7 Ways Sales Training Seminars Will Change in the Next 3 Years

Change is inevitable. As time marches on the tried and true gives way to the disruptive and cutting edge. You can either prepare for this or get out of the way.

The sales landscape continues to evolve. Mobile technology, social media, and wearable smart devices are enhancing the way we communicate with prospects and customers. Effective sales training seminars need to be adaptable and should take advantage of current trends to make sure the content continues to be relevant. Here are some of the way sales training seminars are poised to change over the next 3 years:

Market increase

According to data from LinkedIn.com, overall spending on sale training seminars and related services is up 12% from 2010, and growth in 2010 was up by nearly the same margin. The sales training companies that have customizable programs and can tailor their training to a specific company’s needs have fared the best in this high-demand climate.

Aptitude testing

This particular tool has been utilized by the best sales training systems for years, but I predict it will increase in importance in the next three as companies seek to lessen hiring costs and increase the ROI of training. Validated aptitude tests, like the Advanced Personality Questionnaire offered by Asher Strategies, ensure that only the most qualified candidates likely to get the most out of a sales training will be the ones chosen to take part.

Tech-based learning

Mobile devices like smartphones and tablets have made access to information easier and this has had a direct impact on how supplemental materials and even core curriculum of sales training seminars are presented. Mobile-friendly formats and YouTube video content go a long way to making sure the information in sales seminars will be referenced even after a seminar has ended.

Retention focus

The best sales training seminars focus on post-seminar coaching and resources to help retain skills learned in workshops. In the next three years, I believe companies will spend more on this area as it maximizes the already invested in training.

Metrics

Any company reliant on developing new clients through sales is going to be familiar with using sales data and metrics to effectively make business decisions, and this data will be increasingly used to correlate training with results. This will allow managers to direct future training focus on the best performing modules.

Micro learning

This approach mirrors the way Millennials search out information in their spare time: in easily-digestible web video or article formats. 30 second to five minute videos with sales tips and nuggets of wisdom will increase, as will Buzz feed-style list articles. This enables information to be presented centered around the attention span of a modern audience.

Freemium training

Even after the most dynamic and comprehensive sales training, many salespeople look for sales tips on Google and YouTube.Training companies will leverage this by providing free training modules. For those seeking to take their corporate sales training even further, supplemental resources and in-depth, on-demand sales training seminars will be offered for payment.

Change is coming, and it’s better to be prepared. These are some of the sales training seminar trends to look out for in the upcoming years.