Lauren Bailey

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Sales Team Development Plan and Sales Training Budget Guide

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Ultimate Guide to Building Your Sales Team Development Plan and Budget

Building your sales team development plan and sales training budget for the next year can be daunting. That’s why I’ve compiled tips from my 20+ years in the industry to help make this as painless as possible!

Table of Contents:

The Current State of Sales Training

Every year Training Magazine releases its Training Industry report. I read it cover to cover and then pull out some important nuggets of information. 

Here are a few that stood out to me:

  1. Training payroll was down 9% last year – Big shock, right? We’re all in this economy together. We all know people who have lost jobs.
  2. Training hours/per employee was down 8% – Makes sense, we have no one left to train the team.
  3. External vendor spending was up 20% – We cut headcount and realized we still needed training so we hired external vendors.

In today’s sales world, training isn’t just important – it’s critical. We’re short on reps but not on quota, low on training and resources, and everyone’s working from home without role models to learn from. And let’s face it, customers expect more while the flood of (terrible) outreach makes it harder to stand out. 

A buddy of mine who used to be the head of sales at Outreach said it used to take 5-7 touches to get a prospect talking, and now, it’s more than double. The noise is real, selling is harder, and ramp times are stretching while tenures are shrinking. So, stop skimping on sales training. It’s tough out there, and our teams need every advantage.

Why Sales Team Development is Critical

Another reason not to skip out on sales training is these staggering numbers…

  • 98% of reps would stay indefinitely with a company if they received ongoing development. (Ambition)
  • Forbes reported that “Development Opportunities” ranks #1 when Millennials are considering companies.
  • #1 company benefit able to RETAIN top talent = training and development (Factor 8 Retention Survey)
  • #1 company benefit to LURE AWAY top talent = training and development (Factor 8 Retention Survey)
  • Only 50% of reps feel they get the training they need to be successful (Emblaze)

sales team retention

TIP: If your team offers ongoing training and development, make sure your HR/recruiting team incorporates that into your job postings!

Why We Need to Build Skills Faster

Ramp time is everything. The reality today? We’re training a lot of fresh-out-of-college sellers (or non-college grads), and the timeline isn’t working in our favor. It’s taking them 6 months just to hit quota, and by month 14, most are already heading for the door. Think about that, over half of our reps don’t make it past 14 months. That’s a huge investment in time and money that we’re throwing away.

So, how do we change this? We need to get reps to quota faster, plain and simple. When they hit quota sooner, they stick around longer. I’ve built new hire programs throughout my career, and I can tell you, sales training works:

  • At IBM, improving our new hire program cut churn by more than 50%
  • At SAP, our inside sales reps were ramping up faster than the field reps, contributing to a 90% retention rate
  • At Waste Management, it used to take 6 months for reps to make their first sale, we got them their first sale in a week.

Training is the game-changer. When reps feel that early success, they stay. It’s as simple as that.

Seasoned sales leaders know what it was like when we first started out. We didn’t have hand-holding; we figured it out as we went. We manually dialed phones, pressed the record button ourselves, and learned by trial and error. That mindset makes it easy to underestimate how much help today’s reps need. But the truth is, investing in development fixes so many of the issues we see with our teams: from new hires trying to find their footing, to field reps adjusting to virtual, to the small groups left standing after layoffs.

Bottom line: sales skill-building isn’t just nice to have, it’s the key to retention and performance. Let’s start ramping our reps faster and watch the difference it makes.

Top Sales Skills to Train
  1. Call Goals – Reps need help mapping out each step and knowing exactly what the goal of every call should be to keep deals moving.
  2. Running Online Sales Meetings – Virtual meetings are here to stay, so reps need to know how to run them in a way that’s engaging and keeps prospects hooked.
  3. Demos That Don’t Suck – Let’s be real, most demos are a snoozefest. Reps need a game plan for delivering demos that grab attention and close deals.
  4. Planning for Prospecting – Most reps dread prospecting, but training them to prep smarter helps them work faster and get more done in less time.
  5. What Customers Care About – Reps need to know what makes buyers tick and tailor their approach to what matters most to their audience.
  6. Stopping Deals Going Dark Between Calls – Deals tend to go dark when reps don’t know how to keep the momentum. Reps need strategies to stay top of mind and keep deals alive.
  7. Having Engaging Conversations – Every conversation should build trust and move the deal forward. Reps need the skills to make that happen.
  8. Day/Time Management – Most reps spend way too much time not selling. Training them on day management helps them stay out of the weeds and focused on revenue-driving activities.
  9. Gaining Referrals – Referred customers close faster and stick around longer. Reps should be pros at asking for and leveraging referrals.
  10. Voicemails – Great voicemails can boost callback rates by 3-5x. Reps need to know how to leave ones that get results.
  11. Intros – Reps have only seconds to make an impression. A killer intro is non-negotiable.
  12. Value Props (AKA the Pitch) – Too many reps pitch too soon or miss the mark on value. They need to know how to craft and deliver a value-driven pitch at just the right time.

virtual sales challenges

Download: Top Virtual Sales Challenges

Why Budget for Sales Manager Training

Only about 30% of companies invest in training for their managers, and it shows: 60% of managers fail out of their role within the first year. Shocking? Maybe not. Here’s why budgeting for manager development is so crucial:

  • They own every rep
  • They own every customer
  • They own every deal

Most companies pour their resources into reps because that’s where they see immediate ROI. But here’s the thing: while you might have 100 reps, only 5-6 managers oversee all those reps, customers, and deals. And these managers are BURNT OUT, nearly 50% according to LinkedIn.

I learned just how tough it is when I ran into an old colleague who’s now a Sales Director. At a wedding, I joked, “Hey, Chris, you must love this virtual work setup, right? No commute!” He sighed and said, “Virtual is great for everyone except sales managers. It’s rough.” And he’s right. I’ve had every job in sales and I now own three companies, sales management was my toughest role yet.

Burnout is real, and we expect our managers to be like Ted Lasso, coaching, motivating, and making magic happen. But here’s the difference: Ted spends hours on the practice field, with a 10:1 practice-to-game ratio. Your managers? They’re lucky if they get a 1:50 ratio, squeezing in 5 hours of daily calls and maybe 1 hour of weekly training. And that’s without factoring in new hires. My friend Dave said it best: “We give them about 3 weeks of systems training, then they practice on customers.” Yikes.

Ted lives on the practice field; your managers are stranded on an island. And they’re coaching teams of entry-level reps who lack business acumen and are terrified of the phone.

Moral of the story: budget for manager training. Give your managers the support, skills, and development they need to thrive. They’re the key to getting your teams to quota.

DOWNLOAD: Critical New Manager Skills to Master

Building a Better Partnership Between Revenue and Enablement

If you need to partner with enablement or revenue leadership, alignment is key. Early on, I learned that my superpower is the whisperer who can translate between revenue and enablement. That’s why I put together the cheat sheet below. Use it to bridge the gap, get aligned, and make sure you’re speaking the same language to get what you need for your reps and managers.

DOWNLOAD: How to Partner with Busy Sales Leaders

Training Before Tools: The Conversation We Need to Have with Sales Leaders

When talking to sales leaders, emphasize training before tools. Show them the spend, analyze the processes, and start there. Leaders tend to pull one of three levers when tackling problems: people, process, or tech/tools.

  • Process is all about consistency—repeating the right things, the same way, over and over.
  • Tech/Tools focus on efficiency and speed.
  • People are about quality and skills—that’s where we, as enablement leaders, live.

Here’s the issue: leaders are spending double on AI-based tools compared to training. They’d rather buy a shiny new tool than invest in building their team’s skills. Just look at the average number of tools per rep (5-10) and the flood of automated, AI-generated, subpar emails we all get daily. We’re bypassing quality and going straight to consistency and efficiency.

Reps today come with less experience, fewer skills, and more to learn to meet rising customer demands. They don’t have the fundamental selling and communication skills to truly benefit from AI. We need to sit down with our sales leaders and have this conversation: tools are great, but training is essential.

virtual sales challenges

What to Budget for Sales Training and Development

In general, industry standards say you should budget 1-3% of your total annual budget for employee development. But let’s make it easier: budget 2-5% of your employee’s salary for training. And remember, these numbers cover every industry (from forklift drivers to CEOs).

For your sales training budget, we need to be on the higher side—expect sales training cost to be around 3-6% of your reps’ salaries.

Here’s the quick math:

  • Average Sales OTE Salary = $90K x 3% = $2,700 per rep
  • Average Sales OTE Salary = $90K x 4% = $3,600 per rep
  • Average Sales OTE Salary = $90K x 5% = $4,500 per rep

(That’s about $50 for every $1K of salary)

Overall Internal Training Budget

If you’re new to training or enablement budgets, here’s what to ask for based on your company size:

  • Large company average training budget: $16M
  • Medium company average training budget: $1.5M
  • Small company average training budget: $500,000

This is your total training budget, not just for external spend. For external training, most companies spend 10-15% of their total budget.

External Sales Training Budget

Here’s a quick look at what companies are spending on external sales training vendors:

  • Large companies: $1.2M
  • Midsize companies: $120,000
  • Small companies: $75,000

Top External Spends

  • 12% on management training
  • 11% on onboarding
  • 7% on sales training

Other spending usually covers tools, learning management systems, and instructional design.

DOWNLOAD: How to Partner with Busy Sales Leaders Checklist

What’s Being Outsourced?

  • 59% of instruction is outsourced—vendors come in and do the training.
  • 41% is delivered in-house with a vendor-provided curriculum.

And this isn’t changing anytime soon. According to Training Mag, 89% of companies expect these numbers to stay steady.

What Skills Are We Training?

Since the shift to remote work, communication skills have been the big focus (no shocker there). Other areas getting attention include:

  • Business skills
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Gamification
  • Course design
  • DEI initiatives

DOWNLOAD: Sales Training Vendor Partner Checklist

Top Challenges for Training and Enablement Leaders
  1. Lack of resources
  2. Low learning engagement (cue gamification!)
Sales Training Budgeting Tips
  1. Make It an Annual Line Item. You’ve got a budget for recruiting and tools, so why not training? Your managers need this to keep their teams engaged.
  2. No Budget? Get Creative. Re-route spiff funds or tap into your tools budget. I know sales leaders who took a rep headcount and turned it into a coach/trainer role, making every rep better—and they saw higher ROI.
  3. Budget MORE. If any of the following apply to you, plan to budget 1.5-3x:
    • Major GTM, strategy, or channel change (e.g., going virtual)
    • Big competition, industry, or product change
    • No training in over a year
    • Teams have gone hybrid or remote
    • Increased or new goals
  4. Hire a Development Resource. If you’re a startup wondering when to hire a trainer, aim for when you have 25-50 employees.
  5. Remember, Good Training Takes Time. It can take someone at the manager or director level 6-18 months to build a solid onboarding program (consider outsourcing for sales, systems, etc.).

How to Get Approval for Your Sales Training Budget

If you want to secure budget for sales training, the key is to show ROI or projected ROI. Here are some powerful stats to back you up:

  • 2x Profit per Employee – Companies that prioritize training see double the profit per employee compared to those that don’t (HR Magazine). 
  • 2x Income per Employee – Companies that offer thorough training earn double the income per employee compared to those that skimp on training (ATD). 
  • 50% Faster Time to Quota – Good training can slash onboarding time to quota by 50% (Training Magazine). 
  • 63% Improvement in Manager Performance – Teams with managers who receive development see an average of 63% performance improvement (CSO Insights). 
  • 353% Sales Training ROI – Sales training delivers an impressive 353% ROI (Highspot, NH University). 

Use these stats to build your case, and don’t forget to show how investing in training impacts the bottom line, whether that’s shortening ramp time, boosting rep performance, or improving retention.

sales team retention

Maximizing Your Sales Training ROI

If you’re investing in sales training, make sure you’re squeezing every drop of ROI out of it. Here’s how:

  1. Go Beyond New Hire Training – A lot of places crush it with new hire training but stop there, which means reps are out there struggling and figuring it out solo. Space it out! Even if you have limited training time, don’t pack it all upfront.
  2. Train Managers First – This is huge. Why? Because better-trained managers mean better interactions with reps. Remember, reps join companies but leave bosses. When managers understand what good training looks like, they engage more, coach better, and partner with you to drive development.
  3. Get Custom – Find the sweet spot between speed and personalization. Off-the-shelf training is fast, but built-from-scratch takes too long. Go for custom solutions that let you tailor without sacrificing speed.
  4. Slow Your Roll – You can’t pour everything into their heads at once. Just-in-time training is key. Trim down your new hire program, so reps don’t feel overwhelmed. Bring them back for more at months 1, 2, and beyond. This keeps them confident and builds skills over time.
  5. Use Interaction, Not Video – Videos alone won’t break habits or change behavior. True training needs interaction and real practice. Read more on why video training isn’t real training here.

READ: How to Measure Sales Training ROI

What Does Good Inside Sales Training Look Like?

Most companies are training internally for only 4-5 hours a month, and that number has dipped from 5 to closer to 4 over the past year.

  1. NOT Just Company/Product Training – Product and systems training isn’t enough. Focus on tactical skills that help reps build their careers.
  2. Professional Trainer or Curriculum – Don’t keep it all in-house. Bringing in a pro adds credibility and expertise.
  3. Training AND Coaching – Know the difference and make sure both reps and managers are part of it. Training is learning new skills; coaching is applying and reinforcing them.
  4. Learners Love Certifications – Give them something to show off and add to their LinkedIn. It makes them proud and keeps them engaged.
  5. Go Beyond the Classroom – Spice it up with huddles, meetings, and contests. Make it fun!
  6. Involve Your Leaders – Manager buy-in is crucial for making training stick. When leaders are part of new hire training, onboarding, and coaching, reps take it more seriously.
  7. Make It Easy for Leaders to Coach – Fast and simple is key. That’s why we built The Sales Bar at Factor 8. Managers who spend their weekends creating training content don’t have the bandwidth. They’re already juggling too much, and half of them are burnt out.
  8. LinkedIn Learning (Alone) Doesn’t Count – Watching videos isn’t training; it’s edutainment. People forget 50% of what they hear by the end of the day and 90% by the end of the week. True training requires practice, application, and reinforcement to make skills stick.
Forgetting Curve
Smart Spends vs. Money Wasters

Before you drop money on sales training, make sure it’s going to the right places:

Where to Spend Your Money:

  1. Customization – If you’re using an external training company, check how much they customize. Have them show you what’s tailored and how.
  2. Measure Baselines First – Always know your starting point to prove ROI. This protects your budget. If managers aren’t giving you data, go straight to Ops.
  3. Ongoing Reinforcement vs. Events – One-time events create a short buzz, but everyone reverts back afterward. Invest in long-term partnerships to keep training from becoming just a “flavor of the month.”
  4. Manager Training – Managers are key to keeping rep skills alive, but they need to be trained on how to do that effectively.
  5. On-Demand Tools – Make it easy for managers with tools like coaching guides and activities.
  6. Live Interactive Sessions – eLearning can be boring when it’s just talking heads. Make it engaging with real interactions, live call reviews, and fun elements to keep energy high.

Where Not to Waste Your Money:

  1. Not Involving Managers – Manager buy-in is essential to make sure they reinforce what reps learn.
  2. Managers Owning All Training – Most managers aren’t great trainers (I know because I was one!). It’s not their core skill, so don’t leave training entirely to them.
  3. Talking Head Video e-Learning – Videos alone don’t change behavior. You can’t just tell someone what to do and expect it to stick.
  4. One-Stop eLearning Libraries – More content doesn’t mean better content. Massive libraries may seem like a bargain, but they often lack impact.
  5. SKO Training – SKOs are great (I’m here for the speaking gigs!), but they’re mostly edutainment. They inspire and motivate, but real training? Minimal. Use SKOs for hype, not skill-building.
  6. Training Before Changing Expectations – If you haven’t adjusted expectations, comp plans, rewards, or systems that might block behavior change, you’re throwing money away.
Virtual Sales Training Checklist

If you’re investing in virtual training specifically, make sure it checks these boxes for maximum effectiveness:

  1. Interactive – Get Hands Dirty Every 5 Slides
    Don’t let your training turn into a snooze-fest. Make sure there’s interaction at least every 5 slides. Whether it’s a poll, a Q&A, or a quick discussion, keep it engaging. Videos alone don’t cut it—videos are not training!
  2. Micro – Nothing Over 20 Minutes
    Break it down into bite-sized pieces. Reps lose focus with long, drawn-out sessions. Keep each module under 20 minutes to ensure attention stays sharp and retention stays high.
  3. Mid-Level Bloom’s Testing – Scenario-Based Interactions
    Test more than just knowledge. Use interactions that challenge reps to apply what they’re learning. Scenario-based questions are perfect for this—they show how well reps can use their skills in real-world situations.
  4. Multi-Modal – Engage All the Senses
    Use a variety of formats to keep reps interested and involved. Incorporate call samples for listening, scripts and templates for reading, and hands-on practice for doing. This multi-modal approach ensures reps learn through different channels and retain more.
  5. Fun & Casual – Make it Entertaining
    Training doesn’t need to be serious 24/7. Add some humor, informality, and competition to the mix. Gamification, leaderboards, or friendly contests make training more enjoyable and motivate reps to stay engaged.
  6. Involve Managers – Provide Toolkits and Tailored Paths
    Your managers need to be part of the training process. Equip them with toolkits and separate training paths to help them reinforce what reps are learning. Include live sessions that focus on coaching and skill reinforcement. And don’t forget success measurements—tracking progress helps keep everyone accountable and shows the impact of the training.

Crafting a sales team development plan and a sales training budget is no small task, but with the right approach, it can unlock your team’s potential and set them up for success in the year ahead. Ready to take the next step? Let us help you create a winning plan and budget! Schedule a call with us today to get started!

Is sales training included in your budget?

Contact us today to learn about our customizable virtual sales training programs
available for reps (and managers).


Call Bridging 101: Paving the Way for a Follow-up Sales Call

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Call Bridging 101: Paving the Way for a Follow-up Sales Call

What is Call Bridging?

Call bridging is the art of gaining the next call before leaving the current conversation. It’s a critical skill if you’re used to face-to-face selling and now working the phones.

In my previous posts, I talked about call productivity and setting call goals as critical skills when transitioning from traditional selling to virtual selling. It’s because we often accomplish less on phone sales calls than in traditional face-to-face sales meetings. But we only build a pipeline when we’re able to execute multiple calls.  The key to getting multiple calls is Call Bridging.

Call bridging happens at the end of a call.  It’s a key phrase or question that paves the way for calls #2, #3, etc.

How to Use Call Bridging to Secure a Follow-up Sales Call

When it’s an established relationship, it’s as easy as setting up the next meeting. The key here is being sure you’re showing value during the ask. Everyone is busy and we’re easier to blow off (blow out for my UK friends) when we’re on the phone. It sounds like:

“This has been fantastic Mr. Customer. Thanks for the insight. We didn’t get a chance to cover XYZ, nor for me to share some insights I’ve gained from my network that I think you’ll find valuable. Let’s set up a follow-up call. Does this time next week work for you?”

Note: We aren’t saying that we need to cover key insights about our product or service. We aren’t saying we need to learn more to sell more. We’re offering “cross-pollination” value or the voice of our collective customer in the industry. This intel is a hot commodity!

If it’s a colder outreach, we may need to be more assumptive and simply GIVE ourselves permission. It sounds like:

“Thank you for your time and insight. I’ve learned so much from you and want to return the favor. I’ll call you back later this week so we can finish up.”

There are a million variations of this. Think of them as bases. A home run is their agreement to a follow-up, an appointment set and on the calendar, AND they bring another party to the call or take an action item (we call this “Getting Deals Moving” – Check out The Sale Bar for a full class on the subject)

Third base might just be an agreement to meet and an appointment set.

Second is their agreement to take your call.

First base is them basically NOT saying, “No, don’t call me back.”

Make it a habit to always bridge to the next call.  Go for the home run and even if you land at second you’re doing better than starting over cold.

Bonus tip: Send the calendar invite even if they don’t agree or accept the invite. It will show up on their calendar even if they don’t accept it and they may be more willing to pick up the phone when you call (you MUST call during this time!  Don’t just set a task to follow up, put it in your calendar too!). And if they don’t pick up, you’ve at the very least gained some mind share and a little bit of guilt on your side. When they do finally take your next call, they may even apologize and/or be a touch more open.

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Onboarding New BDRs

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5 Sales Manager Tips for Onboarding New BDRs

Great news. You’ve got proof of concept, found your ICP, and gotten some funding. Now it’s time to build out your BDR team.

Bad news. Once you win the war for talent, the real work of sales training begins. Since most SaaS startups aren’t hiring classes of 15 reps and a trainer, you get the task of onboarding one or two at a time. And then again. And again. And again.

Here are some sales manager tips to save your sanity when onboarding new BDRs:

  1. Start a Google Doc now with everything they’ll need to know. Brainstorm in the following categories:
    • Industry acumen
    • Product knowledge – feature, function, benefit
    • Customer knowledge
    • Ideal customer situations
    • Business acumen
    • Competitor acumen
    • System logins and skills
    • Company info – who’s who, relevant background, etc.
    • Company processes, procedures, etc.
    • Customer FAQ
    • Demos
    • Testimonials and case studies
    • Questions to uncover ideal customer situations and challenges
    • Call recordings to hear good, bad, and ugly calls
    • Phone sales skills like leaving good voicemails, intros, uncovering contacts, and delivering value props on the phone
  2. Wherever possible, start hyperlinking to internal and external sites, videos, and resources so reps can self-serve for the info. Why go back and re-find that email 20 times?
  3. Now identify what you can outsource. Trust me, if you try to hire, train, coach, and lead the team you will either explode or mess a few of these up in a serious way.
    • Buy the system training if your vendor offers it or go find free forums and videos to link to. 
    • Sales skills are another area. Your job is to coach them, not teach them from scratch. Outsource the heavy lifting and stick to leading the team and coaching the delivery. The Sales Bar has hundreds of phone sales resources for new BDRs and Managers. They’ll also want some basic LinkedIn skills. I like Vengreso or Frontline. 
    • Find internal experts. Use your CEO, product geeks, and past customers and get them to do a video or recorded webinar to teach key points. Keep them short and on track with some guidelines during your request; these folks typically aren’t natural trainers! And if they do it live, get it recorded, I promise they won’t be available every time. Where you can’t record, set up a lunch or coffee chat vs. a formal presentation. Get your new rep to record it, plus their notes!
  4. Start a schedule and get your document in chronological order with about 6 hours of learning work/day to start. Make the schedule about 2 weeks long and ramp the training time down while call time goes up. So by the end of the second week, they may be doing 1-2 hours of training/day and 6 hours of work. Show that training doesn’t stop and they have some assignments every month! Bonus: show a path to the next level in their career, even if it’s just a footnote. In addition to the learning, your schedule should include:
    • Call shadowing with you or other reps. Bonus: have them score it using your coaching form. Side note: get a coaching form
    • Calls to past customers to hear their stories and happy outcomes
    • Research on their own – e.g. top features of competitors
    • Outbound calling – even if it’s just to capture contacts, qualify accounts, data cleanse, etc.
    • LOTS of time with you where they bring their questions, you talk shop, build a relationship, and make your newbie feel important
  5. Hook them up with a buddy/mentor. Reps who build strong friendships at work are happier and stay longer according to Gallup. With the average lifespan of a BDR under 18 months, it’s worth the effort. Pay for their first lunch and ask them to get together weekly for the rep’s first month. If it doesn’t stick after that, you’ve at least planted some seeds. Bonus: they’ll come to you less often for their questions when they have a buddy.

This approach will help your reps be more independent while saving you at least twenty hours per rep. Each hire can help make the document better and old hires can support the new. 

Make updating the document and improving it part of their work assignment so it stays current and off your to-do list.

May this also help you resist the temptation to hand your new rep a script and wish them good luck on the phone. Millennials are searching for career development and time with their boss at work, and they make their employment decisions based on this. Spend a few bucks, give them some structure, buy them some training, and you’ll see the payoff in their faster success and tenure!

Want some help onboarding new BDRs?

We’ve got your back! Contact us today to learn how you can incorporate sales training into your new BDR onboarding process to speed ramp time and improve retention.


best inside sales training company

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How to Find the Best Inside Sales Training Company

Are you looking for the best inside sales training company? With all of the noise out there and everyone claiming to be the best, how can you tell when a training vendor is truly great and different from the rest?

Allow me to introduce Factor 8. Unlike most training companies, we were built by people who get sales. And we try really hard to not be apples. In fact, let’s call this the apples to…um…beer…comparison. 🙂

Here’s why you should drink beer with us instead of buying apples from them (this is getting better and better!):

THIS ISN’T YOUR DAD’S SALES TRAINING

We teach digital sales/phone sales/inside sales/telesales/voice-to-voice sales… however you and your company phrase it. If you run a team that doesn’t primarily sell by knocking on doors, setting up face-to-face meetings, or giving live PPT presentations, we’re your vendor. Not sure the difference? Go ask any inside rep who’s been forced to attend the field’s training. We hear horror stories about this about once a month. We’ve all tried it. It. Doesn’t. Work. And in addition to wasting precious selling time, it makes your inside reps feel insignificant. Instead, teach them strategies to get people to call them back, start a call, navigate phone trees…you get it.

DOWNLOAD: Sales Training Vendor Partner Checklist

GET ON THE PHONES

Don’t want sales downtime? Sick of skills not getting applied? We got you covered baby. In every Factor 8 class, we teach a skill, practice the skill, and then go back out onto the floor and get on the phones to try that skill! No kidding. Nobody else does this. Here’s why you should care:

  • You may get better sales results during a training day than on a regular sales day. Yes, that happens a lot.
  • You may pay for the sales training before the training is over. Again, really common.
  • If you’re paying for new skills, why not make sure your people can actually do them before your trainers leave?
  • When reps try the skill, see it works, and get results, “training fall-off” is really a non-starter. In the wise words of a recent rep who came back to class over fifteen minutes late, “This Factor 8 shit really works!” He was asking the prospect questions and just couldn’t get him to stop talking to get back to class in time! High-class problem, right?

CUSTOMIZED TRAINING

This is a really big deal. Even if you don’t consider using us, ask vendors to show some specific examples of their materials customization. If your reps have to “translate” the generic sales theory in their heads to figure out how to use it, well, they’re not going to use it. I think this is the number one reason we see fall-off from training application. They can spit back a “right answer” right after training because it’s in their short-term memory. But they don’t know how to use it and aren’t using it post-training so no wonder they can’t remember it a month later. Our workbooks include messaging examples, references to your product, your customer’s top objections, and even recorded calls from YOUR reps. Seriously, we’ve never taught the same class twice. Don’t practice selling a widget. Get experts to help you practice selling your services to your customers in your industry. THEN it sticks.

Quick Note: you guys, this is why most of you haven’t heard of Factor 8. It’s really HARD to customize each class. It’s not uber PROFITABLE to customize each class. It certainly isn’t SCALABLE to customize each class. This is why the big dogs don’t do it. They’re in the business of selling workbooks. Pre-printed, mass-produced workbooks. That’s why their idea of customization is a one-page role-play at the end of a chapter. Not bad, but not good. Kind of like comparing apples and beer. By the way, it IS super EFFECTIVE to customize each class. That’s why most of you came to us by referral.

EXPERT COACHING 

Here’s my last thought. Every Factor 8 Advisor has made the calls, coached the calls, and probably even run the team. My facilitators are ex-reps, ex-managers, ex Directors, and ex VP’s. ALL from Inside Sales. And in every class, we coach live calls and recorded calls. Don’t let an adjunct professor or HR employee teach your people how to sell! Anyone can read a facilitator’s guide, how many can add value to messaging and delivery right on the spot?

Bottom line 

Your sales training should get immediate results. By providing the right training with customized materials with live practice and expert coaching, we get SPIKES in performance. Account managers uncover millions in the pipeline. Hundreds of new buying contacts are added to the database. Triple the voicemails get returned. Close percentages double. These are pretty standard Factor 8 results. Check out the case studies!

Thanks, ya’ll. This has been a lot of fun. When I’m talking to prospects on the phone, it isn’t polite to throw up values and differentiators! It certainly isn’t helpful to LIST them all! (We teach your reps to never “stack” values, we teach them to ask questions and then pick the differentiator and value that best matches!). But man it’s fun when you just get to brag.

We’ve built something amazing over here. We’re not trying to be the biggest, just the best. That’s why each year over 50% of our business is from referrals. I hope you’ll use these differentiators to demand more from your own providers. And if they can’t deliver…we’ll be right here waiting for you. With a beer!

Looking for the best sales training company?

Contact us today to request information on our customizable virtual sales training programs
available for reps (and managers).


get stalled deals moving

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How to Stop Prospect Ghosting and Move Stalled Deals

In today’s tough economy, it’s (unfortunately) become the norm for deals to stall out—even when everything felt great on the call. 

You’re not imagining it, prospect ghosting has increased and sales cycles are longer (it’s brutal). But that doesn’t mean you’re helpless. By making some tweaks and improvements to your approach and outreach, you can get deals moving again. 

READ: Top Sales Closing Techniques

Whether it’s ensuring you’ve locked in next steps, gotten a commitment from your prospect, or revived stalled conversations, these tactics will help you avoid deals slipping through your fingers.

1. Close Every Call

If you’re not securing the next step before you hang up, you’re missing out. Deals don’t move themselves, you have to drive them forward. That’s why it’s crucial to close every call. The best way to do this is by using the 4 Cs of closing:

  • Check-in: Ask your prospect, “Did we hit all your top questions today?” This ensures they feel heard and reassures them that you’re paying attention.
  • Commitment: Make sure everyone knows what’s expected before the next call. Are you sending them more info? Are they bringing pricing from a competitor? Clarify all deliverables to ensure everyone’s prepared. It sounds like, “Will you send over the pricing you received from the competition next week after your meeting?”
  • Call bridge: Here’s where the magic happens. Lock in the next step on the spot. Don’t settle for a vague promise of a follow-up. Instead, say, “How does Tuesday at 10 AM look for us to review the proposal?” Pull up your calendars and nail it down before you hang up. No next meeting means no progress. Important: Don’t wait to do this 2 minutes before the call ends! Give yourself time to schedule the next call (so they’re not eagerly rushing to their next meeting).
  • Close: Finish strong with a positive sign-off. “Thanks, I’m looking forward to our next call!” Leave the prospect feeling good about keeping the deal in motion.

TIP: Master the 4 Cs of closing by taking our course, “Closing Confidently”

Now, to ensure no prospect ghosting ensues, you need to lock in your next meeting with these three key steps:

  1. Calendar Invite: Don’t leave the meeting up to chance! Get them to pull up their calendar and schedule it right then. If it’s not on their calendar, it doesn’t exist.
  2. Reminder: As soon as you hang up, send a meeting invite with a clear agenda. This helps keep both of you accountable and sets expectations for the next conversation.
  3. Cell Phone: Always, always get their cell number. This is your backup plan in case they go dark. Having a direct line makes all the difference when it comes to securing that next call.

Combine the 4 Cs with these three steps, and you’ll ensure that every call ends with a solid plan and keeps your deals moving forward. No more ghosting, no more stalled deals!

2. Get a Customer Commitment

Don’t let the conversation end without getting a customer commitment. It’s simple: give them a little “homework” before the next call. When you ask a prospect to bring something to the table for your next meeting—like competitive pricing or feedback from their team—you secure mindshare.

Why does this work? People are less likely to ghost you if they’ve agreed to do something for the next step. It turns your prospect into an active participant, making them more invested in the process and, ultimately, the deal. This tactic keeps things moving forward while solidifying your partnership.

Here’s another way to think about it: Imagine your friend invites you to a party and asks you to bring the beer. You agree, but when the day comes, all you want to do is stay home in your sweats and binge Netflix. Then you remember, you promised to bring the beer, and your friend is counting on you. So, you get up, get dressed, and head to the party, knowing they’d be upset if you bailed after committing. That’s how mindshare works. By giving you a responsibility, your friend increased the chances you’d follow through.

Securing even a small commitment can be the difference between a deal that fizzles out and one that’s locked in with purpose and momentum.

TIP: Take our 15-minute online course “Getting Deals Moving” to get more customer commitments

3. Re-engage Prospects

When a deal stalls or a prospect ghosts, it’s easy to assume all is lost. But a stalled deal doesn’t mean a dead deal! To re-engage those quiet prospects, you need to get creative and tune into buying signs and signals. What’s going on under the surface? Are they asking about functionality or delivery times? Are they showing glimmers of interest but not committing? Recognizing these signals helps you approach the next touchpoint strategically.

Buying Signs and Signals

Mix up your communication channels and don’t just stick with email. Reach out through LinkedIn, send a personalized video, or even text (that is, if you’re text buddies). Keep your messaging light but direct. Something like, “Hey, are you buried in work? Let’s reconnect when you’re ready,” shows empathy. Or, if you want to go a bit bolder, say, “Did I drop the ball somewhere?” to draw out what’s really happening.

Urgency also plays a role here. Is there a deadline approaching or a new feature/product that could catch their attention? Mention that to reignite their interest and get them back in the conversation. And when you do get them back on the phone, don’t book them two weeks out. Leave room for urgent follow-ups so you can capitalize on those buying signals.

READ: How to Quickly Transition to Close on Sales Calls

In this tough sales environment, deals won’t close themselves (in fact, only 10% of customers close themselves). You need to be proactive in securing next steps, getting commitments, and re-engaging prospects when things slow down. Whether it’s using the 4 Cs to bridge every call, locking in a prospect’s commitment with small tasks, or mixing up your re-engagement tactics, these strategies will get your deals moving and keep them on track for a win.

The insight in this article was shared in our webinar, “3 Tips to Get Deals Moving NOW (So You Hit Quota!)” 

Watch it here: https://factor8.com/get-deals-moving-workshop/

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mastering call coaching

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Tips for Mastering Call Coaching

Call coaching is literally THE hardest new skill for sales managers. Yes, it’s a new skill even if you’re not a new manager. Why? Because as a seller – hell, as a HUMAN – our job is to take action to get results. We are “me” focused and “results” focused. Coaching flips this on its head as we’re told to be “rep” focused and skill improvement vs. deal focused. Let’s be clear, you guys…

THAT.

ISN’T.

NATURAL.

And the better you were as a seller, the harder it was as a manager. Great sellers are competitive, a little selfish and needy (c’mon, own that), and ruthlessly devoted to the “W.”

DOWNLOAD: Call Coaching Tips To COACHN Success

In fact, the very best skill coaching (aka call coaching aka just coaching) is NOT focused on the deal. It’s about the rep’s development first and foremost. Focusing on the deal over the rep is where we get in trouble and make common coaching mistakes like, “The Laundry List” and “Be Like Me.” Why? Because we’re impatient to get the win, to save the deal, to bank the commission. Let me summarize in caps, as that makes me feel like I’m really driving the point:

GOOD CALL COACHING IS NOT DEAL COACHING.

If you can enter into the meeting 100% not caring if they win or lose the revenue and only if they feel better about themselves and are excited to improve, then you get it.

You’re also some sort of superhero because that’s basically impossible.

OF COURSE, you care about the “W”. You’re in sales!!

So, herein lies the rub, folks. This is exactly why The Sales Executive Council ranked call coaching as sales managers’ #1 worst skill. Because…

CALL COACHING SIMPLY ISN’T NATURAL.

Over my years in sales leadership and training leadership, I’ve developed a lot of hacks to fix this situation. For example, I only use call recordings of past deals. This prevents my natural sales animal from emerging and ripping the headset off a sweet, well-meaning newbie and taking over the deal (and thereby completely deflating if not scaring my employee).

I also have a GREAT way to take notes during the call to help me vent my frustrations, but still appear supportive and encouraging to an underperformer (admit it, that’s hard).

There’s also a rule of thumb to NEVER break on what to coach, plus:

  • How many things to coach at once
  • How often to coach each rep
  • How to track it so improvement happens
  • How to make time to do more coaching

It’s a complex challenge we face in doing more and better coaching on the job. And going virtual didn’t help. Alas, it’s a worthy pursuit. Frankly, I feel a bit like the Captain Ahab of sales call coaching. I’ve evolved, improved, and added to my training solution pretty much every year for the past ten years. I keep searching for new and improved silver bullets to make the transition easier and faster. And we’re getting there, folks. We’ve created a comprehensive and effective program that changes behaviors and results (contact us if you’re interested in our sales call coaching training).

I would be remiss if I did not mention the call coaching framework we created here at Factor 8: The COACHN℠ Model. It ensures reps and managers have the most efficient and effective coaching sessions possible. Check out the image below (and save it to your desktop!).

COACHN

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hiring sales managers

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How to Hire a Great Sales Manager

Hiring Sales Managers vs. Promoting Reps to Management

Raise your hand if you’ve promoted the wrong rep to sales manager before. Yeah, no sales leader in the world can keep both (or either of?) their hands down. And it’s so painful, right? Because they were SO GOOD at the job and so ambitious and all over you about it. Honestly, you kind of HAD to right? For risk of losing them? And how’d it end up?

I really hope you didn’t lose your top rep AND a manager within a year. But that’s how the story usually goes when I’m commiserating with my fellow sales leaders. It’s like the million-dollar elephant in the room…the right of passage every great leader endures.

So you’re in the club (welcome, leave your t-shirt size in the comments). Now, how on Earth do we stop making that mistake? I believe the key is to understand why your top reps are so darn good. Because it’s the same reason they’re terrible managers.

Top reps are in the winning business.

Doesn’t matter what industry. They’re in the “try harder” business. The “don’t give up until you get the “W” business.” They get up faster, they get up better. They make ten more calls. They do NOT take a no for an answer or a loss lying down. You might not let them date your daughter, but you want 10 more on your team.

Never put this guy (or gal) in charge.

Because management isn’t the winning business. Management is the people’s business. I love how Jack Welch said it:

“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself.

When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”

— Jack Welch

If we can agree that the top reps are hard-wired for competitiveness and selfishness, and KILLING your number, then we can agree we need to go in a different direction for a top manager.

Hint: have this conversation immediately when these bulldogs ask about management because they will. They’re ambitious and they want more money and prestige like always. Try something like, “Why on EARTH would you want that crap job? I hire those guys to tend to my real superstars – you. The money is worse, the hours are longer, and you’ll always have to play by the rules.” That should hold them off for a while. If that doesn’t work, put them in charge of mentoring the newbies for a year or two and see if they get sick of it.

SALES TEAM RETENTION [INFOGRAPHIC]


Now, how do you find and hire the REAL management superstars? Here are my Factor 8 tips for hiring sales managers. Hope you’ll share yours as well!

  1. They’re a “B” level rep. These folks hit quota consistently but seldom outperform. If you had to guess, they have the effort and attitude and pretty good skills, they just lack the killer instinct to be an “A” level rep.
  2. They love to teach or mentor the newbies. Not sure if they’re a great mentor? Assign someone to them and see how they like it.
  3. They speak in KPIs. This means they know what really contributes to and indicates a win outside of dials. Try asking, “What trends have you found in your business?”
  4. They’ve got a process. Whether it’s how they attack leads, own their day, manage an account, or whatever. Try asking “How do you attack your account book/territory?”

These last two questions can help indicate a more strategic viewpoint. We’re looking for someone who sees the SCIENCE of sales vs. the ART. The science can be taught, but the art can not (your superstar reps were born to sell. It’s an art. They’re not really sure how they even do it, but it probably doesn’t include following the rules).

  1. They prioritize well. Front-line management is nothing if not chaotic. Many fail their first year just under the weight of the constant barrage of questions and requests. Someone who can prioritize time and tasks has a much better survival rate. Try asking,
    “What do you do first each day and why?”
  2. They’re a tremendous listener. If 50% of us quit because of our boss (it’s a thing, Google it, Gallup cited it), then we want someone who can connect well with others. Listening is a critical engagement skill and one that’s REALLY hard to teach and change. If they have this naturally they’re ahead of the pack. At the end of the interview, give them a rating here – subtract a point every time they interrupt, break eye contact, or were clearly just waiting for their turn to talk.
  3. They play well with others. You don’t need all your other departments logging complaints about the bulldog manager who’s hounding the credit department. Look for evidence of sharing, learning, teaching, and relationship-building outside an immediate team member. Try asking, “Tell me 10 people you’ve met and like outside of your team.”
  4. They want to make things better. I ask every new manager I teach why they decided to get into management. The bad ones want the title or money, the good ones want to help others win, and the great ones see something and want to make it better. Try asking, “Tell me about your ideas for ______.”

I look forward to updating this blog annually with the ideas you share with me. Like a grocery bag “Take a bag and leave a bag” station in the park, together we will stop hiring bad managers!

Want to set your new sales managers up for success?

Contact us today to learn about our award-winning sales management training programs.


sales prospecting tips

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How to Keep Prospects on the Phone

Everyone loves to talk about how many calls it takes to get someone on the phone (me included), but not enough of us talk about how to KEEP them on the phone!

If you’re making cold calls or even cold-ish calls, and you FINALLY get someone to answer, you feel a bit like…

Now, don’t blow it. The number one mistake at this stage is to begin a full-on sales vomit.

We give the elevator pitch,

We give the value prop,

We ask a question,

Then we answer the question for them…

All the while we’re still actually tuning in to the fact we are getting a chance to do our jobs and someone is on live with us. And as soon as our brains catch up with our mouths, the prospect is saying:

“This isn’t a good time.” or  “I’m not actually in the market right now.”

We call this an “Early Dismissal” as opposed to an objection (where they have a relevant reason or question based on our actual offering). You might call it, “getting blown off, rejected, turned down, shut down”, or “blown out” if you’re a friend from the UK.

So what do you do when you’re getting shut down in the first 30 seconds of the call? We got you.

#1 Stop Talking Sooner.

The best way to stop the sales word vomit is to never start it. Get a SWIIFT℠ intro down pat. This is a 10-second intro that is designed to get prospects talking FAST.

#2 Save the Value Prop for Minute Two.

Lots of folks think their elevator speech (what I do and why you care) is the same as their intro and that’s exactly wrong. Save this for when they say, “Wait, who are you with again?” Now they’re listening! Another smart reason to save it: Your intro should be as much about them as possible and as little about you as possible. This way we don’t sound like desperate salespeople.

Desperate salespeople consistently get shut down with early dismissals.

#3 Be Confident and Conversational.

If you sound like their neighbor or like they’re lucky to even be talking to you, you’ll have more luck keeping them on! Again, the key to this is a go-to introduction and practice. Yes, write it down if you need to for the first few calls. Then ditch it because reading it sounds neither conversational nor confident!

#4 Master the Brush-Off!

We teach 2 ways to overcome the dismissal and neither is anywhere close to how we overcome an objection. When we overcome objections, we dig into the why and address concerns. An early dismissal is not based on fact. It’s another way to say:

“Leave me alone, I’m busy.”

“I don’t like salespeople.”

“I can’t deal right now.”

So don’t dig in, drive around! The key to keeping prospects on the phone is to get them talking! Do this by bringing up a random subject or even digging into their BS excuse with a question.

For example: 

Dismissal: “I’m not the right person.”

Rep: “So how are things going over there?” (unrelated question), or

Rep: “So there are more folks in your department?”

The key is to not stop! Now ask another question. And another. And before you know it, you’re getting the information out of them you called to get!

Second key: Prevent sounding defensive at all costs! Here’s an example of what sometimes happens that doesn’t work:

Dismissal: “I’m not the right person.”

Rep: “So, you aren’t interested in saving money?”

Prospect: “No you little turd and now I will never buy from you ever.”

Get the difference? I’m not saying to strong-arm, I’m telling you to deaf ear. Keep it sweet and light and go right on past them with another question and before they even realize it, you’ve gotten two qualifying questions answered and the name of the right person to call (or a better time to call them).

It doesn’t work every time, but we see a good 70% plus success rate!

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best time management tip

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#1 Best Time Management Tip for Sales Managers

I’ve got a quick time management tip for all of you super-busy frontline sales managers.

At 23, in my first sales management job, I was buried by everything my team needed and all the things I didn’t know how to help with. Sound familiar?

Here’s the best time management tip that you can learn that we teach in our quick and easy time management course for sales managers (it’s called Own Your Day)

It’s all about getting out of the reactive mode and into the proactive mode.

READ: 4 Time-Saving Tips for Sales Managers

And here is the most fun and hardest part of what we’re teaching.

You’ve got to learn to say NO. Why?

Because that team of 8 to 15, new, experienced reps that you’re there to lead, serve, motivate, and nurture, will suck you dry.

I’m telling you, it will happen.

New call-to-action

Because we’re all in the business of making money and doing it as fast and as easy as possible.

That makes you the go-to for all their questions.

And my goodness, they’re going to keep asking until you teach them to fish, which takes longer.

So it is a vicious, vicious cycle. 

READ: Top 8 Sales Management Productivity Hacks

One of the most important skills that we teach new managers (who literally hug me afterward) is what to focus on first, second, third, and fourth, what to get rid of, what to delegate, what to do immediately, what to schedule for later, etc.

But here’s the crux of the skill: it’s saying NO to the rep request that’s coming at you right now.

You know the ones—people telling you about the call they just had, the deal they closed, or asking a product question. And all of that hits you before 9 am.

But here’s how to say no without being a jerk:

Scheduled meetings. When you build a sales management cadence, you’re not saying no, you’re saying, “This is so important, let’s talk about it in our scheduled call coaching,” or, “Bring that story to the huddle.” That way, you’re acknowledging their need but pushing it into the cadence.

This is probably the #1 best time management skill you’ll learn to take back your day and stop working before it’s dark (winter excluded 😉). You’re welcome.

Don’t have a cadence yet? Or a way to manage the requests? We’ve got you covered. Join our certification program, Own Your Sales Manager Role.

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increase sales coaching

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Tips for Enablement Leaders to Increase Sales Coaching Focus

This one is for the enablement folks. Truth: I’m an enablement leader in my heart and soul.

I was just talking to an enablement leader friend who was really frustrated that they spent so many months building a robust training program – rolled it out beautifully – and had to hand their baby over to the sales manager to keep those skills alive. Which did not work…

I’m here to tell you why it’s not their fault.

READ: Why You Need a Sales Training and Enablement Budget

I’ve been both an enablement leader and sales manager and can tell you that sales management is the busiest job in the world. We spend the bulk of our day fighting fires and there’s never been a learning emergency.

So if you’re an enablement or training leader and you’d like some tips to get sales managers to coach more often and keep rep skills alive, keep reading.

WATCH: Creating A Coaching Culture

I’ve got 20 tips to help you increase the sales coaching focus at work. Below are my top 3 (get the rest at the bottom of this article).

#1 – Don’t expect them to do more work. As I said previously, sales management is the busiest job in the world. If you want them to coach, you’ve got to fit coaching into their jam-packed schedule. What meetings do sales managers have often? Rep performance 1:1s, pipeline meetings, team meetings, and sales huddles. You’ve got to find ways for your managers to keep rep skills alive during their existing meetings. 

At Factor 8, we’ve built manager toolkits that have activities a sales manager can run during a sales huddle to keep skills alive after training.

#2 – Make it easy. If they need to build a deck, it’s not going to happen. If they need to create a process, it’s not going to happen. If they need to go on a scavenger hunt to find different information for the coaching session, it’s not going to happen. You’ve got to make it fast and easy for managers. 

At Factor 8, we’ve created coaching guides for various rep skills that managers can easily use for skill reinforcement. They combine a cheat sheet of what “good” looks like, which questions to ask during coaching, and a ready-to-use worksheet that coaches both the will and the skill with an easy grading form.

#3 – Most managers don’t know what “coaching” means. Sure, they understand the definition, but they don’t know what it means to actually coach a rep and they definitely don’t know what “good” coaching looks like. That means you get a lot of things like this…

“Hey rep, let’s work on this deal.” You’ve been coached. ✔

“Hey team, what’s the forecast?” You’ve been coached. ✔

“Let me get on this call and help you close it.” You’ve been coached. ✔

Folks, this isn’t coaching. As enablement leaders, we know that.

READ: How to Increase Sales Coaching Frequency

So, in training hundreds of sales managers over the last few years, I’ve learned that it’s a tough skill, it’s not natural for sales managers, and they’re too nervous to do it (though they’ll never admit that last one out loud).

Just put yourself in their shoes. Imagine going to a top player and saying “Let me listen to your call and give you feedback on how to do it better.” Sounds terribly nerve-wracking, right?

That’s why we’ve got to address it and build confidence in their sales coaching, call coaching, and rep skill coaching skills.

If you haven’t taught your managers how to coach to build up their own confidence, it’s probably no surprise that you think they can be doing more coaching.

If you’d like to talk about more specific strategies or a particular issue you’re dealing with in making that connection with sales leadership so they really get behind enablement, I’m here to talk. Email me at LB@factor8.com. 


Want more tips to increase the coaching focus at work?
Download our guide on “20 Ways To Increase Sales Coaching Focus At Work.”

Are you looking for sales training?

Contact us today to request information on our customizable virtual sales training programs
available for reps (and managers).


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