Why Most Sales Training Fails — and How to Make It Stick

Most sales training fails. Not because the content is bad, but because firms treat it like a box to check. They hold a workshop, feel good about the investment, and move on — only to wonder months later why nothing changed.

I learned this lesson early in my career while training with the Gallup Organization, where one phrase has guided me ever since: what gets measured, gets done. Training without structure, reinforcement, and measurement is just another meeting on the calendar.

Start With Clear Objectives

Before rolling out training, leaders need to answer a basic question: What exactly are we trying to improve?

Is it more referrals? More effective networking? A stronger pipeline? Without clear outcomes, you can’t track progress. And if you can’t measure it, training becomes little more than theory.

The Power of KPIs

The real work begins after the training session. Firms that see results set key performance indicators (KPIs) to track activity over time. The most useful metrics are activity-based, such as: