This sales enablement program addressed a critical business need following a significant organizational restructuring. Five sales divisions were merged, impacting over 400 sellers and leaders, leading to a concerningly low sales pipeline and a lack of alignment on expectations. To address this, I spearheaded the design and implementation of a scalable and repeatable training program focused on reinforcing critical selling skills and best practices. This program catered to both new hires and experienced sellers, ensuring a consistent understanding of fundamental sales skills across the team.
Planning for Success
Recognizing the crucial role of effective selling skills, we began with a comprehensive needs analysis and framework development. This involved:
We conducted interviews and surveys with senior leaders and key stakeholders, collaborated with sales operations and product marketing, and leveraged our embedded sales enablement program managers to gather insights from sellers and mid-level managers. We also reviewed Gong recordings to pinpoint areas for improvement. This analysis revealed six key skills requiring attention: Pre-Call Planning, Prospecting & Creating Interest, Intentionally Opening a Meeting, Discovery: Questioning & Listening, Objection Handling, and Asking for the Sale.
We leveraged LinkedIn Learning, Sales Enablement Forums, and our sales methodology to identify best practices for each skill. We carefully evaluated various approaches, selecting those aligned with our sales methodology and processes, and developing our own frameworks where needed.
We meticulously aligned the program’s learning objectives with our business goals and sales strategies, considering our organization’s complexities, sales process, and adherence to our sales methodology.
Our framework development prioritized flexibility and adaptability, providing a structured approach without stifling individual selling styles.
Before launching the program, we conducted a pilot with 11 sellers. This revealed a crucial insight: fully effective sales skills training must incorporate product and industry knowledge. This led us to integrate relevant product and industry specifics into the program, significantly enhancing its effectiveness.
This thorough pre-work ensured the program’s relevance, effectiveness, and alignment with our business needs.
Designing for Growth
The “Critical Selling Skills Program” employed a blended learning approach to maximize engagement and knowledge retention.
eLearning courses
1-hour eLearning courses introduced each skill, providing foundational knowledge and pre-work for the live workshops.
Live Workshops
90-minute sessions reinforced key learnings, introduced practical applications, and fostered long-term behavior change. Each workshop followed a structured format:
We revisited core concepts from the eLearning, emphasizing group discussions and encouraging participants to share challenges and experiences.
Small group or partner tasks involved workshopping scripts for specific scenarios and role-playing to practice the taught skill.
Each small group performed their role-play scenario for the entire group, followed by feedback.
To facilitate engaging workshops, we employed various techniques:
Encouraged participation from everyone.
Workshops were designed for both delivery methods.
We provided ample opportunities for discussion, both in small breakouts and with the larger audience.
We encouraged various forms of participation and adapted our approach for global audiences.
Coaching Guides
Managers received comprehensive guides to reinforce workshop content and facilitate ongoing coaching. Each guide included instructions for preparing teams, setting expectations, facilitating discussions, coaching desired behaviors, and evaluating seller performance.
Sales Missions
Sellers were given tactical assignments to apply their skills, with feedback provided through Gong.
This multi-faceted approach ensured the program’s scalability and effectiveness across a large and diverse sales organization.
Evaluating Impact
The program demonstrated significant impact across various areas, as evidenced by increased workshop participation, high satisfaction ratings, improved skill application, and a boost in manager confidence.
Attendance steadily increased, indicating growing interest.
Participants consistently rated workshops highly, averaging above 4.3 out of 5, demonstrating perceived value.
Managers reported a 49% average increase in confidence in their teams’ ability to apply the skills after the program.
Gong data analysis revealed a 12.2% increase in the use of open-ended questions after the Discovery workshop.
Following the successful North America rollout, we expanded the program to the UK and APAC regions, demonstrating its global relevance. Select workshops were also integrated into our Sales Kick-Off (SKO), further solidifying the program’s value.
Qualitative feedback from participants and managers was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing appreciation for the practical nature of the training, the interactive exercises, and the insights shared.
Moving Forward
By conducting a thorough needs analysis, creating engaging blended learning experiences, and fostering a culture of continuous coaching and development, I successfully equipped our sales team with the critical skills and knowledge needed to thrive in a dynamic and challenging market. This program demonstrates my commitment to creating impactful learning solutions that drive measurable results.
I’m confident that I can bring this same passion and expertise to your organization. If you’re looking to elevate your sales team’s performance and drive greater success, I’d love to connect and explore how we can work together to achieve your sales goals.
