Measuring the Success of Sales Training

It has never been more important to show examples of sales skills at work. The process to evaluate these skills is sometimes perceived as straightforward and routine, simply a matter of tracking the sales gains after the program has been conducted. But credibly Measuring the Success of Sales Training programs is a bit more involved than that. Experts in the practice of ROI measurement, Jack and Patricia Phillips have collected a new book of ROI case studies, with a focus on sales training programs. The case studies presented in this book demonstrate how to use of the ROI Methodology to properly measure the results of sales programs.

These studies come from all over the world, in many different disciplines and concentrations, from financial services to the public sector. The use of the ROI Methodology addresses issues that are sometimes omitted from other casebooks. First, since many other factors influence sales, there must always be a step to isolate the effects of the sales training program on the sales (each study features this step). Second, when converting to monetary value, only the profit margins of increased sales must be used, not the sales themselves—a mistake made by many. Third, the stream of monetary benefits for the increased profits must be conservative, usually representing only one year.

Sponsors need a credible, conservative approach to measuring ROI—one that meets these challenges. All of the case studies in this book will address these issues, providing examples and benchmarks for others to use to evaluate these important types of programs.