Effective sales training isn't a one-and-done philosophy. For training to become part of everyday best practices, it should be part of a continuous learning culture. There is compelling evidence why training should be iterative. It's based on a theory called the 'forgetting curve.'
The forgetting curve is a hypothesis posed by Hermann Ebbinghaus in 1885 and replicated by Murre and Dros in 2015 that illustrates how learned information is lost when it isn't reinforced or relearned. The curve shows that the most drastic loss happens in the shortest amount of time:
The good news for alcohol beverage sales managers is that they can make sure their sales team's online training is retained and put into practice by providing opportunities to relearn the content, such as with online training for employees. However, it doesn't stop there.
BevAlc sales managers play an integral part in maintaining the momentum of continuous learning. The following behaviors are those that not only encourage continuous learning but create an environment where salespeople feel valued, supported, and engaged.
For your team to fully engage in the training, retain the new information, and adopt the new skills they learned, they must understand why it is critical that they do so. While many employees may be happy that training is available, actively revisiting the information and exercising the new learning may not be second nature. Sales managers must reinforce the importance of continuous sales training by explaining how it can benefit both the company and the employee.
One of the easiest ways to implement an environment of continuous learning is through assessments and action plans. Have your sales reps take an assessment right after the training to determine what they have learned and where they still need additional training. That gives you the blueprint for an action plan that will allow them to put their newly learned skills into action. Make sure your action plan is achievable and measurable with clear expectations and tasks that test specific skills.
Numerous statistics show most employees want learning and development opportunities. Not only do 91% of employees want relevant and personalized training, but 80% want ongoing, frequent training rather than formal workplace training.
Encourage your employees to take advantage of all the training and development they need for their current jobs and acknowledge their achievements. By supporting them when they want to learn new skills that could help them advance their careers, you can increase engagement, productivity, and retention.
Effective training doesn't start and stop in the classroom or at the end of an online module. The feedback loop is an integral part of ensuring the training sticks with the employee. 360-degree or multisource feedback is an excellent way to make it more impactful and engaging by encouraging accountability and enabling peer support.
Tracking progress allows the manager to assess how the sales reps are implementing their new skills in their day-to-day activities while giving them evidence of their growth.
Malcolm Gladwell, New York Times best-selling author, popularized a theory in his book "Outliers" that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to master complex skills. Putting new learning into practice immediately and consistently is key. Assessing, encouraging, and measuring progress are important ways to ensure employees are working toward their goals. While no one can argue with the importance of practice, many posit that the quality of the training contributes to mastering a skill.
However, exposure to new learning doesn't guarantee that the student will fully grasp all the key elements to perfect a skill. For instance, you wouldn't expect a violinist to be able to play a concerto perfectly after watching someone else play and explain it one time. It takes the repetition and reinforcement of continuous learning to ensure the student fully absorbs and retains what is being communicated. Only then can they practice the skill until it becomes second nature.
Sales managers play an integral role in helping their sales reps retain the information they are exposed to by communicating the criticality of ongoing training. By providing an action plan, the employee is shown that the manager and the company are actively invested in their success. Encouragement, support, feedback, and progress tracking are all essential elements of a continuous learning culture.
Continuous learning is the way to prevent your team's training from falling victim to the forgetting curve.