Reinforcement is a key component to sales transformation success. When companies spend money on new sales initiatives, it’s important that they conceptualize how to reinforce the methodologies once the initial training is finished.
Here’s a tip – a binder full of spreadsheets and training insights isn’t going to do the trick. Adoption of any new initiative doesn’t happen without a plan. Rather, adoption is a mindset that influences the reinforcement of what a seller learns in training.
Our customers who have the greatest success at implementing our methodology pay just as much attention to the reinforcement of the training as the training itself. Managers are integral to driving new methodologies, but research has also shown that the concept of spaced learning can be effective in reinforcing new initiatives, especially in the workplace.
Spaced learning is a teaching methodology that shows when you're given information over repeated periods of time, you’re more likely to truly learn the information. The teaching methodology was patented by Harvard in 2006 and several studies have shown it improves information retention.
Dr. Will Thallheimer provides a good summary of the research and key case studies in this paper. He makes a great analogy – remember cramming for tests in college? You were able to recite the important information come test time, but the minute that exam was over you forgot all of that information. Cramming doesn’t help with retaining information and it’s not going to help with sales transformation.
For sellers who are learning a new way of talking about their products, the idea of spaced learning is an interesting concept to consider. In our Adoption practice, we reinforce what is learned in our trainings through repeated content reminder initiatives and refresher sessions. These concepts have been fundamental components to our clients’ success.
Your sales training initiatives will be most effective if your organization has a game plan to repeatedly reinforce the methodology. You can’t cram in a sales training and expect it to be successful. Determine your game plan before the training. Here are key questions to ask:
- How engaged are senior leaders in the events related to this initiative (e.g., kickoff, workshops)?
- What are the success metrics that will be measured and reported to support adoption of the methodology?
- What is the plan for owning, adopting and sustaining the deliverables from the project?
- How is the project being communicated and reinforced to those who will be impacted by it?
Reinforcement is a driving force to making your sales transformation worth your money.
