Are you looking for ways to improve business operations? Are you considering professional training to uplift your sales team and equip them with the tools necessary to guide customers through the funnel and close the deal? You should be!  

Here's why: 

Most are confident in their sales team's skills and capabilities. And yet, research shows that 58% of B2C customers say sales reps don't effectively answer their questions, and 82% of B2B decision-makers report sales reps being unprepared.  

What does this mean for you? It means sales training is imperative, and we have more sales training statistics to support why.  

Employee Productivity and Satisfaction 

Sales training boosts productivity almost immediately by teaching (or refreshing on) fundamental best practices. According to sales training statistics, engagement and job satisfaction are other benefits. 

93% of employees say training programs have a positive effect on their level of engagement 

A more engaged sales team will be more productive at their jobs. According to most (93%) of employees, all you have to do is give them more training to boost performance. 3 

40% of employees believe career advancement and growth are among the most important factors in their satisfaction.  

Almost half (40%) of the U.S. workers in this study cited career advancement impacting their overall satisfaction with their jobs and companies. Why wouldn't you give them what they're asking for when most companies in today's talent-shortage environment struggle to get the staff they need?  

Another report notes that companies make 21% more profit when they invest in employee training.  

Sales Knowledge (or Lack of) 

Is your sales team lacking the proper knowledge and skills necessary for sales? Statistics suggest it's more likely than not! 

More than half (55%) of salespeople lack basic sales skills. If sales reps are not equipped with even the most basic skills needed to do their job, it's no wonder that most businesses fail in the first-to-five years of business. It's also likely to keep your team and business from reaching their true potential.  

A total of 70% of employees believe their professional skills are lacking, affecting their jobs. Not only does research show that employees are lacking in basic skills, but the majority of employees cite it as a problem as well. If your employees think they're lacking, you will do better to believe them and rectify the situation with professional training.  

According to Entrepreneur's research, only 12% of sales reps are considered excellent salespeople. This means that the other 88% in the industry need work (i.e., sales training!), with a shocking 27% cited as 'poor' at what they do for a living.  

Perception of Sales Training 

Are you wondering how your team would feel about sales training? These sales training statistics can give you some insight. 

Employee retention rate grows by 30–50% at companies with a potent training program 

It's safe to say that employees positively perceive training if they stay with companies that invest in their training. This is also considerably important since the same report also noted that a shocking 94% say they would stick around longer if this were the case.  

Interestingly, 68% of workers say a company's most important policy is in training and development opportunities. One study found that most workers value their skills in the industry and want to continue strengthening them to do their jobs better. This is especially important now that employees cite it as 'most important' and not just simply a benefit.  

LinkedIn reports that as many as 70% of employees are willing to leave the company they work for to advance their skills and career. Unless you want to give your competition a competitive advantage, this research suggests you should be investing in training.  

Business Success: Sales Training and ROI 

So, you see the effect sales training has on your employees, but what about the direct impact on your business? 

Companies that invest in training have a 24% higher profit margin and 218% higher income per employee. Forbes reports that training has a more significant impact on business success than most companies realize. You can expect to boost your profit margin by as much as 24%. 

When your company invests in sales training, research suggests that you can earn as much as $4.53 back for every $1 you spend on the investment. That's an incredible ROI! 

Inadequate training and disengagement often lead to between $450 billion and $500 billion in annual losses. You've seen the impact sales training has on your business, but have you seen what the impact of not implementing it can have on your business? According to Inc., it can be as much as $450 billion or more!  

Sales Training with Navaquest 

Marketing and sales training with Navaquest is unrivaled in the industry. Our experts have not only acquired their knowledge and understanding from the most prestigious schooling but from one of the most valuable forms of learning: hands-on experience. That unique and valuable insight is at the core of our training and coaching, setting us apart from others in our industry. Contact us to learn more about our full-funnel solutions and what that means for your sales team.