What are the benefits of sales training online when measured against classroom or in person instructor lead sales training? Today (and probably into the future) there are millions of salespeople working remotely and will demand sales training delivered online. The delivery of training programs which were traditionally delivered in-person, like many other things, has transitioned to the web. More and more sales managers plus learning and development managers are pleasantly surprised by the many unexpected benefits of sales training online, as it grew into the main delivery channel in the past year. These benefits of online learning support the widely held belief that impactful sales training does not have to be confined to classrooms. Research from Harvard shows that engaging with online learning enables the learner to connect in new ways, beyond what was previously possible in any face-to-face training environment. What is Sales Training Online? Simply put, online sales training is a learning medium that allows salespeople to learn new skills and refresh existing ones via the internet. They don’t need lose time by sitting in a lecture hall or classroom plus they are in control to learn what they want from the comfort of their own room. Online sales training is a streamlined method for subject-matter experts to pass on their sales knowledge in easy to digest micro lessons. However, on the flip side, there are some disadvantages to online training. Some salespeople learn better in a classroom environment. For others, they thrive of the energy of fellow learners. Many companies now see the symmetry between all methods of sales training. Just because a salesperson undertakes an online sales course doesn’t mean they should not pursue traditional training. In fact, we argue that a well-rounded sales learning experience is just what all forms of e-learning provides. Let’s explore some of the many benefits of online sales training. 20 benefits of sales training online There are many benefits to learning sales skills online, but the major ones are: Freedom to learn whatever you want Learn from home Ability to implement skills as you learn Convenience and flexibility Proof of self-education in your career Cost effective training Ability to revisit training content 24/7 Study at your own pace Expand your knowledge set across topics Constantly updated insights and trends from experts Acquire multiple training certificates or qualifications quickly Space to concentrate without competing voices Zero travelling Shared sales knowledge from other students Reduce sales pressure Boost your sales skills Micro learning that fits a modern learning style Demonstrate accountability for career Facilitates getting or pursuing a sales career Improves both hard and soft sales skills So, let us delve deeper in these 20 benefits of online sales training. 1. Freedom to learn whatever you want Traditional classroom training has certain limitations due to: Reduced Budgets: The percentage spend on training globally is decreasing due to a number of factors. Trainers have to select from a narrow list of topics to meet the constraints. Trainers: Apart from reducing budgets, organizations are also reducing the headcount of trainers in order to meet HR cost controls. Content: Much of the sales training content being delivered is out of date or doesn’t reflect the modern sales process. Updating sales course material is expensive. Appeal: Time spent on vanilla flavored sales topics can’t appeal to a whole range of different learning needs. Online learning is appealing because the salesperson and pick and choose the topics they want to learn. Online sales training removes all of these barriers because it creates room for sales skills acquisition to flourish. A salesperson can find sales training courses on just about any sales or personal development subject salespeople can imagine. A big plus of online sales programs is the ability to take micro lessons and then drill down into the sales topic. What about free sales training? While the web has created mountains of information, freely available sales lessons will not go into enough depth to get a rich learning experience. Low cost sales training online bridges the gap between free sales training and topic rich learning for the serious salesperson. Remember, it also removes any personal barriers that might stop salespeople from learning such as no distractions, uneven pace, competing opinions and egos. 2. Learn from home Whether it’s working from home, or you prefer to learn in the comfort of your own home then leaving the stress of delivering sales numbers behind to learn and refresh sales skills is are major benefits of sales training delivered online. This about the salesperson being in control of their learning environment and the flexibility and self-care it allows them to enjoy. No more leaving a sales training boot camp and fighting through traffic to get home, even pushing through competing demands as not to miss a session. With online sales training programs any salesperson can continue acquiring knowledge in the comfort of surroundings they know well. The sales training videos and content can be accessed while on the go or before a sales meeting. Learn while on a train, in a coffee shop, waiting for a flight or during breaks. 3. Ability to implement skills as you learn Because accessing online sales training videos and content is so easy, a salesperson can repeatedly watch and read sales tips etc. before undertaking a sales call. Micro sized sales videos on a specialized topic can be viewed and the skills learnt implemented on the next call. The same goes when reflecting on the outcome of a sales conversation, a salesperson can review the sales training materials alongside the outcome of the sales meeting. 4. Convenience and flexibility Sales is a producers career. Everyday it’s go, go, go to deliver on the numbers. Too much doing and not enough learning can have negative consequences on a sales career. It’s vital that we all have time to relax and enjoy life or we can start resenting any activity in which we participate. While sales training online is an academic undertaking to deliver proven results, they are also fun, engaging,Benefits of Sales Training Online