Sales Training Implementation Guide [Checklist]
Sales Training Implementation Guide
[Checklist]
Sales Leaders
5 Ways Managers Kill Your Plans to Scale (Without Realizing It) [Webinar Recording]
5 Ways Managers Kill Your Plans to Scale (Without Realizing It)
[Video Recording]
Factor 8 Named a Leader in G2’s Summer 2026 Reports
Factor 8 today announced it has been recognized as a Leader in both the Sales Training and Sales Consulting categories in G2’s Summer 2026 Reports.
G2 is the world’s largest and most trusted software marketplace, and its rankings are based on authentic reviews from verified users.
“We’re incredibly proud to be recognized as a Leader in both Sales Training and Sales Consulting by G2. What makes this especially meaningful is that these rankings come directly from customer feedback. Nearly 20 years in, hearing how our team, training, and coaching continue to impact real sales teams never gets old. Thank you to our clients for trusting us to help develop your people, improve performance, and build stronger sales organizations. And thank you to our team working behind the scenes every day to make that impact possible.” – Lauren Bailey, Founder & CEO, Factor 8
Factor 8 earned Leader status in G2’s Summer 2026 Reports based on positive reviews from verified users and high customer satisfaction ratings compared to similar providers in the Sales Training and Sales Consulting categories.
“Earning a Leader position in a G2 Report is highly competitive and rooted in verified customer reviews,” said Godard Abel, co-founder and CEO, G2. “Congratulations to Factor 8 for achieving this distinction. Buyers can be confident this ranking reflects the authentic experiences of real users.”
About Factor 8
Factor 8 is an award-winning sales rep and management training company focused 100% on helping sales teams sell in a virtual world. They want people to love sales – and stay! They are a team of expert sales leaders who quit the daily grind so they could spend their time developing people. Together, they’ve solved the big problem: sales teams are not gaining the skills they need to quickly feel confident and successful in their roles. That means they ramp slowly and leave quickly. Factor 8 combines real-world sales experience with practical, skill-focused training that helps teams ramp faster, perform better, and stay longer.
Looking to partner with a leading sales training company?
Contact us today to learn more about our sales training programs
for sales reps and sales managers.
Factor 8 Named to Selling Power Magazine’s Top Sales Training Companies 2026 List
Factor 8 is pleased to announce it has been included on Selling Power’s Top Sales Training Companies 2026 list.
“We’re proud to be recognized again by Selling Power as one of the top sales training companies,” said Lauren Bailey, Founder and CEO of Factor 8. “Sales teams are being asked to do more than ever right now. They need to prospect smarter, adapt faster, coach better, and still hit the number. That’s why we focus on practical, modern training that actually sticks and helps sellers and managers perform in the real world, not just in a workshop. Being included on this list again is a huge honor for our team and our clients.”
According to Selling Power publisher and founder Gerhard Gschwandtner, quality sales training remains paramount to B2B sales success. “With markets whipsawing and global trade uncertainty creating new headwinds, B2B revenue teams are also navigating rapid change driven by AI—new buyer expectations, faster decision cycles, and a higher bar for insight-led conversations. Building a resilient, future-ready sales organization is essential to protect pipeline and sustain growth. Partnering with top sales training companies helps ensure your teams have the skills, coaching, and AI-enabled practices to win in 2026 and beyond.”
All companies on the list submitted a comprehensive application that included a detailed listing of their offerings for both training and retention, innovative solutions, and their company’s unique contributions to the sales training marketplace.
The main criteria used when selecting the companies to include on the 2026 list of Top Sales Training Companies were:
- Depth and breadth of sales training programs offered
- Innovative offerings (sales training courses, sales methodology, or sales delivery methods)
- Contributions to the sales training market
- AI impacts and integrations
- Strength of client satisfaction and overall client feedback
The Selling Power team used a variety of methodologies during its evaluation process, including client satisfaction surveys and feedback from nearly 370 clients across the companies considered for this year’s list.
Feedback from Factor 8 clients included:
- “Factor 8 truly feels like an extension of our team. They’ve brought tremendous value to every SDR on my team and created an additional layer of support and investment that keeps reps motivated, even during tough stretches.”
- “Working with the team at Factor 8 feels like collaborating with professionals who genuinely listen to your needs and execute with excellence.”
- “Factor 8 has a very unique approach to training that keeps reps engaged, empowered, and actively applying what they learn.”
- “Factor 8 has driven real financial impact in our organization by upskilling our sales team. They helped improve call effectiveness, boost productivity, and contribute directly to stronger revenue results.”
- “Factor 8 was extremely flexible and adaptable to our sales model and industry. The team was approachable, collaborative, and consistently provided valuable feedback and support.”
Selling Power magazine editors say CROs, sales VPs, and sales enablement leaders can leverage this list to find the right sales training partner to help salespeople succeed during social distancing and remote working.
See the Selling Power Top Sales Training Companies 2026 list here.
About Selling Power
In addition to Selling Power, the leading digital magazine for sales managers and sales VPs since 1981, Personal Selling Power, Inc., produces the Sales Management Digest and Daily Boost of Positivity online newsletters, as well as the leading AI sales newsletter (Subscribe to the AI 4 Sales™ / Sales 3.0 Digest – Sales 3.0 Conference / Blog). Selling Power is a regular media sponsor of the Sales 3.0 Conference, which is attended by a total of more than 4,500 sales leaders each year. https://www.sales30conf.com
Looking to partner with a top virtual sales training company?
Contact us today to learn more about our sales training programs
for sales reps and sales managers.
![Sales Training, Coaching, and Development [Research Report]](https://factor8.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Virtual-Sales-Trends-Survey-Social-LinkedIn-10-1024x535-221x221.png)
Sales Training, Coaching, and Development [Research Report]
Why does sales training matter?
Because it’s what keeps your people. Lack of training and career growth is the #1 reason reps and managers say they’d leave, and 79% of reps want more training and coaching than they’re getting.
Factor 8 surveyed thousands of sales reps, frontline managers, and senior leaders to see how sales teams are trained, coached, and developed, and where it breaks down.
SALES REPS
79%
want more training and coaching from their company.
SALES REPS
44%
don’t receive any training beyond initial new hire onboarding.
SALES MANAGERS
40%
of managers say lack of training and career growth is the #1 reason they’d leave.
SALES LEADERS
84%
lack some confidence in their company’s current sales training plan.
What makes sales reps and managers leave?
Lack of training and career growth. It’s the #1 reason reps would leave their role, and 40% of managers say the same. Leaders see it differently: they rank compensation as the top driver of retention.
Why managers say they would leave
No training or career growth
40%
Low compensation
22%
Bad leadership
21%
Toxic culture
11%
Poor work-life balance
6%
What leaders think keeps people
#1
Compensation and commission
#2
Work-life balance
#3
Training and development
#4
Career growth and promotion path
#5
Team culture and collaboration
Leaders think pay keeps their people. Their people say it’s training and growth.
Training and development ranks #3 on leaders’ list of what attracts and retains employees, behind compensation and work-life balance.
Who We Surveyed
Thousands of sales professionals across every level of the sales organization, every major sales function, and companies of every size.
Experience Level
Rep / Non-Management
31%
Management
32%
Senior Leadership
37%
Company Size
Small
54%
Mid-Market
23%
Enterprise
23%
Sales Functions
Inside / Virtual Sales
Leadership / Operations
Account Executives
Account Managers
Sales Enablement / Training
Top Industries Represented
SaaS / TechFinancial ServicesEducation / TrainingHealthcare / PharmaLogistics / TransportationPublishing / MediaStaffing / HRConsultingConsumer GoodsInsurance
Respondents are primarily based in the United States, with additional responses from Canada and other countries.
Does sales training stop after onboarding?
For 44% of reps, yes. They don’t receive any training beyond initial new hire onboarding, and 29% describe the training they did get as poor or nonexistent.
Reps haven’t given up on it, though. 79% want more training and coaching from their company.
Does your company provide sales training after onboarding?
Sales rep responses
29%
of reps say their company training was poor or nonexistent.
4%
say their company training is best-in-class.
What do sales reps want from training and their manager?
79%
want more training and coaching
44%
get none after onboarding
Reps are asking for more development. Nearly half aren’t getting any after onboarding.
60%
need more support with prospecting, well ahead of closing (15%), qualifying (11%), demos (9%), and discovery (5%).
27%
say the #1 thing they want from their manager is someone who will fight for what they need to succeed.
32%
want more call coaching, skill coaching, or sales training from their manager.
Training and tools
Sales training and tech/tools top the list of what reps want more of in their day-to-day work.
#1 reason to leave
No training or growth path is the top reason reps would leave their role, ahead of burnout.
20%
say their manager is great and they don’t need anything more.
What do sales managers need to coach their teams better?
More support, and nearly all of them say so. Managers are coaching less than leaders want, and they’re asking for the process, frameworks, and training to do it well.
97%
say they need more support from leadership and enablement.
49%
want more support, process, and coaching frameworks for themselves.
40%
coach their reps fewer than 3 hours a week, and 10% say they don’t coach at all.
51%
say their teams need more prospecting training.
56%
say their reps need more sales skills training.
Top 3 asks
Sales process, sales training, and coaching frameworks top the support managers wish they had.
What leaders want managers to do
Coach reps more often
Hold reps accountable
Drive consistent execution
What managers say they need to do it
Sales process and methodology
Coaching frameworks
Ongoing skills training
How confident are sales leaders in their training plan?
Not very. 84% lack some confidence in their company’s current sales training plan. Only 16% say they’re very confident.
How confident are you in your current rep and manager training plan?
16% Very confident
62% Somewhat confident
8% Not confident
14% “What training plan?”
Sales leader responses
Low adoption
is leaders’ biggest frustration with training and enablement, followed by low buy-in and proving ROI.
39%
say their company offers both rep and manager training.
52%
want managers coaching reps more often and holding them accountable.
Top of funnel
Most leaders say top-of-funnel selling skills are where reps struggle most.
Top skill gaps leaders see in reps
1. Time management
2. Discovery
3. Value selling
Top skill gaps leaders see in managers
1. Leading vs. selling
2. Coaching
3. Rep accountability
14% of leaders answered “What training plan?”
Your team is telling you what they need.
The demand
Everyone wants more
79% of reps want more training and coaching, and 97% of managers want more support.
The gap
Training stops early
44% of reps get no training after onboarding, and 84% of leaders lack confidence in their plan.
The blind spot
Pay vs. growth
Leaders bet on compensation to keep people. Reps and managers say training and growth matter more.
Citing this research?
Please do. Attribute findings to Factor 8’s Sales Training, Coaching, and Development research and link back to this page.
Example: According to Factor 8’s Sales Training, Coaching, and Development research, only 4% of sales reps say their company’s sales training is best-in-class.
How Vernon Built Confidence and Connection Through Sales Training
Building a new digital sales team from scratch is no small feat. Just ask Lisa Hubbard, VP of Sales and Marketing at Vernon Graphics & Promotions. When her team shifted toward inside and digital sales, she wanted to give them more than scripts and sales decks, but she wanted skills.
That’s where Factor 8 came in.
In this interview, Lisa shares why she chose to invest in sales training, what made Factor 8 stand out from other programs, and the lasting impact it’s had on her team’s confidence, collaboration, and results.
Prefer to watch or listen? Hear Lisa share her experience below.
What made you decide to bring sales training to your team?
We just started a digital sales team, an inside sales team here at Vernon. It was new for the company, and we felt the need to bring in robust sales training. I’ve been familiar with Factor 8 for many years, so it was a great opportunity to tap into that resource and bring their sales training to the team.
Can you tell us a little bit about your team? Who they are and what they’re responsible for?
They’re our digital sales team, and they handle everything an outside account executive does, just over the phone or via Teams or Zoom.
They also take the lead on our marketing efforts. They monitor customer engagement with our campaigns, track interest from marketing emails and social posts, and connect with customers who are actively engaging with us.
How was this training different from other programs you’ve experienced?
What I really liked about Factor 8’s training is that it was very tactical. You learn a skill, then practice it. The modules covered all types of sales functions, like prospecting, getting through the gatekeeper, leaving a voicemail, those baseline skills you sometimes take for granted.
The team would go through a module, practice the skill, record calls, listen back, and have open discussions about what worked and what didn’t. It created great dialogue around the skills they were learning. It also helped rebuild that “muscle memory” for skills they knew but had fallen out of practice with.
What did your team respond to or benefit from the most?
They loved the hands-on practice and the discussions. It wasn’t just training, it was interactive. They could immediately apply what they learned, share what worked, and learn from each other.
What changes did you see in your team after the training?
The biggest change was that they kept talking about it. They still reference the training when we have lockdown days or team huddles. They remind each other, “Don’t forget your voicemail skills,” and share success stories from what they learned.
That kind of peer reinforcement has been great to see.
Were there any specific metrics that improved?
Confidence definitely increased. Practicing those skills helped rebuild their confidence, and hearing each other’s success stories reinforced it.
For example, someone would share, “I tried this approach, and I finally got through to the contact I’ve been chasing,” or “I asked for a referral, and it worked.” Seeing those wins motivated everyone to try new things and build on their success.
If you had to sum up the impact of this training in one sentence, what would you say?
Priceless.
What would you tell another leader who’s thinking about investing in this type of training?
It’s worth every penny.
There are so many selling skills we take for granted—things we might’ve learned ten years ago but haven’t revisited. This training helps you dust those off, go back to the basics, and then build on them.
It’s absolutely time well invested.
I’ve followed Factor 8 for 15–18 years, and my experience has always been great. The training is genuine and personal. Our trainer, Steve, worked closely with each individual and made it personal to them. You can tell Factor 8 genuinely wants you to succeed, and my team felt that.
I’ve followed Lauren and Factor 8’s journey on LinkedIn for years; they’re always sharing great insights and nuggets that truly help people be more successful.
___
Lisa’s story is proof that great sales training doesn’t just build skills—it builds confidence, connection, and momentum that last long after the sessions end.
If your team is ready to level up like Vernon’s did, learn more about our customized sales training programs or reach out to see how we can help you hit your goals faster.
Special thanks to Lisa Hubbard and the Vernon Graphics & Promotions team for sharing their experience!
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How to Make Sales Training Stick and Drive Behavior Change [Webinar]
THIS WEBINAR IS SPONSORED BY:
Scale revenue-driving behaviors with Gong Enable. Turn every rep into a top performer with enablement powered by real customer conversations. Gong uses conversation data to pinpoint winning behaviors and drive data-backed behavior change across your revenue team.
Check out their guide, ROI of sales enablement: Using AI to prove business impact, to tie enablement initiatives to growth.
5 Tips to Transition from Field to Inside Sales
There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it – virtual selling is here to stay, folks. That’s why the transition from field to inside sales is becoming more prevalent.
If you’ve spent years perfecting the art of in-person selling and are struggling (or resisting) the shift to virtual, it’s time to get on track and embrace it.
I get it – virtual selling is a whole different ball game where reaching contacts is harder, your sales cycle is longer, talk tracks are shorter, and a whole slew of other things you’re not used to.
That’s why I took 30 minutes on our recent Sales Shot to break down key virtual and hybrid work practices that will help you feel like a superstar again.
Whether you’ve been at it for a while or recently transitioned, these are tips you can start implementing RIGHT NOW to help you fill those holes in your pipeline.
DOWNLOAD: How to Sell to the CFO to Keep Deals Moving
Pick Up The Phone
Do you like baseball? (Even if you don’t, stick with me for a minute.)
Home base is closing the deal and having a happy client – but you can’t get to home base if you aren’t even on first! First base is getting someone on the phone.
Chances are, they’re not going to pick up on the first try. In fact, less than 20% will connect on that initial call. Even if it takes 12 attempts to connect – you keep calling!
Research shows that 30% of leads are never even contacted at all. That’s a ton of missed opportunity. Especially when you consider that 82% of buyers admit they bought something after a series of cold calls.
So, moral of the story: Pick. Up. The. Phone.
Always Leave a Voicemail
If you’re making all these calls, you’d absolutely better be leaving a voicemail – a GREAT voicemail. In fact, make voicemails your new BFF!
Voicemails have a few different goals. The most obvious one is getting a callback. Realistically, most of them are probably never going to get returned. But here’s what you CAN do: create a positive impression of yourself and your company, and guilt them into either picking up the phone or eventually calling back. So, get creative and make it fun!
The 4 most effective types of voicemails are:
- Lever – Drop their first name, reference one of their coworkers, mention a previous rep they worked with – something that’s going to get their attention! Whatever you do, make it about them!
- Mystery – Keeping the message short and vague can pique their interest.
- Urgency – Are you running a limited promo on a product or service? Are they losing money by the minute if they aren’t using your product? Give them a reason to JUMP!
- Value – There are 6 of them we teach (remember SWIIFT℠, everyone?), but remember that during economic challenges people tend to care most about saving money and mitigating risk.
Whatever you do, ALWAYS leave a voicemail. No voicemail = no touch. It’s like buying a billboard and leaving it blank. Yikes!
Quick Tip: Send an email right after you leave a voicemail. Your likelihood of getting a response is MUCH higher when you mix voicemail + email.
Embrace Smaller Goals
A year ago, your quota probably looked a whole lot different than today. So, take your goals and break them up into smaller, more achievable pieces!
The average successful call is now just 3.5 minutes!
Structure your calls around these 3 key questions:
- What do I need to learn?
- What do I want them to know?
- What commitment do I want to close?
Qualify Your Leads
Do NOT go through an alphabetical list of prospects and pick away at it until you get to Z.
Take the time to actually qualify your leads and call based on that score! You’ll have A,B, C, and D leads (and you can probably skip the D leads). Start with your A leads and work your way down the list until you finish the C leads.
As a general rule, here’s how often to call each lead:
- A leads = 10-12 dials
- B leads = 8 dials
- C leads = 6 dials
Build A Bridge to Call #2
If you got someone talking on the phone after a cold call, the hardest part is over. So make sure you’re taking advantage of it by ALWAYS scheduling the next step WHILE you’re on the call.
Can you schedule the follow-up call now? How about sending a calendar invite with the next meeting’s info? Have you given your cell number to get theirs?
Give yourself permission to call back by urging them to look at their calendar and confirming when you’ll be connecting again.
WATCH: Transitioning from Field to Virtual Selling
Keep in mind, the more you try out these tips, the easier it gets and the more success you’ll see. So get on the virtual train with the rest of us and start building that pipeline. You got this!