Delivered for Dallas ASTD's Lunch & Learn group. This a merger of several other presentations I've made, to address how to make an impact with sales training and organization effectiveness principles to earn a coveted "seat at the table" in your organization. Possible solutions range from highly complex to simple (although, realistically, none are "easy"), and should provide something to help almost everyone.

1. Sales Training
Mission Impossible or
Mission Accomplished?
Mike Kunkle
09/06/2013

2. Sales Training: Mission Impossible or Accomplished?
The Plan
 State of Sales Training & Development
 Performance Levers
 Sales Performance Ecosystem
 Effective Learning Systems
 The Big Three
 What’s on your mind?
2

3. State of
Sales Training & Development

4. Sales Needs Our Help
 CEB: Prospects are 57% through their buying decision when they
contact a sales rep... prospects need insights, not information
 Sirius Decisions: The greatest inhibitor to sales growth is the inability
of reps to communicate value
 Forrester: 12% of sales calls add value (execs surveyed)
 Sales Benchmark Index: 28% of sales are Won. 14% are Lost. 58% of
deals end in No Decision
– Note: Some other recent research indicates ~26% end in No Decision. Either
way, “No Decision” (the status quo) is a major competitor.
State of Sales Training & Development
4

5. Sales Needs Our Help (continued)
 A Nightingale-Conant study reported that 67% of managers are not
doing (or sporadically doing) sales coaching and 52% say they are too
busy to develop and coach their sales teams
 According to the Objective Management Group, only 15% of sales
managers spend 25% of their time on coaching (and the time they
do spend is generally ineffective)
 The Sales Management Association reported that front-line sales
managers spend only 26% of their time (average of 3
hours/rep/month), managing performance (includes expectation
setting, performance monitoring, coaching and development).
Read more: Using tailored post-program sales coaching to get results from sales training
State of Sales Training & Development
5

6. State of Sales Training & Development
From CSO Insights
67%
Sales Needs Our Help (continued)
6

7. State of Sales Training & Development
From CSO Insights
67%
Sales Needs Our Help (continued)
7

8. State of Sales Training & Development
From CSO Insights
67% Link Training to Strategy
Sales Needs Our Help (continued)
8

9. State of Sales Training & Development
Sales Training Fails to Deliver
 ES Research Group, Inc. estimates that 20 - 33% of salespeople do
not have the capabilities to be successful at their jobs
 ESR also estimates that 80 - 85 % of sales training produces no long-
term impact (after 90 days)
 65% of top sales leaders surveyed by CSO Insights said their top
objective for the year was capturing new accounts – 67% of those
same leaders said that their team "needs improvement" in
generating leads
 In ASTD’s report The State of Sales Training, 2012, half the
respondents felt that 50% or less of the training they received was
relevant to their job.
Read more: Key gaps in our Sales Performance Ecosystem
9

10. Sales Training Fails to Deliver (continued)
 McKinsey: 75% of training programs fail to contribute to the success
of the business
 CEB: 50% of line managers believe shutting down L&D would have
no impact on employee performance.
Ouch!
So, let’s look at a few solutions, ranging from complex to simple.
State of Sales Training & Development
10

11. Performance Levers

12. Performance Levers
12
Definition
 Critical competencies, knowledge, skills, behaviors and conditions
which must be present for ethical, sustained high-performance to
occur.
 Conditions include other organizational elements such as
compensation, processes, policies, systems, technology, tools,
culture, and more.
 Occur at various levels: Organization, Function, Position, Task
 Not specific to sales, but there are Sales Performance Levers
– Hold this thought… Sales Performance Ecosystem coming soon.

13. Performance Levers
13
Organization
Function
Position
Task
Types of Levers
 Organization (Company)
 Function (Department)
 Position (Role / Job)
• Task (subset)
It’s “Systems Thinking”
Systems Thinking on Wikipedia
Competencies Knowledge Skill/Behaviors Conditions
 Assertiveness
 Attitude
 Energy Level
 Verbal Skill
 Sociability
 Independence
 How productswork
 How to organize leads
 How to set appointments
 How to use collateral
 Sales process stages
 How to get answers
 Tracking lead results
 Setting appointments
 Opening a sales call
 Questioning for needs
 Presenting solutions
 Negotiating
 Compensation
 Processes, Policies & Procedures
 Systems, Technology & Tools
 PerformanceManagement
 Reporting
 And more..

14. Performance Levers
How to work with Performance Levers
 Levers are about research and organization alignment
 This requires top-down support and change leadership
 If you’re charged with OD, too, come back to this after getting results
 If you have an OD team, get them involved for long-term alignment,
but keep moving forward
 If neither apply, ignore for now and possibly involve consultants
later, based on results achieved or still needed.
14
Performance Lever methodology for later reading: Aligning Performance Levers

15. Sales Performance Ecosystem

16. Sales Performance Ecosystem
16
Sales Force Effectiveness
 Sales Process
 Sales Methodology
 Sales Coaching
 Opportunity Management
 Key Account Management
 Performance Management
Sales Talent Management
 Selection
 Onboarding
 Product Training
 Sales Training
 Business and Financial Acumen
 Professional Development
Sales Force Strategy
 Quota Setting
 Sales Force Sizing
 Sales Force Structure
 Sales Compensation
 Channel Management
Marketing Alignment
 Products | Pricing
 Lead Generation
 SEO/SEM
 Campaigns | Promotions
 Marketing Automation
 Social Media
 Content Marketing
Sales Operations
 CRM/SFA
 Sales Analytics
 Reporting
 Resource Allocation
 Deal Analysis
 Win/Loss Analysis
Sales Enablement
 Customer Experience Management
 Buyer Profiling
 Sales Messaging
 Sales Support
 Other Technology Tools
Sales Performance Ecosystem

17. Sales Performance Ecosystem
17
Sales Talent Management
 Selection
 Onboarding
 Product Training
 Sales Training
 Business and Financial Acumen
 Professional Development
Sales Force Effectiveness
 Sales Process
 Sales Methodology
 Sales Coaching
 Opportunity Management
 Key Account Management
 Performance Management
Sales Force Strategy
 Quota Setting
 Sales Force Sizing
 Sales Force Structure
 Sales Compensation
 Channel Management
Marketing Alignment
 Products | Pricing
 Lead Generation
 SEO/SEM
 Campaigns | Promotions
 Marketing Automation
 Social Media
 Content Marketing
Sales Operations
 CRM/SFA
 Sales Analytics
 Reporting
 Resource Allocation
 Deal Analysis
 Win/Loss Analysis
Sales Enablement
 Customer Experience Management
 Buyer Profiling
 Sales Messaging
 Sales Support
 Other Technology Tools
Sales Performance Ecosystem
Holy cow!

18. Sales Performance Ecosystem
Holy Cow!
Why Sales Leaders Paralyze or Thrash
 Where to start?
 How to prioritize?
 How to get results?
18

19. Sales Performance Ecosystem
Why Sales Leaders Paralyze or Thrash
 Where to start?
 How to prioritize?
 How to get results?
Holy Cow!
The average tenure of a
senior sales leader is
18 to 24 months.
19

20. Sales Performance Ecosystem
How to work with the Sales Performance Ecosystem
 Know who is responsible for what
 Understand what projects are in motion
 Work to get in alignment and support the Big Picture (become “one
of the team” and plug in your puzzle pieces)
 Be an advocate for getting hiring right (scientific sourcing and
selection)
 Learn about all the ecosystem elements over time
 Focus on the next two things initially:
– Effective Learning Systems
– The Big Three.
20
How to Select and Prioritize Sales Enablement Initiatives - Part 1
How to Select and Prioritize Sales Enablement Initiatives - Part 2
Related Sales Ecosystem Reading:

21. Effective Learning Systems

22. Effective Learning Systems: Framework
22
Framework
 Effective learning systems
 Business integration, alignment
and change planning/execution
Content
Design
Managers
Transfer
Coaching
Measures
Perf. Mgt.
Integration
Alignment
Change

23. Top-Producer Practices not Best Practices
 Internal approach, considers “Sales Nuances”
 Evidence-based approach with Performance Levers
– Position/Task level
 Gap analysis – compare top to middle
(goal: move the middle)
 Continue | Stop | Start approach fuels training,
development, coaching
 Build learning systems, avoid “events”
 Build a learning culture – beyond formal with
informal/social.
Effective Learning Systems: Content
23

24. Apply Known ISD Principles
 Process, not events
 Chunk, sequence, layer
 Separate knowledge and skill
 Elearning, vILT, ILT blends
 Learning support
 Performance support
 Build in accountability.
Effective Learning Systems: Solution Design
24
Instructional Design Primer for later reading: Basic ISD Principles

25. Managers are Your Driver for Change
 Involve in rep program design; gain buy-in
 Assess top manager performers
 Manager gap analysis | Define differentiators
 Develop very-specific coaching programs, to
support program content
– Combine analytics with developmental coaching:
 Diagnose: analyze and form hypotheses
 Discuss + Observe: confirm performance gaps
 Develop: solutions based on gap type
 Do: implement solutions to improve performance.
Effective Learning Systems: Manager Engagement
25

26. Purposefully Plan Your Transfer
 Design transfer plans into learning process
 Assess at various stages (lead/lag indicators)
 Use performance support
 Build social/community reinforcement
 Consider mobile & gamification
 Connect reps & managers before, during and
after.
Effective Learning Systems: Planned Transfer
26
Books:
Beyond the Transfer of Training
Improve Learning Transfer in Organizations

27. Coaching Excellence = Performance Excellence
 Train managers first on rep programs & sales coaching
 Managers monitor rep progress through learning
 Managers attend ILT with their reps as an in-class
coach
 Managers guide reps, post-curriculum
 Managers reinforce, train and coach as taught
 Develop ongoing support for coaching and sales
manager development – coach the coaches!
Effective Learning Systems: Coaching Excellence
27

28. You Can’t Hit a Target If You Can’t See It
 Agree on lead and lag indicators for learning
& performance
 Report progress throughout training
 Develop post-learning reporting
 Establish regular cadence with sales leaders
and manager/coaches
 Do level 2 testing over time (retention
checks) and level 3 surveys (usage)
 Track Level 4 and 5 as agreed and sensible
 Communicate success stories.
Effective Learning Systems: Measures
28

29. Work into the Fabric of the Business
 Beyond manager support for learning, training
& coaching
 Establish a cadence of Check-Ins
– Review of activity plans, results, and dialogue /
observation / coaching
 Managers counsel and manage performance
as needed, holding reps accountable
 Senior sales leaders hold managers
accountable.
Effective Learning Systems: Performance Mgt.
29

30.  Who’s on first? (Responsible for managing sales methodology & processes)
Effective Learning Systems: Integration & Alignment
30

31. Change Rarely Happens by Luck
 Link training to business strategy
 Ask for top-down support
 Establish clear roles & responsibilities
 Communicate plans, rationales, goals, risks,
metrics, and impact
 Establish regular and open communication
with sales and leadership teams – share
success stories
 Find and address issues quickly.
Effective Learning Systems: Integration & Alignment
31

32. Effective Learning Systems
How to work with Effective Learning Systems
 Focus here first
– If necessary, laser focus on The Big Three first and then the other learning
system elements
 Get results, earn a reputation
 Circle back to Sales Performance Ecosystem
 Circle back to align other Performance Levers.
32

33. The Big Three

34. 1. Build content based on
differentiating top-producer
practices
2. Engage managers in content,
training, coaching and
performance management
3. Develop a change plan and
execute it with discipline

35. 1. Build content based on
differentiating top-producer
practices
2. Engage managers in content,
training, coaching and
performance management
3. Develop a change plan and
execute it with discipline

36. 1. Build content based on
differentiating top-producer
practices
2. Engage managers in content,
training, coaching and
performance management
3. Develop a change plan and
execute it with discipline

37. The Big Three
How to work with The Big Three
 This is the minimalist approach – If unable to sell a full-fledged
learning system, start here
 Get results, earn a reputation
 Circle back to the learning system for next-tier results
 Work back to the Ecosystem and Levers as practical in your
organization
 Get outside help, as needed
 Based on your career goals:
– Help your company adopt these practices over time
– Look for a career home where you can grow with these approaches.
37

38. What’s on YOUR mind?

39. APPENDIX
Additional Resources
Sales Training
Mission Impossible or
Mission Accomplished?

40. Mike Kunkle is a training and organization effectiveness leader with
special expertise in sales force transformation.
 After his initial years on the frontline in sales and sales management, Mike spent the past 16 years as a
corporate director or consultant, leading departments and projects with one purpose – improve sales
results. And through sales training, organization effectiveness practices, leadership development,
aligning performance levers and leading change efforts he's done just that.
o At one company, as a result of six projects, he and his team delivered an accretive $398MMin revenue,
year-over-year.
o At another, within 9 months, newly-hired sales reps with 120 days on the job were outperforming
incumbent reps with 5 years with the company.
 As of January 2013, Mike is the Director of Product Development for Richardson. In this role, he is
responsible for managing the development of new products, solutions and partnerships to help
Richardson meet the emerging needs of our evolving marketplace. Reporting to the Chief Strategy
Officer, Mike plans to integrate the latest thinking and technology from learning and development and
sales force effectiveness to better serve Richardson's clients. If you're not familiar with Richardson:
o Richardson is a global sales training and strategy execution company that partners with leading
organizations to increase their sales effectiveness and drive business results.
o For the fifth consecutive year, Richardson has been named to the Top Sales Training Companies list from
Training Industry, Inc.
o See: http://www.richardson.comand http://blogs.richardson.com.
 Mike freely shares his personal sales transformation methodology at conferences and online
at http://slidesha.re/PerfLevers082011 and can be reached through his blog or on LinkedIn, Twitter,
and Google+.
Connect with Mike easily at http://www.mikekunkle.com/connect/
Let’s get
connected!
About Mike
40

41. Appendix | Resources
41
http://www.richardson.com http://blogs.richardson.com

42. Related Sales Enablement Writings by Mike
 ASTD Sales Enablement Community
Mike on ASTD National's Sales Enablement blog
 Richardson
Mike on the Richardson blog
 Transforming Sales Results
Mike on the Transforming Sales Results blog
 Watch for other posts on
The Sales Journal blog and CallidusCloud’s SalesPulse blog
Appendix | Resources
42

43. Appendix | Resources
Aberdeen Sales Effectiveness & Strategy Practice:
 http://aberdeen.com/_aberdeen/sales-strategy/SENS/practice.aspx
ASTD Sales Enablement:
 http://www.astd.org/Publications/Blogs/Sales-Enablement-Blog
 http://bit.ly/ASTD-SalesEnablementLinkedIn
 https://twitter.com/ASTDSalesEnable
CSO Insights:
 http://www.csoinsights.com/
ES Research Group, Inc: ESR is like the “Consumer Reports” of sales training
 http://www.esresearch.com/
 http://davesteinsblog.esresearch.com/
Forrester Sales Enablement:
 http://blogs.forrester.com/tech_sales_enablement
IDC Sales Enablement:
 http://www.idc.com/research/SalesEnablement1.jsp
TrainingIndustry.com:
 http://www.trainingindustry.com/sales-training.aspx
 http://www.trainingindustry.com/sales-training/top-company-listings/2013/2013-top-20-sales-training-companies.aspx
43

44. Analysis
 http://amzn.to/AnalyzingPerformanceProblems
 http://amzn.to/AnalysisImprovingPerformance
 http://bit.ly/FirstThingsFast
 http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/analysis/analysis.html
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_performance_technology
 http://www.pignc-ispi.com/articles/Vol42_05_08.pdf
 http://www.ue295.com/xtranet/html/timeline/harless.html
Appendix | Resources
44

45. Appendix | Resources
Selection
For those interested in exploring assessments, here are some unbiased educational resources:
 http://www.uniformguidelines.com/index.html
 http://wdr.doleta.gov/opr/FULLTEXT/99-testassess.pdf
 http://www.shrm.org/about/foundation/research/Documents/assessment_methods.pdf
And some companies to research:
 http://rocket-hire.com – Dr. Charles Handler objectively evaluates vendors
 http://www.chally.com – well-validated competency-based approach; a respected favorite
 http://www.profilesinternational.com/
 http://www.ttiassessments.com/
 http://www.selfmgmt.com/en/default.aspx
 http://www.peopleanswers.com
 http://www.objectivemanagementgroup.com
45

46. Appendix | Resources
Performance Improvement
 http://bit.ly/Wallace6Pack
 http://bit.ly/BusinessProcessChange
 http://bit.ly/PerformanceConsultantsFieldbook
 http://amzn.to/HandbookImprovingPerformance
 http://amzn.to/HumanCompetence
 http://amzn.to/WhiteSpaceRevisited
 http://amzn.to/CompensatingTheSalesForce
 http://amzn.to/MgtPerformanceImprovementPlans
 http://amzn.to/TrainingAintPerformance
 http://amzn.to/FundamentalsPerformanceTechnology
 http://amzn.to/HandbookHPT
 http://amzn.to/HandbookHPT2
 http://amzn.to/SeriousPerformanceConsulting
 http://amzn.to/PerformanceArchitecture
46

47. Appendix | Resources
Best Practices
 http://my.brainshark.com/The-Roadmap-To-Scalable-Sustainable-Sales-Transformation-327652659
 http://bit.ly/RichardsonSalesTransformation
 http://amzn.to/MakingTheNumber ~ http://www.makingthenumber.com
 http://bit.ly/BestPracticeKnowledgeManagement
 http://bit.ly/IdentifyingOrgBestPractices
 http://www.csoinsights.com/sales-research-data
 http://www.csoinsights.com/Topics/Sales-Process-Best-Practices
 http://slidesha.re/BestPracticesWorldClassSales
Sales Best Practices Research
 http://www.achieveglobal.com/resources/?cat=1
 http://www.millerheiman.com/research_center/sales_best_practices_study/index.html
 http://www.huthwaite.com/en/Resource%20Center/Whitepapers.aspx
 https://sec.executiveboard.com/Public/Default.aspx
 http://www.salesbenchmarkindex.com
 http://salesmanagement.org
47

48. Appendix | Resources
Sales & Sales Management Training
 http://bit.ly/TrainingRole-SalesInitiatives
 http://www.esresearch.com
 http://www.scribd.com/doc/46526471/Basic-Instructional-Design-Principles
 http://bit.ly/MagerSixPack
 http://bit.ly/EvidencedBasedTraining
 http://bit.ly/JobAidsPerformanceSupport
 http://amzn.to/BeyondTransfer
 http://amzn.to/TheFourLevels
 http://amzn.to/MeasureTrainingResults
 http://www.ecsellinstitute.com/6-pillars-philosophy
48