With just-in-time learning, your sales reps are equipped to get sales done. When whispers of adding a learning element to Modus first hit me, I immediately knew it would be a perfect union. Sellers who can continually deliver what buyers want require more than the right digital assets at the right time. They also need ongoing training and coaching that fits with their mobile working style. The proximity of sales material with knowledge and skills development is an ideal match since both are crucial elements to successful sales-readiness.
As I started talking to our customers about the Modus version of microlearning, I realized how much they feel the pain of sub-par training execution. Often, the needs of large, scattered sales teams are not being met properly, or have changed with digital transformation. Content is delivered instantly, but the right knowledge to go with it is much harder for sellers to obtain and retain.
Microlearning Puts Knowledge within Reach
I wanted to get an idea of where our customers are now, and most have fairly extensive training in place, but there is a digital disconnect.
Instead of relying on exhaustive in-person training that takes up valuable time, doesn’t provide adequate feedback, and can be easily forgotten, sales and marketing leaders prefer the microlearning approach, which allows your precise training messaging to match your sales and product content.
Sellers learn what they need in small, short lessons based on the context of their workflow and take quick quizzes to help that knowledge stick. They can learn anytime, even with just a quick five minutes on their phones. Gaining the exact knowledge moments before a sales conversation has the potential to increase not only sales results, but sales rep retention of that knowledge because it’s in the appropriate sales context.
In fact, I was so curious about this experience of the digital learning disconnect that I looked it up and found out that just-in-time-learning is proven to dramatically improve learning retention. Gartner research finds that B2B sales reps forget 87% of the information they learn within one month of training. That’s a pretty massive waste of time and resources that isn’t helping reps increase win rates.
What’s missing is not just context and attention span but also specific feedback. Elevator pitches are only as good as the collaboration they receive, and one of the coolest features of microlearning is the sales rep video share for coaching and collaboration.
And then there’s onboarding... Everyone struggles here and customers I have talked to see a big potential advantage for decreasing ramp up time (and turnover) by having a central hub for their sales assets matched with interactive training and coaching tools.
Microlearning helps your company:
Based on the countless conversations I’ve had with our customers, and the state of learning and training as it exists today, the Modus version of microlearning has the potential to significantly improve these aspects of learning for sales networks.
- Sell new products at launch. From product tours to messaging, positioning, value delivered, and how new products help drive expansion in existing accounts, Microlearning can quickly get your reps up to speed. They’ll be able to easily match your press releases and product promotions with the depth they need to have compelling buying conversations.
- Create a level selling field. Help your new and mid-level reps perform at a higher level with product and skills certifications that demonstrate their sales readiness.
- Motivate reps to learn more so they sell more. Gamification creates a friendly spirit of competition that makes learning fun. Marketing teams can see completion rates to understand where gaps in learning are occurring.
- Prepare reps to have better buyer conversations. Microlearning isn’t just for new product training. It can also be used to help them use thought leadership content to create curiosity in buyers and have better, more relevant conversations. Prep them with the key takeaways and ideas and they’ll be ready to continue the thought process started by your content.
- Broaden portfolio sales. It’s easy for sales reps to just keep selling what they know. As your portfolio expands, Microlearning makes it easier for them to get up to speed with new products so they can land new accounts and bring more value to existing customers.
Sales-ready Reps are Reps that Sell More
In today’s B2B sales climate, I keep hearing how quickly buyers’ needs and expectations change, and how difficult it is to communicate adjustments to messaging around these needs. On top of that, your existing products evolve and new products are coming to market faster. Sales readiness is about confidence and competence. It’s about having the insights that help advance a buyer’s thinking process about moving forward with change by buying your products and choosing to partner with your company.
Microlearning is the just-in-time training tool that allows reps to learn what they need to know when they need to know it. I’m so excited for all the ways microlearning will help our customers enhance their sales readiness and results. The higher retention from the ease and efficiency of learning better will reward reps with better win rates due to the clarity they’ll bring to help buyers see the value of making that purchase decision.
Don’t just take our word for it though. Get a demo today and see how microlearning can promote sales readiness for your sales team.
