ATD Blog
How Microlearning Helps Sales Teams Perform Better
Thu Apr 15 2021
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A strong sales force can help organizations create a powerful market impact and contribute directly to revenue. Each member of the sales force must be supported with the right resources to help them perform at their best. To this end, one of the big challenges for sales enablement leaders is to get their sales force together and organize a training program for them. With sales teams working across time zones and dealing with busy schedules, it’s becoming difficult to deliver effective training. Shorter attention spans are a symptom of the modern world. They spare few and often leave the workforce struggling to engage with long-form content.
A strong sales force can help organizations create a powerful market impact and contribute directly to revenue. Each member of the sales force must be supported with the right resources to help them perform at their best. To this end, one of the big challenges for sales enablement leaders is to get their sales force together and organize a training program for them. With sales teams working across time zones and dealing with busy schedules, it’s becoming difficult to deliver effective training. Shorter attention spans are a symptom of the modern world. They spare few and often leave the workforce struggling to engage with long-form content.
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Deploying microlearning nuggets of sales training content helps remedy a gamut of challenges such as:
Deploying microlearning nuggets of sales training content helps remedy a gamut of challenges such as:
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Poor product knowledge
Poor product knowledge
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Lack of product adoption
Lack of product adoption
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Demoralized sales team
Demoralized sales team
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Propelling teams towards sales targets
Propelling teams towards sales targets
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What makes microlearning effective in remedying these challenges?
What makes microlearning effective in remedying these challenges?
Rapid Onboarding to Reduce Ramp-Up Time
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Microlearning facilitates a rapid and seamless onboarding experience. New sales staff need key product knowledge that can help them hit the ground running towards achieving their goals. Using lengthy training content early on can discourage learners and stifles their eagerness to learn. Microlearning can be leveraged to aid various sales onboarding processes. Here are a few examples:
Microlearning facilitates a rapid and seamless onboarding experience. New sales staff need key product knowledge that can help them hit the ground running towards achieving their goals. Using lengthy training content early on can discourage learners and stifles their eagerness to learn. Microlearning can be leveraged to aid various sales onboarding processes. Here are a few examples:
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Orientation
Orientation
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Product or service training
Product or service training
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Sales coaching
Sales coaching
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Training for certifications
Training for certifications
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Gaining an understanding of the market
Gaining an understanding of the market
Better Engagement Leading to Higher Performance
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To ensure uptake and retention of knowledge, training content has to be relevant, applicable, and engaging. Microlearning can take the form of various consumable content aiding learners with different learning styles. The format of microlearning is designed to maximize engagement and knowledge retention. One survey indicates microlearning can boost engagement to more than 50 percent . Deploy audio snippets, video, and engaging quizzes to ensure learners remain engaged with the training program.
To ensure uptake and retention of knowledge, training content has to be relevant, applicable, and engaging. Microlearning can take the form of various consumable content aiding learners with different learning styles. The format of microlearning is designed to maximize engagement and knowledge retention. One survey indicates microlearning can boost engagement to more than 50 percent. Deploy audio snippets, video, and engaging quizzes to ensure learners remain engaged with the training program.
Short-Form Content Is Easy to Create and Consume
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By definition, microlearning delivers highly focused learning objectives in easily digestible pieces. This makes it possible to deliver key chunks of information in as few as five minutes. Sales personnel can stay updated on the latest product information and feature releases without having to attend lengthy training sessions. From an organizational point-of-view, the impact of training on productivity can also be alleviated as sessions are geared to be shorter.
By definition, microlearning delivers highly focused learning objectives in easily digestible pieces. This makes it possible to deliver key chunks of information in as few as five minutes. Sales personnel can stay updated on the latest product information and feature releases without having to attend lengthy training sessions. From an organizational point-of-view, the impact of training on productivity can also be alleviated as sessions are geared to be shorter.
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Microlearning modules can also be easily curated and updated in the event of new product releases or changes in the sales strategy. It is easier and less labor-intensive for learning managers to update specific segments of microlearning modules than to revise an entire long-form program.
Microlearning modules can also be easily curated and updated in the event of new product releases or changes in the sales strategy. It is easier and less labor-intensive for learning managers to update specific segments of microlearning modules than to revise an entire long-form program.
Gamified Post-Training Assessments to Test Knowledge
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Gamified microlearning can help sales personnel stay engaged with specific learning objectives and instill problem-solving skills that translate into real-world scenarios. Leveraging a gamified approach can evoke a sense of competition among sales personnel. Gamified training, through badges and leaderboards, can appeal to the sales mindset of achieving targets and closing deals. The reassurance of earned skills and expertise can also provide a confidence boost to sales staff alleviates demoralization, which can be critical to their success.
Gamified microlearning can help sales personnel stay engaged with specific learning objectives and instill problem-solving skills that translate into real-world scenarios. Leveraging a gamified approach can evoke a sense of competition among sales personnel. Gamified training, through badges and leaderboards, can appeal to the sales mindset of achieving targets and closing deals. The reassurance of earned skills and expertise can also provide a confidence boost to sales staff alleviates demoralization, which can be critical to their success.
Accurate Data That Can Lead to Improved Training
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When microassessments are integrated into the sales training program, both sales personnel and training managers can gain valuable insights that can lead to better sales performance. For sales staff, it provides insight into their knowledge gaps. For training managers, it provides insight into the strengths and weaknesses of training as well as the training strategy. Here are some examples of the types of insight that can be gleaned from modules to help improve sales:
When microassessments are integrated into the sales training program, both sales personnel and training managers can gain valuable insights that can lead to better sales performance. For sales staff, it provides insight into their knowledge gaps. For training managers, it provides insight into the strengths and weaknesses of training as well as the training strategy. Here are some examples of the types of insight that can be gleaned from modules to help improve sales:
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Common sales challenges
Common sales challenges
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Frequently asked questions by customers and prospects
Frequently asked questions by customers and prospects
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Most popular product features that resonate with the target market
Most popular product features that resonate with the target market
Improve the Learning Experience Through Microlearning
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Ultimately, microlearning can make training less cumbersome and aid in higher learning retention while offering a plethora of benefits to the salesperson and the organization. Microlearning is mobile-friendly and gives control to the sales staff through flexibility to learn when and where they want.
Ultimately, microlearning can make training less cumbersome and aid in higher learning retention while offering a plethora of benefits to the salesperson and the organization. Microlearning is mobile-friendly and gives control to the sales staff through flexibility to learn when and where they want.