A recent Sales Performance International white paper found that 84% of sales training is forgotten within 90 days. That’s partly down to unengaged reps who don’t retain or use the information they’re given.

 

But do all of your reps need training? Training costs in outlay and downtime, and it isn’t there to help your reps perform basic functions – that’s what hiring and onboarding are for. It’s there to deliver tools, techniqForget ues or information that will give them a strategic edge in the field.

 

So why not only train the best performing reps?

 

Then make the training simple, effective and sticky enough that those who are trained can socialize and share what they’ve learned to the rest of your reps.

 

Embracing peer-to-peer learning like this has been a part of product development and marketing for years – embracing it in sales has some huge benefits:

 

1. The repetition of socializing and sharing what they’ve learned will help bed in the training’s techniques, tools or insights for top reps

2. 91% of sales managers who put training on the back-burner say it’s because of constraints on their time – peer-to-peer is a great solution

3. It creates a culture in which less capable reps see first-hand how to perform like A players, as well as improving internal competition and interpersonal relationships.

 

Where’s the down side?

 

– Tom @ WSL