Sales teams can’t succeed without the right training, and that training needs to be more than a one-time workshop or a single onboarding session. To ramp up new reps faster, boost their confidence, sharpen their product knowledge, and prepare them for real-world selling situations, companies need to offer a variety of training methods that meet sellers where they are.
But many sales organizations still struggle to get it right. A 2025 survey by RAIN Group found that only 33% of sellers rate their company’s training and enablement programs as very effective. Research also shows that most sales training is forgotten quickly (up to 70% within a week and 87% within a month) if it’s not reinforced with practical application, hands-on training, and continuous performance support. While companies spend thousands of dollars per rep each year on training, much of that investment is lost without consistent follow-up and in-the-moment guidance.
The good news is that companies that get sales training right see real results. Organizations with strong enablement programs experience higher win rates and generate more revenue per rep than those without them. What makes the difference is variety: classroom learning, coaching, peer role-play, digital reinforcement, and embedded support all play a role in helping reps learn faster and sell smarter.
In this article, we’ll walk through 21 of the most effective sales training techniques to help you build a modern, well-rounded training strategy. We’ll also show how Whatfix empowers sales teams to accelerate time to proficiency by supporting reps in the flow of work with real-time, embedded guidance and workflow reinforcement.
Components of an Effective Sales Training Program
Suzie Andrews, CEO and President of Sandler Training, shares, “The single most underutilized resource in any company is the sales leader.”
Andrews recommends sales leaders align themselves to make sure they’re efficiently managing their teams.
“Simply said, how much time are they spending one on one with their reps? Try weekly one-on-one meetings, ride alongs, pre-call, and post-call planning, ad-hoc coaching, and role play.”
Training leaders is the first step to building a successful sales training program. McKinsey’s survey clearly points to the difference in sales training at good and great companies.
1. Ditch the curriculum-based approach
Remember when we talked about why fast-growing companies were more likely to achieve results over slow-growing companies? McKinsey found that one of the main reasons for this was a certification-based approach.
McKinsey recommends focusing on 4 key aspects to build a world-class certification program:
- Design a needs-based curriculum
- Focus on measurable and visible impact
- Consistent but personalized learning experiences
- Introduce experiential learning
Leslie Venetz, Founder of Sales Team Builder, shares, “The most successful sales trainings are hardly trainings at all, instead, they are interactive, engaging, and often collaborative sessions. The data shows that traditional classroom-style training does not work. With short attention spans, the rise of gamification, and this largely virtual world we are navigating, historical notions of what good looks like for training need to be reexamined.”
Venetz follows the 70-20-10 learning methodology meaning that only 10% of learning should be done in traditional classroom-style training. The remaining 90% should be done through mentorship, coaching, and hands-on experience.
2. Provide on-demand, continuous support
Sales move quickly, and sellers need to be able to work through hurdles quickly. Provide technical customer support in real-time without your sales team having to raise support tickets and wait for long periods of time for resolution of their queries.
With Whatfix’s intuitive interface, users are able to get seamless on-demand, self-service on even the most complex features. Boost user performance by providing embedded in-app performance support to answer queries instantly.
3. Allow sales people to learn in the moment of need
Learning on the go is a natural and unavoidable aspect of sales. Empowering your sales reps with the ability to learn in the moment allows them to perform any task from start to end successfully. This reduces users’ confusion and their dependence on managers or support teams.
Whatfix’s just-in-time performance support software is always available to aid employees in performing critical tasks at the moment of need.
4. Don’t limit the training to sales teams
Selling is never a siloed effort. Anyone in a customer-facing role or with the opportunity to influence customer decisions should be trained.
Marketing, sales, presales, customer success, support, product, and executive teams all have to be on board. A program that fails to do that only drives the wedge further between sales and other teams.
5. Invite buyers to participate
Empathy is an essential skill for salespeople to adopt the buyer first approach. Getting buyers to share their purchase experience, pain points and the value the platform provides is a good way to help sales teams put themselves in their shoes and understand exactly what closes more deals.
21 Effective Sales Training Techniques
67% of sales reps don’t expect to meet their quota this year. 84% missed it last year. Why is that? Many businesses face challenges when training their teams with skills to close deals effectively. But the proper sales training techniques can change your team’s performance. They can transform average performers into top reps. They can boost your bottom line.
Sales training techniques are structured to improve a sales team’s skills and performance. These techniques enhance the sales process, from product knowledge to customer interaction. Effective sales training combines strategy with practical application. It focuses on developing the hard and soft skills all sales reps need.
Here are 21 effective training techniques to enable sellers to close more deals:
- Just-in-time sales training and performance support
- Product knowledge sessions
- Mastering the sales process workshops
- Real-life scenario role-playing
- Soft skill training
- Create a CRM sandbox environment for hands-on training
- Learning and mentorship
- Practical scenario-based exercises
- Microlearning modules
- Interactive online sales training courses
- Customer-centric selling workshops
- Negotiation tactics
- Effective objection handling
- Hands-on product demonstrations
- Personalized sales coaching and feedback
- Team-based sales challenges
- In-depth competitive analysis sessions
- Attend sales conferences
- Subscribe to sales influencers on YouTube
- Virtual reality sales simulations
- Data-driven performance analysis workshops
1. Just-in-time sales training and performance support
Just-in-time training enables sellers with in-app guidance and user support embedded directly into your sales teams’ workflows. This drives knowledge retention and allows sellers to connect playbooks, theories, and training to real-life scenarios. It also supports CRM users to learn in the flow of work, creating a culture of continuous learning without hurting sales productivity.
With a digital adoption platform (DAP) like Whatfix DAP, sales leaders, application owners, and L&D teams can create in-app CRM experiences to support sellers in the flow of work. With Tours and Task Lists, quickly onboard new sellers and accelerate time-to-proficiency. Use Smart Tips to provide timely reminders, contextual information, and nudge sellers to take specific action. Flows provide guidance on complex workflows, infrequently done tasks, and processes that are often done incorrectly. Field Validation ensure CRM end-users enter data correctly and in the right format.
2. Product knowledge sessions
Product knowledge training educate your sellers on the products and services they sell. They equip sales reps with detailed information about what they’re selling, its nuanced capabilities and features, and how its benefits customers. It also includes training on core buyer personas, why customers would purchase a product or service, how it differentiates from competing products or similar services, and how it drives contextual outcomes for customers.
Product knowledge training can come from first-hand experiences with products through demo environments, meeting with customers to hear about their benefits with a service, or detailed product and buyer persona documentation.
3. Mastering the sales process workshops
Sales process workshops go through each stage of sales cycle. They focus on techniques for each stage of the sales cycle, from prospecting, nurturing leads, overcoming objectives, and closing deals. Reps learn to navigate all the steps. Plus, they can better understand what your organization expects.
4. Real-life scenario role-playing
Role-playing simulates real sales situations. It allows reps to practice handling customer types and objections. Role-playing sales scenarios and simulation training builds confidence. It also improves adaptability. For example, 70% of sales professionals reported budgets were under greater scrutiny in 2023. You could teach reps to speak to the ROI of your product or service to overcome that.
5. Soft skill training
Soft skill training focuses on developing communication and active listening skills. Soft skills are what build rapport with customers. They help reps understand customer needs better. They also help your entire team work better together.
6. Create a CRM sandbox environment for hands-on training
A sandbox environment enables sales reps with a hands-on CRM environment to practice using the CRM system safely, without impacting real-life software usage or customer interactions. They can experiment with features without affecting real data. This hands-on approach improves CRM adoption and usage.
Whatfix Mirror provides organizations with a no-code tool to create replicant CRM sandbox environments for end-user training. This provides end-users with a hands-on interactive training experience where they can engage with your sales and its workflows without impacting your real-life application and its data.
7. Learning and mentorship
Mentorship programs and sales coaching pair experienced reps with new team members. They support knowledge sharing and practical advice. If your organization is remote or hybrid, set up channels where team members can share experiences. Give them space to ask questions. Encourage senior reps to mentor newer team members.
8. Practical scenario-based exercises
These exercises present reps with realistic sales challenges. They must apply their knowledge to solve problems or close deals. This technique enhances critical thinking. It also helps them develop better decision-making skills. Try these scenario ideas:
- Competitive displacement opportunities
- Crisis management situations, like PR problems
- Long-term relationship nurturing
- Handling and overcoming product objections
9. Microlearning modules
Microlearning enables sellers with short, focused learning modules deliver bite-sized information. They’re easily digestible and can be completed in a few minutes. Microlearning fits well into busy sales schedules. They’re also a resource that reps can use when they need a quick refresher.
10. Interactive online sales training courses
Online courses offer self-paced learning options. They often include videos and interactive elements. Online courses can cover a range of sales topics in a flexible way. All types of learners can benefit from that.
Whatfix’s real-time in-app training programs allow you to train sales reps on demand while providing insights to measure training effectiveness. Easily integrate Whatfix with your LMS to create structured in-app interactive guides and training programs.
11. Customer-centric selling workshops
Sales workshops are just one part of the training process. Workshops that focus on the customer are just as important. All reps have to understand the target prospect to engage and close deals.
These workshops are about understanding and addressing customer needs. They teach reps to put the customer’s perspective first. This approach leads to more meaningful customer interactions.
12. Negotiation tactics
This training equips reps with strategies for handling complex negotiations. It covers topics like value-based selling and win-win outcomes. Advanced negotiation skills can significantly impact deal sizes and closure rates.
For example, you could test your team’s persuasion skills. Give the rep a $2 bill and ask them to split the value with someone else. This exercise helps them work on their negotiation skills. The rep who ends up with the more significant share wins. Sales training exercises and games like these help knowledge stick.
13. Effective objection handling
These sessions focus on common customer objections and how to address them. Reps learn to pinpoint the opportunities. They don’t just get stuck on the obstacles. Practice helps them respond with confidence.
14. Hands-on product demonstrations
Reps practice giving product demos. They learn to show off the most important features and benefits. This technique improves product knowledge and presentation skills. This can be particularly important if your offer is complex.
15. Personalized sales coaching and feedback
One-on-one coaching sessions guide each rep. Coaches offer specific feedback on individual performance. This personalized approach addresses unique strengths. It also gives reps a clear roadmap to improvement.
16. Team-based sales challenges
Competitive challenges motivate reps and foster teamwork. They can focus on specific skills or overall sales performance. These challenges create a fun, engaging learning environment. It also sets the tone for the way you expect a team to work together.
17. In-depth competitive analysis sessions
These sessions explore competitor products, strategies, and market positions. Reps learn how to position their offerings against the competition. This knowledge helps them address customer comparisons effectively.
18. Attend sales conferences
Conferences expose reps to industry trends and best practices. They offer opportunities for networking and learning from experts. Attending conferences can bring in new perspectives. This can help you keep up or even outpace competition.
19. Subscribe to sales influencers on YouTube
Following sales influencers provides ongoing education and inspiration. YouTube offers a wealth of free, easily accessible sales content. Reps can learn new techniques and stay motivated.
There are many popular sales influences on YouTube, including:
20. Virtual reality sales simulations
Research shows that VR offers a 76% increase in learning effectiveness over traditional methods. VR simulations create immersive, realistic sales scenarios. They allow reps to practice in a safe, controlled environment. This technology can simulate various customer interactions and sales settings.
21. Data-driven performance analysis workshops
These workshops teach reps to analyze their sales data effectively. They uncover strengths and areas for improvement. Data-driven insights help reps make informed decisions too. That empowers them to optimize their sales strategies.
PRO TIP
Combine multiple techniques for a complete training program. Cater to different learning styles and keep the training engaging. Over time, consider the effectiveness of each technique. That way, you can adjust your program accordingly.
Best Sales Training Courses & Programs
If you’re looking for additional sales training courses and certification programs for your sales team, here are nine fantastic programs. For each program, we’ll share its location, focus, and cost.
1. HubSpot’s Inbound Sales Training
- Location: Online
- Focus: Inbound sales methodology
- Price: Free
Intended for sales teams and inbound marketers, Hubspot’s inbound sales course covers how to sell with integrity and explains the entire process from prospecting to developing personalized sales enablement decks.
2. Smart Calling Program
- Location: Online
- Focus: Sales calls
- Price: $895 for the first attendee and $795 for every additional attendee from a company
- Intended Audience: Inside or field sales professionals
The Smart Calling College program zeroes in on sales calls for reps who rely on it as their primary communication method. It teaches salespeople how to engage with buyers, resolve objections, book a follow-up call, and add value to every interaction.
3. ASLAN Training
- Location: Online
- Focus: Driving receptivity
- Price: Available on request
ASLAN Training creates hyper-customized sales development plans for every organization. Its instructor-led workshops and digital learning modules help sellers train and complete necessary certifications. To ensure ongoing development, ASLAN focuses on sustainable tactics. ASLAN also offers a field sales training program.
4. Impact Sales Team Training
- Location: Online, on-site or both
- Focus: Varies
- Price: Varies
Like ASLAN, The Brooks Group offers thoroughly customized solutions via its IMPACT program. They typically spend 3-12 weeks learning about your business through ride-alongs, field observations, account reviews, interviews, audits, and assessments but promise a permanent improvement.
5. Pearl Lemon Sales Training
- Location: Online, on-site or both
- Focus: Helping field sales reps close deals in person and virtually
- Price: Available on request
Pearl Lemon offers a bespoke training solution for field salespeople who need to pivot to a virtual setting. The program lays out a roadmap for a buyer-focused interaction and dives into the specifics of what managers and salespeople will learn before, during, and after each session. It also includes a long-term strategy.
6. GoSkill’s Customer Service Training
- Location: Online
- Focus: Customer service to retain customers
- Price: 7-day free trial. Available here
Of the many courses GoSkills offers, the customer service training program particularly benefits reps. The self-paced course can be personalized and offers unlimited tests and quizzes. It helps reps understand the underlying psychology, create positive interactions, and develop loyal relationships with customers through empathy.
7. Dale Carnegie’s Attitudes for Service Workshop
- Location: Online
- Focus: Becoming a customer advocate
- Price: $199
Dale Carnegie’s Attitudes for Service Workshop helps reps take 100% responsibility for themselves and the attitude they convey. Reps can learn how to maintain a friendly, low-pressure high service environment while making sure they’re productive and service-oriented. The course teaches participants how to incorporate the four drivers of customer service to build relationships, and apply attitude control principles and conversational language to keep the interactions low pressure.
8. Franklin Covey’s Sales Leader Base Camp
- Location: Online
- Focus: Helps sales leaders boost their performance
- Price: Available on request
Franklin Covey’s Sales Leader Base Camp work session helps leaders identify breakthrough potential, coach to results using G.R.O.W.®, a proven performance improvement methodology, and introduces the concept of effective time management. Franklin Covey’s seasoned sales coaches work directly with sales leaders to implement processes and help leaders upgrade their own skills.
9. New Velocity’s Sales Leadership Development Course
- Location: Online
- Focus: Help new leaders gather expertise
- Price: Available on request
New Velocity has two courses to enable sales leadership development: managerial courage and the Sales and Leadership Development Accelerator Series. Both are designed for leaders who were earlier salespeople and need to develop the skills needed to lead, hire, manage, coach, and train others.
Best Sales Training Software
Sales training software enables sellers to learn best practices, learn how to use CRM systems, improve soft skills, and more. They can teach sellers about their ideal buyers, how to ask engaging questions, hold better conversations, and educate prospects on a product or service.
These platforms also provide salespeople with in-app guidance on all enterprise sales software such as CRM platforms, sales enablement tools, outreach tools, and more – all providing learning in the moment of need to give sales team members the sales documentation they need, right when they need it.
Here are the best sales training software based on G2 and Capterra ratings and user reviews:
1. Whatfix
- G2 Rating: 4.7/5
- Capterra Rating: 4.7/5
- Pricing: Available on request
Whatfix is a Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) that helps enterprises onboard, train, and support sales teams directly inside the applications they use, such as Salesforce, HubSpot, or Gmail. With its no-code editor, L&D leaders can design in-app training and guidance tailored to sales processes and roles.
Key sales training features of Whatfix include:
- In-app guidance: Role-based walkthroughs, task lists, tooltips, alerts, nudges, and self-help wikis embedded into sales apps.
- Faster onboarding: Training checklists and guided workflows to ramp up new reps quickly.
- Gamified learning: Interactive and engaging learning flows to keep reps motivated.
- Analytics & feedback: Track adoption, identify friction points, and gather real-time employee feedback to optimize training programs.
Additionally with Whatfix Mirror, sales teams can also:
- Train safely in sandbox environments: Practice workflows in risk-free replicas of sales applications.
- Roleplay with AI: Simulate real customer conversations to refine communication and objection handling.
- Reinforce learning with guided practice: Deliver step-by-step guidance inside simulated workflows.
- Measure readiness with adaptive assessments: Validate skills and proficiency before reps engage with actual prospects.
Whatfix provides an end-to-end sales training solution that combines guided onboarding, safe practice environments, and robust analytics to drive faster adoption and higher sales performance.
2. Mindtickle
- G2 Rating: 4.7/5
- Capterra Rating: 4.8/5
- Pricing: Available on request
While Mindtickle isn’t just a sales training platform, we’ll cover only the features that enable training. The platform allows you to provide individualized training, practice, and reinforcement for every salesperson and coaches salespeople to improve the skills that prevent them from closing deals.
Main Features:
- Identify real-time skill gaps with Mindtickle’s Readiness Index
- Stop skill erosion with AI-powered reinforcements
- Drive teamwork and knowledge sharing with cooperative challenges
- Find content easily with Asset Hub
3. Allego
- G2 Rating: 4.5/5
- Capterra Rating: 4.2/5
- Pricing: Available on request
Allego’s Sales Training solution is designed to deliver impactful customized training to ramp up reps to productivity fast. The platform helps increase engagement, deliver training when reps need it and foster a collaborative spirit.
Main Features:
- Deliver personalized, continuous training from anywhere via a smartphone
- Capture best practices and customer insights
- Share strategies and practices top performers use
- Assess competencies, and deliver targeted sales training
4. Lessonly by Seismic
- G2 Rating: 4.7/5
- Capterra Rating: 4.7/5
- Pricing: Available on request
Lessonly by Seismic is a training, coaching, and enablement solution that helps teams ramp up faster, deliver effective feedback, and constantly improve. The platform allows you to visualize training engagement, see assessment results and identify skill gaps. Lessonly integrates with your existing tech stack. Think Zendesk, Salesforce, and Chrome.
Main Features:
- In-person training along with the software capabilities
- Enables remote, on the go training via mobile-friendly experience
- Assign lessons or offer on-demand training
- Drag-and-drop builder to create training material
5. SalesHood
- Review Rating: 4.6 out of 5 stars
- Pricing: $75 per user per month
SalesHood is a guided selling platform designed to help sales leaders store their training content in a single library, grade their salespeople’s performance using personalized metrics, and compel managers to coach their teams consistently with recurring role-play sessions, and reusable coaching template.
At $75 per user, per month, an organization with 100 salespeople will be spending $90k on licenses each year, and that’s before you factor in add-ons such as SalesHood’s ‘Getting Started’ package, which costs $10k apiece
6. LevelJump
- Review Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
- Pricing: NA – contact for pricing
LevelJump is an outcome-based sales enablement platform designed to coach salespeople inside their CRM. Salesforce acquired LevelJump in September 2021. By all indications, the product’s development will only focus on the Salesforce ecosystem. This is not a great sign if you use another enterprise CRM or sales-related software. You can find LevelJump on the Salesforce AppExchange
7. Lessonly
- Review Rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars
- Pricing: Paid tier starts at $200 per month
Lessonly by Seismic is an employee training platform designed to help managers ramp new reps quickly with interactive coaching programs, on-demand content, and role play features designed to help your salespeople practice their selling skills and get graded automatically.
You can use Lessonly to create customized coaching programs on a cohort basis or for individual reps. Their platform integrates with mainstream enterprise CRM and related tools such as Salesforce, HubSpot, and Outreach.
8. WorkRamp
- Review Rating: 4.4 out of 5 stars
- Pricing: $25 – $35 per user, per month
WorkRamp is an LMS that helps sales managers coach reps with onboarding bootcamps, self-service content libraries, and live practice sessions that are graded automatically. WorkRamp can be used to create, curate, manage, and deliver sales training courses, from onboarding and general training, to compliance and customer training.
Sales Training Clicks Better With Whatfix
Whatfix empowers sales organizations and application owners with a no-code platform that delivers in-app guidance, on-demand support, and simulated training environments to accelerate adoption and drive business outcomes.
With Whatfix, you can:
- Onboard and train sales reps faster with role-based, in-app walkthroughs, task lists, and contextual guidance inside CRM and sales tools.
- Provide instant support with Whatfix Self Help, giving sellers answers directly in the flow of work.
- Gain visibility into training effectiveness through Guidance Analytics that track how reps consume in-app content and identify common troubleshooting needs.
- Build sandbox environments for safe practice with Whatfix Mirror, allowing reps to train on real workflows in a risk-free setting.
- Simulate real customer interactions with AI Roleplay to help reps refine communication, objection handling, and decision-making before live calls.
- Reinforce learning with guided experiences inside simulated workflows, ensuring skills stick.
- Validate seller readiness with adaptive, role-based assessments in Mirror to measure proficiency and retention.
- Collect seller feedback with Whatfix Surveys to refine training programs.
- Analyze end-user behavior with Whatfix Analytics to uncover workflow friction, inefficient processes, and opportunities to optimize seller performance.
Partner with Whatfix to transform sales training into a hands-on, data-driven experience that improves adoption, builds seller confidence, and elevates sales performance. Request a demo today!
