In the beginning sales training was OJT (On the Job Training). Early on articles and books were published about selling. Then recordings became available. Next came seminars at the local hotel. For firms that could afford it sales trainers were hired. Almost all of the messaging was generic and motivational, rather than content driven.

With the rise of the internet came options. Wide ranging presentations populated search engines. That was the situation for a long period of time. As technology developed platforms became available for group chats and meetings.  Some incorporated video. And then it all changed. 

With the outbreak of Covid 19 technology and training methods hit the accelerator. New companies and platforms appeared that offered options, not only to create content, but to present it. So that brings us to my topic. Which is the best method for sales training; In Person, Virtual, or Online?

In Person Training – There’s no question bringing together a group of people with a common interest has the best results, by far. Being present allowed me to focus on individuals and topics, that I sensed, needed to be addressed in particular sessions. I have no recollection of ending a session without multiple people telling me it was the best training they ever had. More rewarding were comments by the non-believers that “I had opened their eyes” to things they were doing wrong.  The biggest downside is cost. The expense to hire and transport a trainer or students to a location can be sizable.  On average when training a small group of say ten, the cost per student would be somewhere between $600-$700. Obviously, the price would come down as travel expenses were spread across a larger group. Great ROI when you consider that two or three additional sales would pay for the course, and create a more productive business for years to come.

Virtual Training – Virtual training has become quite popular and effective. The obvious upside is it can be done from the comfort of a person’s home. It allows for some interaction and can be tailored to a specific firm’s business and issues. On the downside there’s no question people have shown virtual fatigue. It’s been overutilized in their work and with their children’s education. The novelty has worn off to the point it has a negative connotation for many. From a trainer’s perspective it’s like operating with a partial blindfold. It’s hard to read people, difficult to pause and adjust the conversation, and in all honesty keep people focused for more than an hour. No matter how good the technology we’re talking to pictures of people not the real thing. It does have some cost advantages, maybe 30% to 40% less expensive, but it does not have the same effectiveness or ROI.

Online Training – Online training is the least expensive option. It also can be very effective depending on the content and instructor. What it can’t do is bring a group of people together and galvanize a vision or strategy for a company. There’s no real way of knowing if people are actually engaged or just tuning in. The major positive, beyond cost, is availability. There’s no issues with scheduling, it’s available now. There’s no problem with interruptions as it’s on demand and can be stopped and started. There’s no underselling the on-demand aspect. New people can receive information quickly. Established sales people can use the information for improvement.  Support staff can get on the same page with sales people by having a better understanding of the sales strategy without interrupting their daily activities.  It has a solid ROI and has immediate impact on sales.

All good choices. You need to choose what’s the best option for your situation.