How to Find the Right Sales Training

Every successful sales training doesn’t start with a set format, but with an honest analysis. Do you want to…

• close more deals?
• have better conversations with potential clients?
• motivate and develop your team?
• enter a new market?
• build more trust with decision-makers?

Once your goal is clear, the next question is crucial: Why haven’t we achieved it yet?

Is it a lack of:

• Knowledge (e.g. tools, techniques, market understanding)?
• Skills (e.g. questioning techniques, control of the conversation)?
• Mindset (e.g. courage to prospect, customer focus)?

Often, it’s a mix of all three. The key is identifying the right cause before looking for solutions.

Typical scenarios:

• “We have leads, but no one calls them.”
  → Lacking mindset and confidence in cold calling.
• “Our closing rate is too low.”
  → Missing structure or negotiation skills.
• “Our pitch is too technical.”
  → Need for more customer focus or better questioning techniques.

The search for the right training doesn’t start with a brochure – it starts with a clear understanding of your challenges.

What’s the actual problem?

Take an honest look at the current situation:

• Missing knowledge?
  Does everyone in the team understand the sales process, product, and market?
• Missing skills?
  Can our people hold convincing conversations, listen actively, handle objections?
• Missing attitude or motivation?
  Is there reluctance to prospect? Uncertainty with pricing? Frustration with rejection?

➡️ If you don’t name the core problem, every solution is a shot in the dark.

What should you look for when choosing a provider?

• Does the training fit our industry and business model?
• Are real sales situations practised or is it all theory?
• Is there space for individual feedback and reflection?
• How is the transfer into everyday work supported (e.g. follow-ups, coaching, micro-learning)?
• Are there clear success metrics and goals?

Tip: Avoid “off-the-shelf” trainings. A good training provider asks first, then delivers.

Once your goals and root causes are clear, the next question is: What will truly move us forward, training or coaching? And how can we ensure our investment delivers lasting results?

The difference:

• Training teaches knowledge, methods, and tools. It’s structured and ideal for developing concrete skills – e.g. sales conversations, closing techniques, or social selling.
• Coaching focuses on reflection, individual growth, and behavioural change. It’s more personal and flexible, aiming to challenge mindsets and develop new ways of thinking and acting.

In practice, a combination of both often works best. After all, within a week of a standalone training, over 90% of the knowledge is forgotten – a clear reminder that training alone rarely creates sustainable change.

(Source: The Forgetting Curve by German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus describes how quickly newly learned information fades.)

So it’s clear: Training alone isn’t enough. Without ongoing application, feedback, and development, most of it fades away.

How to decide what’s right for you:

A few guiding questions can help with the decision:

• Is it primarily about knowledge transfer or behavioural change?
• Are we working with individuals or a whole team?
• Do we need a quick boost or a long-term partnership?
• Is the goal clearly defined or does it still need to be shaped together?
• And importantly: can this also serve as a team development opportunity?

If yes, combined formats can help strengthen mindset, collaboration, and motivation across the team.

Since COVID, one thing is clear: great sales training also works remotely. But which format is right for your goals?

• Internal or external? Do we have internal expertise, or do we bring in external specialists?
• Live or asynchronous? Do we want interactive live sessions or on-demand learning via e-learning or micro-modules? (Often a mix works best.)
• What do we truly want to achieve? The clearer the goal, the easier to choose the right mix.
• What's our budget? The real question isn't "What does it cost?" but "Which solution brings us closest to our goal?"
• How do we ensure sustainability? Consider regular follow-ups, peer groups, learning paths or platforms to reinforce learning.

Here’s a selection of current sales formats we offer at the small stuff, including our recommendation on who benefits most:

There’s no “best” sales coaching or training – only the one that fits you and your goals.

• Start with your goal and diagnosis
• Choose the right format
• Measure success and keep developing

A good provider helps not only with the training itself, but with the analysis beforehand. It’s only when you know what you want to change that you can decide how to make it happen.

Ready to take your sales team to the next level?
Visit www.thesmallstuff.de
or get in touch directly – we’ll help you find the right format for your needs.