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It is always amusing to see the infomercials promoting weight loss, rippled abs and all around good health, in just 20 minutes three times a week. A few years ago it was the rocker, then the wheel roller, then some other cruncher, always the latest in technology. Before and after pictures of people just like you who went from fat to slim just by making 4 easy payments of $29.95. (You have to wonder if the results would be different if it were 4 hard payments). But the one thing all the ads and miracle machines had in common was the fine print, generally stating something like:

Part of a complete exercise and diet program, must be applied consistently over X number of months to achieve results. Results will vary for individuals based on individual factors and proper use over time.

Based on where you source the data, anywhere from 70% to 80% of ab machines, complete gyms, and other quick fix health apparatus end up unused, stowed in a basement corner in just over 3 months. After 6 months they are no slimmer, tighter or have brighter blonder teeth.

The key reason for this is that most people do not have a plan with clear objectives for their exercise regime. They expect unrealistic results with minimum effort in an unrealistic timeframe. Most sadly, the majority lack any level of commitment to change; they hope that by making 4 easy payments, bringing home some chrome and plastic will by itself deliver the figure Jake or Babs have in the infomercial. (Not to mention that Jake and Babs had their six pack bodies before they were hired for the infomercial.)

Most sales training endeavors follow a similar pattern. After living with a sales challenge for a period of time, a decision is taken that the organization can benefit from a training program. Sometimes they target a specific area, say negotiation (Abs with Babs), or an all around improvement program (The Complete Gym). A search is conducted usually talking to either 1. The Big Name provider: delivering an off the shelf program, using a local contractor or someone flown in from “head quarters”. These generally come with minor (if any) tweaking to feign customization; or 2. Someone who specializes in their industry, perhaps even a former employee who is out on their own. Like the Big Name providers, much of the material is off the shelf, after all they are the industry expert, they know what is right and what is wrong, “everyone uses them”, and hey, look at the abs he built for Babs.

It is not surprising to sit in a Sales VP’s office and look at the bookshelf full of sales training material from past programs that were going to make an impact. Much like the ab machines languishing in basements, these materials, and more importantly the concepts they contain, have not been used for sometime.

As with the fitness apparatus, the training was not part of a cohesive sales improvement plan that incorporated a number of things beyond just the training. Things like CRM, not just the technology but the full aspect of the Customer Relationship Management Program.

Generally what is missing is the commitment. Don’t get me wrong, no one sets out with the intention to fail, but many have unrealistic expectations about what change involves and how long it takes. Fundamentally it is all about change, whether you are talking about how reps prospect, how they negotiate, what have you. Like the people looking to get fit, we all need to look at what we are doing now, and what has to change to get to where we want to be. That takes time and effort. That is why so many machines end up in the basement and so many folders on the shelf and not much change over time in the user group.

Many sales training programs are bought and sold without much follow through. I can’t speak for others, but other than key note speaking engagements, we try very hard not to get involved unless the client is committed to a follow up program. To achieve sustained behavioural change you need more than a 2, 3 or even four day workshop. You need to support the teams as they implement things in the field, you need to take in to account that adults will adopt to new concepts, skills and processes at a different pace, and as a result the follow through, the 3 to 6 months following any workshop is the key to change and ROI.

Many fitness clubs will offer a free session with a trainer for new members, they learn how to use the equipment, which machine impacts different muscles, but that’s about all one can hope to learn, regardless of how much the personal trainer can demonstrate and instruct. Some organizations try to cover this up by providing clients with canned e-learning modules for the intranets, but these are generic, and tend to rehash in class materials. The result is similar to when new members at a health club don’t see immediate results, just encounter the pain of change, and finally abandon their memberships.

At the same time, terrific results are had by people who engage a personal trainer over time, once a week over a few months, while continuing to train and practice on their own. They use trainer led sessions to improve form, learning and achieving benchmarks. Another important thing a personal trainer brings is the motivation factor, the support to continue through difficult periods and make sure that the focus continues to be the long term goal, not the short term ups and downs that smooth out over time. After that most can continue their program and progress on their own for some time.

Well it is the same with a good sales training program. There is the work that takes place prior to a workshop, where the training organization can tailor the program to the needs and abilities of the team they are about to engage with. The workshop then introduces base concepts and means of implementing and executing the new processes, skill or methodologies. This then is followed by a pre-planed follow through program, as our friends at Renbor Sales Solutions Inc. call it, “an Action Plan”. This is where together the training organization and the company can work on form and delivery, capture day to day experiences and incorporate them into the broader plan. The plan can focus on the experiences and challenges of the individual or the needs of the group motivate the team to reach and improve by reassuring and reinforcing the learning.

The reality is that this kind of program generally does involve a greater initial investment. You have to pay for the time of the trainer. Some of this cost can be off set by using technology for remote staff, and limit the need to take reps out of the field and related cost of travel. Some of it however will be recouped over time. Done right, this kind of training will deliver sustainable behavioural that will start paying back in 3 – 4 months, and keep paying for some time after that. It will also impact turnover rates, morale and other issues impacting revenues and success in implementing conventional training initiatives. Organizations see longer and greater ROI by engaging with a training organization for a period of time, versus the conventional event type providers. When compared with the cost of numerous conventional programs over a 3 or 4 year period that deliver little or no real measurable improvement over that same time.

So much in the same way that ab machines and miracle health gizmos don’t work. Sales training that is not part of an overall plan aligning both long term strategy and real world execution, won’t deliver long term improved top line or bottom line figures.

Trevor Stevens is a veteran sales pro who has trained and consulted sales professional in the U.S.A., UK, France Germany, Australia, Canada, and Hong Kong. To contact Trevor, e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .