner working with universities, I encountered a few interesting cases. One case stood out. An English vocational institution was faced with an impossible task. Their budgets were going down, there was less teaching staff and they had a huge influx of new registrations that same year.
They chose to implement a system that would track learner performance and repeat content which the learner took longer to read or scored lower on. This personalised system was so successful, they managed to push success rates up, despite less teachers and many more students.
In the context of sales, we heavily favour personalised learning as the opportunity to address specific challenges and find the most effective path to success. We for assess the skill set of each trainee before advising on a learning path, which helps capitalising on the biggest opportunities first. During courses, we use AI to constantly work with personal cases and provide different, bespoke guidance based on answers a learner gives.
In summary, while normal learning provides a solid foundation, blended and personalised learning models have shown higher success rates in sales enablement and coaching. Sales directors and CEOs must evaluate their team's needs, learning styles, and desired outcomes to select the most effective learning model.
The ultimate goal of training is to empower the sales team to be the best they can be. Often, shortfall in training results in a skill gap which is much harder to fix, instead of just getting it right first time around. Even if it takes more time, the route with the best learning path pays dividends in faster growth.