Sales is no longer static for businesses and their sales teams. With shifting client needs, evolving buyer behaviour, and ongoing worldwide economic volatility, continuous learning and development (L&D) is a critical driver of sales success.
Research found that without ongoing L&D, sales professionals forget 84% of sales training content within three months, underlining the need for regular reinforcement. According to Mentor Group’s Matt Webb and Lisa Ojomoh, there are four key principles that can help businesses transform their approach to L&D to build high-performing, future-ready sales teams.
Shift from event-based training to a learning ecosystem
Traditional training models, such as one-off workshops or onboarding slide decks, are no longer sufficient in the modern sales environment. These static approaches fail to keep pace with the evolving demands placed on sales teams. To meet these demands, learning must become a continuous, embedded part of the business. It should be integrated into daily workflows, accessible on-demand, and aligned with real and tangible business outcomes such as retention and engagement or conversion rate improvement.
Leaders must model a growth mindset
For a culture of continuous learning to be successfully embedded across an organisation, it must be championed from the top. Leaders face unique challenges – from managing dispersed teams to maintaining company culture across geographies. Sales leaders need to see themselves as lifelong learners, embracing L&D not just as a necessity, but as a mindset. Leadership is not the end of the learning journey – it’s the beginning of a new one. One where adaptability, reflection, and emotional intelligence become essential tools.
Make L&D people driven, not process-driven
Sales is driven by metrics, platforms and platforms and it can often be easy to lose sight of the human element. Over-reliance on rigid sales scripts and time-consuming manual processes can stifle creativity and agility. Embedding continuous L&D helps shift the focus back to people – developing real capability rather than just compliance. Research from Strengthscope found that the perception gap between leaders’ skills and their teams’ perception of them has grown by 75% since 2019. Embedding continuous L&D can help address this, as this people-first approach can foster teams that can think independently, respond with agility, and lead with confidence.
Leverage technology to deliver learning at the point of need
Sales is a fast-paced work environment, where time is limited and expectations are high and too often, sales professionals require learning that fits around their schedules and addresses their current needs. Technology plays a vital role in making this possible through mobile-accessible content, CRM-integrated learning prompts, or AI-powered coaching tools that provide feedback in real-time. By embedding learning into the platforms sales teams already use, organisations can ensure development is not seen as a separate task, but instead a natural part of the workflow – allowing for smarter and more confident selling.