Sales Training Archives

The Psychology Of Goal Setting In Sales

18th January 2024 Jim Bloomfield

It’s a new year and there’s lots of blogs and articles doing the rounds on how to set goals. But why are they important? And what is the psychology behind them? Read on to find out more.

Why do goals work?

Quite simply setting goals is shown to increase one’s motivation. The simple act of articulating what you want to achieve enables one to take the next step and to consider what is required to achieve the desired result. In fact, research shows that setting goals can increase achievement by up to 30%.

Good goals

Performance goals have been shown to negatively impact upon trust in management and to compromise organisational performance. In sales, they might reward counter-productive behaviour such as a desire to offer discount in order to secure an order. A good goal of course does the opposite. Research shows that the most powerful goals are:

1. specific (as opposed to doing your best),

2. challenging yet realistic,

3. clear,

4. include short, medium and long-term

Goals increase persistence and self-efficacy, making individuals less susceptible to the undermining effects of anxiety, disappointment and frustration (Schunk, 1990). Abuhamdeh and Csikszentmihalyi (2012) showed that challenge is particularly important for the enjoyment of intrinsically motivated and goal-directed activities. Deci & Ryan (2000) found that achieving an optimally challenging task gives people a true feeling of competence. A combination of short-term and long-term goals is ideal to sustain motivation and persistence (Turkay, 2014).

Goals in sales

It makes sense that goals should be a useful in sales where success in achieving the objective is easily determined. In their research into the Sales Challenger, Dixon and Adamson (2011) found that top performers are focused on long-term goals as opposed to short-term measures. Dudley & Goodson (2007) identified that goal clarity is positively associated with performance, but only up to a point. Where goal setting morphs into detailed planning it can result in sellers over-preparing for events which negatively impact upon their performance.

Of course, goals alone are not enough. In order to be effective, a salesperson must have high levels of motivation, goal clarity and commitment. A seller must want to perform well and have sufficient focus on their goals to be able to direct their energy towards the right activities.

Conclusion

So there you have it. Good goals are effective in helping to set direction and can be used to ensure that the activities of the salesperson are aligned. However, when goals are broken down too far they can reduce activity and negatively impact upon sales performance. And remember that goals alone are not enough. There is an important relationship between motivation, commitment and goals that enables top performers to direct their effort and energy towards the right activities.

References

Abuhamdeh, S. and Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2012). The importance of challenge for the enjoyment of intrinsically motivated, goal directed activities. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38, 317330.

Dixon, M. and Adamson, B. (2011), The Challenger Sale. How to Take Control of the Customer Conversation. Penguin.

Dudley, G.W. and Goodson S.L. (2007), The Psychology of Sales Call Reluctance. Behavioural Sciences Research Press.

Latham, G. P. & Locke, E. A. (1979). Goal set ting: A motivational technique that works. Organizational Dynamics, 8(2), 6880.

Mento, A.J., Steel, R.P., & Karren, R.J. (1987). A metaanalytic study of the effects of goal set ting on task performance. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 39, 5283.

Schunk, D. H. (1990). Goal set ting and self-efficacy during self-regulated learning. Educational Psychologist, 25, 7186.

Turkay, S. (2014). Setting Goals: Who, Why, How?. Manuscript.

Blogs Business Consulting Sales Development Sales Training sales transformation Uncategorised

The Number One Behaviour Of Top Salespeople (And Why That Isn’t Enough On Its Own)

2nd November 2023 Jim Bloomfield

When we embarked on our journey to uncover the key capabilities that determine success in B2B sales we weren’t sure what we’d find. Our own work with salespeople across different industries indicated that high performers shared many common qualities. But we couldn’t be certain that this would hold true when scaled-up to include multiple studies encompassing more than 20,000 salespeople globally. Remarkably, however, our analysis revealed a strikingly consistent picture of what great looks like in B2B sales.

The results are there for all to see in our Acuity whitepaper; 9 key Capabilities (drives and behaviours) that determine success in what we refer to as a strategic sales environment; strategic due to factors such as the complexity of the solution being sold, its high value which draws in multiple decision-makers, and the effect that has on increasing purchase indecision and the length of the sales cycle.

But does the Acuity research translate into real-world businesses? When working with clients we always recommend that they allow us to undertake a validation study, to determine their organisational ROI. Validation studies can take various forms but essentially involve comparing actual sales performance to sellers’ Acuity profiles. In one example we used our psychometric self-assessment with a healthcare insurance provider to compare in-role performance to Acuity results. Analysis of the data showed that the single biggest differentiator between the Top 1/3 salespeople and the rest was Connectedness.

Another validation study within a media business used self-ratings from our Acuity 360 tool to evaluate each salesperson. Regression analysis was used to identify the most predictive Acuity Capability and, here again, it was Connectedness. In terms of ROI, sellers in the top 50% of Acuity profiles delivered an average of 23% more in sales revenue per month than their peers.

Clearly Connectedness is an important driver of success. But what does being connected mean? In our definition it is about developing networks within one’s client or prospective client to build a better understanding of the key stakeholders, influencers and decision-makers. It also includes being well-connected internally so that colleagues can share intelligence, make introductions and support the sale. Crucially, it is about being proactive in seeking value from these networks by asking for referrals, recommendations and intelligence.

Top-performing salespeople who demonstrate Connectedness:

Build their external networks

Invest in their internal networks

Seek value from these networks

However, showing Connectedness on its own is unlikely to be enough to make someone a top performer. The original Acuity research identified 9 Capabilities in total that distinguished high performers from the rest. Dig further into the validation studies described above and the picture becomes less clear. If we take the 3 strongest correlating Capabilities in each case, then Connectedness comes out on top. However, for the media business that is followed by Goal Focus (alignment of one’s objectives to the goal they are trying to achieve) and Drives the Sale (taking control and creating momentum). For the healthcare insurer it is Interpersonal Style (how one flexes their own behaviour to maximise their interactions with different stakeholders) and Goal Focus.

Taking a further step back, we looked at the correlations for every Acuity Capability. In the case of the media business, all 9 capabilities showed a positive correlation with sales performance. For the healthcare insurer, six capabilities correlated with sales performance while the remaining three correlated with line manager ratings.

It is clear that being connected is a critical factor in determining success in B2B sales. Indeed, in these examples it is the most important factor. However, it is also true that it is not enough on its own. The precise order of importance may vary across sectors, and perhaps even among different organisations within the same sector, but for individual sellers to excel they must possess a wider will and skillset.

If you’d like to understand your organisation’s typical seller persona, clarify the development needs of your sales team or determine the ROI that Acuity could achieve for your business we’d love to hear from you.

Blogs Business Consulting Sales Development Sales Leadership Sales Recruitment Sales Training sales transformation

Put Your Salespeople At The Heart Of Sales Transformation

5th July 2023 Jim Bloomfield

The ultimate aim of any sales transformation strategy is to grow revenue and drive greater profit. In B2B sales the relationship between buyer and seller has changed dramatically in recent years leaving sellers with little opportunity to influence buyer decision-making. Some see the rise in online sales channels and the apparent preference of some buyers to purchase without engaging a salesperson at all as a sign that the role of the salesperson has diminished.

In light of this new reality it may be tempting to focus sales transformation programmes on tech investment and the systems and processes that need to change. However, others tell a different story. One where the role of the salesperson may have evolved but to the benefit of all parties. Deep sales is the buzzword, where technology drives insights about customers that enables salespeople to focus their time where it will have most impact. Yes, that may be later on in the buying cycle and they may not have the customers’ attention for long but, when they do, a great salesperson can make a massive difference.

Any investment in sales systems should not be at the expense of sales talent. Ensuring that there is clarity (and training) on the behaviours that drive success is crucial. Studies show that less than a third of all business transformations succeed, with a staggering 70 percent of failures due to “an organisation’s inability to adopt the required new behaviours quickly and completely.” In fact, McKinsey, argue that “businesses need to invest at least as much in organisational culture and health as in the intricacies of what will change on the ground” when embarking on transformation programmes.

At Bloojam, we’ve studied salespeople to identify the key capabilities that drive superior sales performance. Salespeople who consistently demonstrate these capabilities are proven to achieve higher performance ratings, deliver greater revenue performance and exceed target.

Find out more about these capabilities and their impact on sales performance here.

Jim Bloomfield is a Director at Bloojam Consulting with 20 years experience of assessing and developing salespeople and leaders.

Blogs Business Consulting Sales Development Sales Leadership Sales Training Uncategorised War for Talent

Don’t Let Your Sales Talent Walk Out The Door

9th March 2023 Jim Bloomfield

In a recent Gartner survey, 89% of salespeople reported feeling burned out and 54% were actively seeking alternative employment. Furthermore, nearly 70% felt that management doesn’t understand how to motivate them. These are worrying numbers for any organisation that is serious about retaining top sales talent.

Fortunately, the 2 key themes that prevent sellers performing at their best, a lack of development opportunities and a lack of empowerment, can be addressed.

It’s easy to say that sales leaders need to invest more time in supporting their teams when the average leader spends less than 10% of their time on developing their reports. But to be truly effective they first need to be able to accurately diagnose the problem, something that is unlikely to be the same for every member of the sales team.

At Bloojam, we look at a salesperson’s Drive through three lenses:

Motivation; are they a self-starter, focused on achieving excellent outcomes, persistent in the face of setbacks and driven to solve client problems?
Goal focus; do they have clarity about what they are trying to achieve, are they focused on the end goal and the actions required to successfully reach it?
Self-belief; are they confident in their ability to positively influence a sale, do they show resilience when faced with setbacks and self-awareness of their own strengths and limitation?

Truly understanding what is impacting upon the Drive of your sales team, at an individual and collective level, allows sales leaders to provide much more targeted support and challenge to their teams. By facilitating more detailed discussion of the key causes, personal to them, of their burnout or demotivation, salespeople are much more likely to open up and engage with the conversation. As a result, the sales leader can respond to the needs of the individual rather than taking a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to re-energising their sales team.

That benefits the individual as they will feel that their manager truly understands their needs. It benefits the sales leader as the limited time they have with team members can be focused on the factors most likely to enhance performance. And it benefits the organisation as any subsequent training or support can be tailored to individual needs, thereby ensuring that training budget ROI is maximised.

Jim Bloomfield is a Director of Bloojam Consulting with 20 years’ experience of using business psychology to develop salespeople and leaders. He is a member of the Association of Business Psychology (ABP) and the British Psychological Society (BPS) and has successfully helped some of Britain’s best-known businesses exceed their sales goals.

Bloojam Consulting offers a range of robust recruitment and development tools and interventions, including the Acuity for Strategic Sales suite of psychometric assessment and development tools.

Blogs Business Consulting Human Resources Human Resources Learning & Development Professional Services Sales Development Sales Recruitment Sales Training Uncategorised War for Talent

Demystifying Sales For Professional Services

2nd February 2023 Jim Bloomfield No Comments

More and more of the leaders we speak to in professional services firms recognise the importance of enhancing sales capability as they pursue growth during challenging economic circumstances. In the past the language used has typically dressed sales up as something else…. client origination, business development, practice growth etc. But this is no more.

Individuals too also recognise the need to develop their sales capability if they are to be successful. However, being open to the idea of “sales” isn’t necessarily the same as feeling equipped and capable to carry out this critical element of the role. Firms are typically very good at communicating the requirements to progress as a leader, articulated through bespoke frameworks and values statements that create clarity, and they put a lot of effort into supporting new and emerging leaders. However, provision is more patchy and ad-hoc when it comes to developing B2B sales capability. There are very few sales frameworks out there and training, when it takes place, tends to focus more on the sales process than the person and the behaviours and attributes required to be successful in strategic sales.

That is changing as clients recognise the importance of nurturing and retaining their people, in the context of the scarcity and expense of finding top talent in the market, if they are to achieve the growth they seek. Today we are seeing firms create training academies and defined career paths for sales professionals, in a manner similar to leadership development programmes, that provide their client-facing teams with clearly-signposted opportunities for progression.

At Bloojam, we work with clients to ensure that they have a clear understanding of the key drivers, behaviours and attributes that drive superior B2B sales performance. Successful organisations are able to apply this knowledge to promote and hire people who want to be on that journey and to develop them once in the role. Using such a blueprint helps to demystify B2B sales for both the individual role holder and supports organisations to supercharge the performance of their client-facing teams.

Sarah Clapperton is a Director at Bloojam Consulting and a Chartered Business Psychologist, with 20 years’ experience working in selection and development. She specialises in working with leaders and senior salespeople.

Bloojam Consulting offers a range of robust recruitment and development tools and interventions, including the Acuity for Strategic Sales suite of psychometric assessment and development tools.

Blogs Business recruitment Sales Development Sales Leadership Sales Recruitment Sales Training War for Talent

Why The Great Resignation Is A Double Whammy For Your Salesforce

28th June 2022 Jim Bloomfield No Comments

The Great Resignation is a term first coined last year by Professor Anthony Klotz of Texas A&M University but already it has proved a compelling shorthand for a cluster of factors impacting upon the War For Talent in the jobs market. The numbers differ by country, but all tell the same story. Here in the UK, 20% of the workforce plans to leave their current role in the next 12 months, according to PWC, while nearly 30% are planning to ask for a pay rise. But it’s not just the large corporates that are encountering these problems. A survey of SMEs by Grant Thornton shows that 50% were struggling to replace staff that had left while a similar proportion were finding it hard to fill newly created roles.

The impact on sales teams is two-fold.

Churn Among Client Stakeholders: According to LinkedIn, turnover among B2B buyers is up nearly 30% globally and as a result 85% of salespeople have delayed or lost a deal because of a change in stakeholder within their client account.
Turnover Of Sales Talent: Within sales teams turnover is also high with moves among salespeople up by over one-quarter. This disruption further impacts the ability of organisations to close out opportunities in a timely fashion and to win new deals.

A two-pronged approach is required to minimise disruption.

Sales leaders must focus on retaining their top talent. First, they must look in the mirror. A recent McKinsey survey found uncaring leaders and unreasonable expectations were two of the most commonly cited factors for people leaving a job. Third was a lack of career development. Not a surprise when sales leaders typically devote less than 10% of their time on developing their teams. All three are push factors away from a management-style and work culture that employees feeling increasingly confident to walk away from. If you don’t want your people to look elsewhere these factors must be a priority.

To manage the impact of turnover within prospects and existing client accounts, salespeople must be well-connected. Our own model of sales capability, Acuity, shows that those who are well-networked across their client accounts are better able to build their understanding of their customers’ key drivers, to bring client stakeholders together and to drive the sale to its conclusion.

Blogs Business Consulting Professional Services recruitment Sales Development Sales Recruitment Sales Training

What Does The War For Talent Mean For Professional Services?

25th May 2022 Jim Bloomfield No Comments

The idea of a “war for talent” has been around for a long time and was itself based on the classic law of supply and demand popularised more than 200 years ago by the economist Adam Smith. It describes how, all else being equal, the price of goods or services tends to increase when the supply of that commodity decreases (making it rarer) or when the demand for it increases (making it more sought after) and vice versa. In the case of the talent war, the commodity is people.

Despite the pandemic, professional services has proven to be a growth industry. The MCA Industry Report 2021 suggests that the growth rate for management consulting in the UK was 4.5% in 2020. Total consulting income is estimated to be £12.5 billion. Some individual firms reported even more impressive results. Deloitte saw an increase in global revenue of 5.5%, while EY boosted revenue by 7.3% to $40 billion globally. Much of that growth has been centred around expansion into new service lines in particular those focusing on technology, data and ESG.

This drive for growth has led firms to fight it out for the top talent, which in turn has driven up salaries. Newly qualified lawyers can now expect a starting salary of £100k+, while partners in some Big 4 firms have seen their pay increase to in excess of £1million. In this febrile market employees have the advantage. They know that they are sought after and, in many cases, they are able to name their terms.

The risks to employers are many. In the race to recruit, there is a danger that corners are cut in order to be the first to make the candidate an offer. In Professional Services, experienced hires tend to be recruited with an expectation that they will contribute to the revenue growth of the firm. Given that they also need to exhibit deep subject matter expertise in their specialist area, and will often need to be effective people leaders, there is a requirement for individuals to draw upon a broad range of capabilities if they are to excel in their roles.

Recruiting the right talent

To prevent a severe case of buyer’s remorse, it is critical that firms maintain a rigorous approach to recruitment that is able to assess all aspects of a candidate’s performance and potential. It may be tempting to circumvent the process in order bring people in more quickly but consider the impact of getting it wrong. Direct costs are estimated by the US Department of Labour to be 30% of salary. But factor in the indirect costs such as loss of opportunities not converted, impact upon team morale and performance, and these costs quickly escalate.

To be able to accurately evaluate these different skillsets is challenging and requires a multi-faceted approach to recruitment. Robust psychometric tools used in conjunction with in-depth profiling / debrief sessions facilitated by an expert help to “lift the hood” and consider the capabilities and attributes that are not apparent from an interview alone.

What we see time and again when working with Professional Services firms is a tendency to focus on technical and leadership capability alone. If a new hire has a sales / growth target it is also critical to assess B2B sales capability. Research tells us that in order to make the best recruitment decisions we should:

Clearly identify the criteria associated with success in the role
Use trained and skilled interviewers
Use structured interviews and objective assessment tools

Cutting corners introduces bias and poor decisions, in turn bringing too much risk for firms.

Retaining Talent: What Does The Evidence Tell Us?

So, what can managers within professional services firms do to retain their existing talent to support their goals around sustainable growth?

Robust research from pre-pandemic times suggests the following recommendations:

Ensure that you offer employees autonomy and involvement in decision-making
Deliver on your promises and treat people fairly
Create a positive team atmosphere
Provide clarity of expectations
Provide feedback
Seek to offer rewards beyond just pay: benefits, training and career growth are all important.

Considering how to support and retain more diverse groups of employees is also key to the sustainable success of the business.

In summary, now is the time to review and reinforce people practices, to ensure that the right new hires are selected and that precious internal talent is nurtured.

Bloojam Consulting offers a range of robust recruitment and development tools and interventions, including its unique Acuity for Strategic Sales suite of psychometric assessment and development tools.

Blogs Business Consulting Sales Development Sales Leadership Sales Training

Should 360 Feedback Surveys Feature In Sales Transformation Programmes? What The Research Tells Us.

11th January 2022 Jim Bloomfield No Comments

In earlier blogs we have considered the features of successful sales training and the value that coaching can bring. Our focus now turns to 360 feedback.

Can multi-rater feedback improve workplace performance? The answer from academic literature is mixed and could be summarised as “yes, provided that….”. Previous research has shown that multisource feedback can be an effective method of improving work performance in its own right (Kluger & DeNisi, 1996; Smither et al, 2003). Many researchers agree on the potential for 360 programmes to raise self-awareness and have a positive impact on performance, but mixed empirical findings can be attributed to the “high degree of variation in design features across 360 processes” (Bracken and Rose, 2011) and the fact that often the content of the feedback is provided to the individual without a coach or facilitator to help them understand it (Lawrence, 2015).

Research shows that for 360 feedback to have a positive impact on performance it must:

be accepted by the individual (Alexander, 2006; Smither et al, 2005)
be conducted by a trained professional (e.g., McDowall and Kurz, 2008; Alexander, 2006; Latham et al, 2005)
involve goal setting for the participant (Latham et al, 2005; Smither et al, 2005)
provide “short- and long- term support for participants, as they seek to make sense of the feedback and commit to specific actions” (Lawrence, 2015)
“provide a comprehensive and valid measure of workplace behaviour” (McDowall and Kurz, 2008) that is linked to the purpose of the programme (Lawrence, 2015).

The latter point is particularly relevant in our experience of working with sales organisations. Historically, many have used generic 360 surveys more geared to measuring leadership or general workplace behaviours, whereas what they should measure are the capabilities that drive improved sales performance.

The importance of the skill and diplomacy of the feedback facilitator in navigating the potential sensitivities and nuances of 360 data is highlighted by a number of authors and researchers, because it is critical that the feedback is understood and accepted by the individual in order for there to be a commitment to goals and behaviour change (Alexander, 2006; Latham et al, 2005; Lawrence, 2015).

Finally, the overall sponsorship and positioning of the 360 programme is key, as it must be based on mutual trust and buy-in that is fostered through good communication (McDowall and Kurz, 2008).

Combining 360 and coaching: turbo powering the impact on performance

Whilst there is a lack of research specific to the field of sales, there is a growing body of evidence that shows professional coaching support following 360 feedback can be a powerful way to improve performance.

A large study of over 1000 senior managers examined the effects of executive coaching on 360 feedback over time. One year later, they found that managers who worked with a coach were more likely to set specific (rather than vague) goals, to solicit ideas for improvement from their superiors and had improved more than other managers in terms of 360 ratings (Smither et al, 2003).
Luthans and Peterson (2003) found that participants need systematic coaching along with the 360 degree feedback in order to gain self-awareness and have a positive impact on work satisfaction and organisational commitment.
Thach (2002) found that the combination of 360 feedback and individual coaching increases leadership effectiveness by up to 60 per cent.

In contradiction, Jones et al’s (2015) review suggests that using 360 feedback reduces the size of the positive impact of coaching. However, they acknowledge that this may be due to issues of the participants not accepting the feedback or using generic leadership surveys that have no direct relevance to their objectives. In other words, poorly designed or delivered 360 programmes will inevitably not achieve your desired aims.

McDowall and Kurz (2008) conclude that coaching and 360 feedback processes are mutually beneficial as “coaching is helpful for initiating and embedding behaviour change following the initial feedback process” and “360 feedback measures make an effective contribution to the coaching process, as differences in ratings provide both the coachee and coach with valuable information about levels of effective performance at work….”.

Key Findings:

Goal-setting and ongoing support for the individual enhances the impact of a 360 feedback programme
If you want to change sales behaviour, you need to measure sales behaviour in your 360
Feedback must be accepted and understood by the recipient in order for them to commit to behaviour change
Combining 360 feedback with ongoing coaching will turbocharge its impact

Bloojam are business psychologists who take an evidence-based approach to selecting and developing salespeople, leaders and sales leaders. To learn more about our Academy approach to developing sales capability in your workforce please visit our website.

Alexander, D.M. (2006) How Do 360 Degree Performance Reviews Affect Employee Attitudes, Effectiveness and Performance? Seminar Research Paper Series. Paper 8. http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/lrc_paper_series/8http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/lrc_paper_series/8

Bracken, D.W. & Rose, D.S. (2011) When Does 360-Degree Feedback Create Behavior Change? And How Would We Know It When It Does? Journal of Business and Psychology 26, Article number: 183

Jones, R. J., Woods, S. A., & Guillaume, Y.R.F. (2016) The effectiveness of workplace coaching: A meta-analysis of learning and performance outcomes from coaching. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 89, 249-277.

Kluger, A.N. & DeNisi, A. (1996) The Effects of Feedback Interventions on Performance: A Historical Review, a Meta-Analysis, and a Preliminary Feedback Intervention Theory. Psychological Bulletin, II9(2), 254-284

Latham, G.P., Almost, J., Mann, S. & Moore, C. (2005) New Developments in Performance Management. Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp. 77–87.

Lawrence, P. (2015), “A best practice model for the effective deployment of 360° feedback”, Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 29 No. 6, 13-16.

Luthans, F. & Peterson, S. J. (2004) 360‐degree feedback with systematic coaching: Empirical analysis suggests a winning combination. Human Resource Management 42(3), 243-256.

McDowall, A. & Kurz, R. (2008) Effective integration of 360 degree feedback into the coaching process. The Coaching Psychologist, 4(1)

Smither, J.W., London, M. & Reilly, R.R. (2005) Does performance improve following multisource feedback? A theoretical model, meta-analysis and review of empirical findings. Personnel Psychology, 58, 33-52.

Smither, J.W., London, M., Flautt, R., Vargas, Y., Kucine, I. (2003) Can working with an executive coach improve multisource feedback ratings over time? A quasi experimental field study. Personnel Psychology 56, 1, p23-44

Thach, E C (2002) “The impact of executive coaching and 360 feedback on leadership effectiveness” Leadership & Organization Development Journal Vol. 23 No. 4, pp. 205-214.

Blogs Business Consulting Professional Services Sales Development Sales Leadership Sales Recruitment Sales Training

Is Coaching Salespeople Worth The Investment? What The Research Tells Us.

17th December 2021 Jim Bloomfield No Comments

In the first blog of the series, we explored the features that make sales training succeed. In our second blog, we look at the value in coaching (and mentoring) your sales team.

Does coaching improve performance in general? The answer is a resounding “yes”. Definitive research reviews by Theeboom et al (2013) and Jones et al (2016) have found that coaching is an effective change methodology (Grant & O’Connor, 2019). In particular, coaching has a large impact in terms of performance improvement. Jones et al (2015) argue that this is likely to be because coaching involves many characteristics that we already know from research will enhance performance. These are:

Coaches apply goal-setting
Goals generally feature work-based activities, promoting experiential forms of learning
and thereby directly encourage transfer of learning to work behaviour

Jones et al’s (2015) research overview found that it makes no difference to outcomes whether the coaching sessions are delivered face-to-face, online or by telephone. Their findings also suggest that internal coaches can deliver stronger outcomes than external coaches. However, research also tells us that the strength and quality of the coach-coachee relationship is a key ingredient to the success of the coaching process (De Haan et al, 2016). For example, empathy, positive regard and autonomy support are important characteristics of the relationship (Grant & O’Connor, 2019). So, while it may be ideal for organisations to develop a culture of coaching internally, due care should be taken in terms of training managers to be effective coaches and ensuring they have the relevant skills and characteristics that support quality relationships with their coachees.

Evidence of Impact of Coaching on Sales Performance

The purpose of sales coaching is to equip salespeople with the right knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to achieve role and organisation-related objectives and goals. It can be delivered by a Sales Manager or an external coach. Similar to executive coaching, the aim is to improve performance through a series of conversations, feedback provision and activities (Badrinarayanan et al, 2015). Mentoring on the other hand tends to not have a focus on the development of KSAs and performance per se, but is the “exchange between a senior experienced person and a less experienced, more junior protégé” with a focus on career goals (Bradford et al, 2017).

Sales coaching is an under-researched area, but Badrinarayanan et al’s (2015) overview finds that it is an effective element of training and development programmes and that “professional sales coaching plays an important role in the development of salespeople…”

Sager et al (2014) found that salespeople are more satisfied with both selling skills and product knowledge training when it is supported by role models. Furthermore, sales organisations can assist salespeople by providing role models and mentors during initial sales training. Participants are more likely to be satisfied with training if role models continuously and consistently demonstrate correct and expected selling behaviours. Bradford et al’s (2017) found that a combination of external training and on-the-job training are more related to performance enhancement than are internal training courses. They also recommend the use of internal mentoring, especially where the mentoring relationship gives the opportunity to shadow, observe and mimic the behaviour of the more senior colleague. These researchers suggest that developmental support from line managers is important to realise the full potential of sales coaching.

In summary, the research tells us that coaching and mentoring play very important, but distinct roles in the embedding of sales capabilities. Coaching embeds learning by setting goals that feature work-based activities and encourage learning transfer. In this relationship, the coachee benefits by taking ownership for converting the ‘theory’ of sales training into a set of clear goals, supported by a tangible set of practical actions that will embed the desired behavioural change. On the other hand, mentoring allows the mentor to reinforce the expected sales behaviours and the mentee to observe and imitate these.

Key findings:

Evidence that coaching can improve individual performance is strong
Coaching embeds learning by setting goals that feature work-based activities and encourage learning transfer
Quality of coaching support is critical to the success of the coaching relationship
Participants report increased satisfaction with sales training when it is supported by mentors who role-model the expected behaviours

Bloojam are business psychologists who take an evidence-based approach to selecting and developing salespeople, leaders and sales leaders. See our website to learn more about our approach to developing sales capability in your workforce.

Badrinarayanan, V., Dixon, A., West, V.L. & Zank, G.M. (2015) Professional sales coaching: an integrative review and research agenda. European Journal of Marketing, 49, 7/8, 1087-1113.

Bradford, S.K., Rutherford, B.N. & Friend, S.B. (2017) The impact of training, mentoring and coaching on personal learning in a sales environment. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 15, 1.

De Haan, E., Grant, A.M., Burger, YD. & Eriksson, P.O. (2016) A large-scale study of executive and workplace coaching: The relative contributions of working relationship, personality match, and self-efficacy. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 68(3), 189-207

Grant, A.M. & O’Connor S. (2019) A brief primer for those new to coaching research and evidence-based practice. The Coaching Psychologist, 15(1) 3-10

Jones, R. J., Woods, S. A., & Guillaume, Y.R.F. (2015) The effectiveness of workplace coaching: A meta-analysis of learning and performance outcomes from coaching. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 89, 249-277.

Sager, J.K., Dubinsky, A.J, Wilson, P.H. & Shao, C. (2014) Factors influencing the impact of sales training: Test of a model. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 6(1), 1.

Theeboom, T., Beersma, B. & van Vianen, A. E. M. (2013): Does coaching work? A meta-analysis on the effects of coaching on individual level outcomes in an organizational context. The Journal of Positive Psychology: Dedicated to furthering research and promoting good practice. (September 2013)

Blogs Learning & Development Sales Development Sales Training

How Can We Deliver Impact Through Sales Training? An Evidence-Based Approach To Developing B2B Sales Capability

8th November 2021 Jim Bloomfield No Comments

Estimates of the size of the sales training market vary but are typically measured in billions. One estimate for the US alone put the total annual spend on formal sales training in excess of $10billion (Hair et al, 2009). If you’re a business leader thinking about undergoing a sales transformation programme consider this. Less than a third of transformations succeed as expected, with a staggering 70 percent of failures due to an organisation’s inability to adopt the required new behaviours quickly and completely (Keller and Price, 2011).

So, why does sales training so often fail to deliver the returns it promises? We set ourselves two key exam questions:

What are the most effective methods to embed learning and development in the workplace?
Can the impact of this learning and development be measured in terms of improved sales performance?

To answer these questions we carried out a comprehensive review of credible sales studies and academic behavioural research to identify the best ways to embed learning and to drive a change in sales behaviour that will deliver an increase in top line sales.

Sales Training Best Practice

In this first blog of the series, we explore what features of sales training make it more likely to succeed.

A meta-analysis of 144 research studies (Huang et al, 2015) found that to ensure that individuals put in maximum effort to transfer learning into their job, learning should focus on knowledge and skills. Crucially, knowledge should be tailored to the job, bite-sized and then tested on the job. It is through giving the individual opportunities to practice and to receive feedback on their efforts that will help them to turn knowledge into skills. A further meta-analysis of 117 studies by Taylor et al (2005) looked at the impact of Behaviour Modelling Training (BMT) and identified four key components:

Training should describe specific actions
It should show individuals how to use them
Trainees should have opportunity to practice these
Trainees should receive feedback on their efforts

Factors that increased the chances of an individual successfully learning a new skill included the following:

Rule codes- these explain what to do and why e.g. “Listen carefully and respond with empathy to reduce defensiveness” rather than simply describe the behaviour e.g. “Listen carefully”
Mental practice- encourage participants to imagine scenarios and role-play these before they act out new skills in real life
Real life practice- provide opportunities for individuals to practice, receive feedback and adapt.

To increase the chance of that new skill changing behaviour, training should incorporate the following:

Provide examples of both good and bad behaviours,
Encourage individuals to create their own real-life scenarios,
Encourage individuals to set goals that relate to the behaviour they have learned

Overall, BMT was found to be effective in enabling individuals to learn new knowledge and skills and had a smaller but more sustained impact on behaviour and job performance.

The Impact on Sales Performance

In their study Kauffeld & Lehmann-Willenbrock (2010) found that an identical sales training programme delivered in a modular or ‘spaced’ format resulted in superior implementation of the training content, self-assessed sales competence and crucially increased new customers and gross revenue performance when compared to training delivered in a single block. Spaced training delivery is defined as a number of units of training with time intervals in between as opposed to massed training where the entire training content is delivered in one tranche. The authors concluded that the results supported the theory of situated learning whereby the training was perceived to be relevant to the working environment, enabled participants to apply the learning in different situations and gave them opportunity to interact with their colleagues thereby creating an environment of support and collaboration.

In their study of 115 organisations that engaged in sales training, Roman et al (2002) found that training content was a key factor and that salespeople gain “higher performance and customer orientation when training content deals with company policy and sales techniques” whereas training that focused on product knowledge alone actually reduced salespeople’s effectiveness. The authors suggest that this is because the product training was focused on features and benefits rather than on seeking to understand the needs of the customer. Interestingly, when the sales training covered sales techniques, customer knowledge and computer knowledge, the performance of the sales force and their customer orientation increased further. In the words of the researchers “salespeople need not only to know how to make the sale, but must also understand customer needs and provide greater value by applying new technologies in order to translate their behaviours into higher sales outcome.” This is consistent with a separate study (Pollitt, 2010) whereby sales training that focused on the customer and his or her buying experience led to “additional sales that far outstripped the cost of the training.”

Key findings

So, if you are choosing between training providers, consider the following summary of the evidence:

Sales training that encompasses knowledge of the customer, the buying experience and sales techniques increases the performance of the salesforce
Content should be delivered in bite-sized, modular format with intervals between each module to enable theory to be put into practice
Participants should be encouraged to set goals that are linked to desired behaviour change
Participants should have the opportunity to practice what they have learned through role-play and then on the job
Feedback should be given after the individual has practiced so that they can learn and adapt

Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Mehta, R., & Babin, B. (2009). Sales management. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Huang, J. L., Blume, B. D., Ford, J. K., & Baldwin, T. T. (2015). A tale of two transfers: Disentangling maximum and typical transfer and their respective predictors. Journal of Business and Psychology, 30(4), 709.

Kauffeld, S. & Lehmann‐Willenbrock, N. (2010). Sales training: effects of spaced practice on training transfer. Journal of European Industrial Training, 34(1), 23-37.

Keller, S. and Price, C. (2011) Beyond Performance: How Great Organizations Build Ultimate Competitive Advantage, first edition, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Pollitt, D. (2010). BT Business Sales dials up a customer-focused coaching culture: Program combines new technology with tailored training. Human Resource Management International Digest, 18(4), 7.

Roman, S., Ruiz, S. & Munuera, J.L. (2002) “The effects of sales training on sales force activity.” European Journal of Marketing.

Taylor, P. J., Russ-Eft, D. F., & Chan, D. W. (2005). A meta-analytic review of behavior modelling training. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(4), 692-709.