Why your training program doesn't stick

- Several years ago, I received a call from Maria, one of our biggest sales training clients. She asked if I would create a train the trainer course for her team. I was elated. Then she told me, before I hire you, you need to take Mike's course on accelerated learning. Confused, I asked, well then why don't you just hire Mike? Just go to the class and we've got a deal, she said. I went and it was there I learned a lesson I'll never forget. I used to go home after a good day of training and tell my husband, I was great today. You should have seen me. After Mike's class, I realized I had it all wrong. The goal was to have learners go home and say, I was great today. You should have seen me. Too many sales leaders focus on the training process rather than the learning process. They train the way they want to train rather than reflecting on how their sales people learn. Proper training and coaching in a hybrid world is your most important strategy for maximizing the performance of the individuals on your team. Yet the common pitfalls in face to face training are amplified in virtual training. The most common pitfall I've seen in my 30 years of experience is a complete lack of interactivity. Asking do you have any questions or the occasional request for input just won't cut it. A few years ago, I sat with a group of senior leaders who weren't meeting their quotas. They were struggling to get salespeople to prospect correctly and isolate objections. I met with the leadership team and asked them what they saw as major issue. The salespeople just don't listen they complained. We tell them over and over again, what to do and say and it goes in one ear and out the other. It just doesn't seem to stick. Really, I said. I was shocked. Who's in charge of training here? Well, that would be us. There was an awkward silence. Many trainers blame the learners when they need to hold themselves accountable. As a trainer, I can tell them how to prospect, create a pre-call plan and tell compelling stories. But if I don't give them time to integrate it, practice it it won't stick. According to adult learning theory, sometimes referred to as experiential learning people retain 10% of what they hear, 50% of what they see and hear and 90% of what they say and do. You can tell your reps what to do over and over again. But until you show them what to do and they in turn show you what they've learned your training will fall on deaf ears. Many trainers like I did love the sound of their own voice. Your learners need practice. They need to integrate information into how they present and interact with their clients. It takes preparation to build interactivity into your virtual training events. The use of breakout rooms, polling and group case studies ensure that learners will apply the material to win more deals faster. In this course, I'm going to call out these learning myths as we bump up against them. Myths like managers don't need to be part of the training. It will only take one training session for our team and several others. Now you're probably thinking but I've been told these myths for years. They must be true. I encourage you to keep an open mind. These new approaches are rooted in research and practice. These ideas will transform your training efforts to meet the demands of a virtual environment.