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Sales Negotiation

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Sales negotiation

Sales Negotiation: Why the Best Deal Works for Both Sides

A signed agreement is not the same as a successful agreement. Effective B2B negotiation depends on honesty, mutual compatibility and commitments both parties can fulfil.
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By Iain Swanston, Founder, Klozers

  • Updated 8 November 2026
In short
Sales negotiation is the process of agreeing commercial terms that both parties understand, accept and can deliver. The best outcome is not the greatest number of concessions. It is an honest, mutually compatible agreement that supports a productive relationship over time.

Key takeaways

  • Winning a concession is not necessarily the same as creating a successful agreement.
  • An agreement must be mutually beneficial, compatible and deliverable, not simply signed.
  • Contracts have legal value, but they cannot replace the willingness and ability to perform.
  • Long-term B2B negotiation requires honesty, clear obligations and the discipline to walk away when necessary.

What is sales negotiation?

Sales negotiation is the discussion through which a buyer and seller agree the terms of a commercial relationship. Price matters, but so do scope, delivery, responsibilities, timing, payment and the outcomes each party expects. In B2B sales, those terms often affect people who were not present when the agreement was made. Negotiation is successful when both parties understand what they are committing to and believe the exchange is worthwhile. It is not successful merely because one side secures more favourable wording or obtains a last-minute discount.

Why winning the negotiation can mean losing the customer

Imagine a supplier persuades a customer to accept a delivery date that the supplier cannot reliably meet. The supplier may celebrate the signature. The customer may believe it has secured a valuable concession. Yet the agreement contains the conditions for a future dispute.

The same problem works in reverse. A buyer might insist on terms that make the supplier’s delivery economically unviable. The apparent negotiating victory may lead to reduced service, strained relationships or an early breakdown.

The value of an agreement depends on what happens after it is signed.

Mutual benefit is not enough without mutual compatibility

Both parties can see benefits in a deal and still hold expectations that cannot coexist. A customer may need a rapid implementation while the supplier needs information, access and approvals that the customer cannot provide in time. Until those dependencies are resolved, the agreement is not commercially compatible.

Compatibility means that the promises, resources, constraints and expectations of each party can operate together. It requires explicit discussion of what each party will do, by when, and what happens when circumstances change.

Mutual compatibility matters more than securing a signature alone.

Why contracts cannot replace commercial commitment

A contract is not worthless. Properly formed contracts can create enforceable obligations and provide remedies, sometimes without litigation. But legal rights do not automatically produce a functioning commercial relationship.

If delivery fails, enforcement can be costly and disruptive. Even where a party has a strong legal position, it may still lose time, trust or an important opportunity. Negotiators should therefore aim for agreements that people are willing and able to honour, rather than relying on the threat of enforcement to make an impractical deal work.

Why honesty matters in B2B negotiation

Some negotiation advice concentrates on leverage, pressure and the tactical advantage available to one party. Those skills may have a place in particular circumstances, but they are not a substitute for truthful representation of capabilities, constraints and intentions.

Deliberately misleading a buyer about delivery, inventing alternatives or concealing material limitations can undermine the relationship the agreement is supposed to establish. Long-term B2B business depends on repeat decisions: renewals, recommendations, expansions and the willingness to resolve problems together.

The approach here differs from treating negotiation as a contest to be won at any cost. Techniques associated with adversarial negotiations should be assessed carefully before applying them to ongoing customer relationships. The important test is not whether a tactic secures a concession today, but whether the resulting agreement remains credible tomorrow.

Win-win negotiation is a practical discipline

Win-win does not mean both sides obtain everything they ask for, nor does it require splitting every difference. It means both parties can accept the trade-offs because the agreement addresses their legitimate priorities.

A seller may agree to a revised payment schedule in exchange for a firmer commitment or a different delivery timetable. A customer may accept a narrower scope to obtain a reliable launch date. The value of a concession depends on what it enables for both parties, not simply its face value.

A sustainable agreement depends on reciprocal commitments, not one-sided concessions.

Negotiate the whole agreement, not just the price

When discussions narrow to price, important commercial issues can disappear. Before conceding, establish what the buyer is trying to achieve. Is the concern affordability, internal approval, uncertainty about results or a genuine difference in perceived value?

Consider the scope of work, responsibilities, delivery sequence, support requirements, payment terms and the evidence that will establish whether the agreement has succeeded. A concession should have a clear purpose and, where appropriate, a reciprocal commitment.

Understand who owns the decision and the outcome

The Economic Buyer may control the investment decision, while the Economic Owner is accountable for the business result. These roles are not necessarily held by the same person. A proposal that satisfies purchasing requirements but leaves the person responsible for implementation unable to deliver is vulnerable.

Negotiators should identify the relevant stakeholders, establish what each needs and confirm that the final terms reflect operational realities as well as purchasing authority.

Recognise when the agreement will not work

Warning signs include commitments that depend on unconfirmed resources, unrealistic deadlines, responsibilities left undefined, price reductions that undermine delivery, and parties who interpret the same terms differently. Pressure to sign before these issues are addressed is another reason to examine the agreement carefully.

Walking away can be the most responsible choice when there is no credible way to satisfy both parties’ essential requirements. A deal that cannot be delivered is not improved by securing a signature.

Developing negotiation capability across a sales team

Sales leaders should begin by examining where their existing agreements encounter difficulty. Review discount requests, handovers, changes to scope, implementation problems and disputed commitments. Look for patterns in preparation, stakeholder understanding and the way concessions are agreed.

Development should use relevant commercial situations and allow sellers to practise explaining value, testing assumptions, discussing constraints and reaching reciprocal commitments. Managers can then review how those behaviours are applied in live opportunities. This reflects Klozers’ inside-out approach: understand current practice before deciding what to change.

For organisations seeking structured support, bespoke sales training can address negotiation alongside value-based selling and commercial execution. Related reading includes sales negotiation training, selling value rather than price and objection handling.

Final thought: negotiate for the relationship you want to keep

The strongest commercial agreement is not the one that looks most impressive on signing day. It is the one both parties understand, can fulfil and have good reason to sustain. Honesty, compatibility and long-term thinking are therefore commercial disciplines, not simply ethical preferences.

Bespoke sales training
Develop negotiation capability that lasts
Build practical negotiation capability around your team’s commercial challenges and real customer agreements.
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The sales playbook template that starts with your team, not ours

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Sales execution standards

The sales playbook template that starts with your team, not ours

Practical, in-person negotiation training for B2B sales teams. We help salespeople prepare earlier, establish value in the buyer’s own words, understand what can be traded and practise the commercial conversations they are actually facing.

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By Iain Swanston, Founder, Klozers

  • Updated 15 October 2026
9 minute read
A document is not reinforcement. Retention of new learning over time
The difference is not the contents page. It is the direction the information travels.
In short

A sales playbook is a written record of how your team sells: who you win with, who is involved in the decision, what your best people say, and what has to be true before a deal moves forward. Most playbook templates supply those answers for you to adopt. This one supplies the questions, so the answers come from your own top performers and the team recognises them.

Key takeaways

  1. Most sales playbooks are completed once and never opened again, and the reason is not length or format. It is that the content came from outside the team.
  2. Experienced salespeople resist a playbook for the same reason they resist imported methodology: it asks them to replace something that works with something a stranger prefers.
  3. The knowledge worth writing down is already inside the business. Somebody is handling the objection the others struggle with, and it has never been recorded.
  4. A section that stays empty across all your top performers is the finding. That is where an external framework earns its place, and not before.
  5. A playbook that is not revised every six months is a decoration.

Why most sales playbooks are never used

Ask a sales leader whether they have a playbook and a good number will say yes. Ask when a salesperson last opened it and the answer changes.

This is not a secret. It is written openly on the pages of the firms selling playbook templates. One describes the finished article as a decoration on a shared drive. Another says most playbooks fail because they are too long, too generic and too detached from daily work. Everybody in this market knows the format fails. Almost nobody changes it.

The problem is not the contents page. It is where the contents came from.

Length is a symptom, not the cause

The usual explanation is that playbooks are too long. Forty pages, nobody reads it, cut it to ten. That is worth doing and it does not fix anything, because a ten-page document of somebody else’s answers is a shorter document nobody uses.

Think about what a salesperson is actually being handed. A section on objection handling containing four responses, written by a consultant or a marketing team, to objections phrased the way a template writer imagined them. The salesperson has heard the real objection two hundred times and has a way of dealing with it that works. They are being asked to swap what works for what was supplied.

They do not argue. They nod, they file it, and they carry on doing what they did before. That is not resistance to change. It is a reasonable response to being given a worse version of something they already have.

The same failure as imported methodology

This is the pattern Klozers exists to correct, and it shows up identically in training. A provider arrives with a named system, teaches it over a day, and the experienced half of the room quietly declines to adopt it. Satisfaction scores are fine. Behaviour does not change.

A playbook is that failure in document form. It is the imported system, printed and filed.

The evidence for how much gets lost is well established. Around half of new learning is gone within a day without reinforcement, per the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, and Xerox research puts the loss at 87% within twelve weeks.

The more useful study is Saks and Belcourt, published in Human Resource Management in 2006, which tracked what organisations actually do before, during and after training. They found that 62% of what is learned is applied immediately, 44% is still being applied at six months, and 34% at one year. The decline is not caused by the content being wrong. It is what happens when nothing holds the behaviour in place, and a document on a shared drive is not that thing.

Saks, A. M. and Belcourt, M. (2006). An investigation of training activities and transfer of training in organizations. Human Resource Management, 45(4), 629 to 648.

A document is not reinforcement. Retention of new learning over time
Retention of new learning over time. A document on its own is not reinforcement. Sources: Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, Xerox research, and Saks and Belcourt, 2006.

The knowledge you need is already in the building

Every sales team already contains most of the answers its own playbook needs.

Somebody is handling the objection the others struggle with. Somebody has worked out who to call in an account when the usual contact stops replying. Somebody knows that nothing happens in your sector in August and budgets are set in October, so a September chase is worth three in July.

None of it is written down. Not because it is secret, but because the person doing it does not think of it as a technique. It is just how they work. Ask them to describe their process and they will describe the official one, then carry on doing something better.

Capture that and you have a playbook the team recognises, because the team wrote it. Nobody resists their colleague’s method the way they resist a consultant’s.

Sales operating standards
Your standard is whatever each salesperson decides it is

Until what admits a deal to a stage is written down and inspected, every person applies their own. That is a governance problem rather than a training one, and it is what the Gold Selling Standards exist to fix.

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What every other template asks for, and what this one asks instead

The templates published by the software vendors are competently made and they are all the same document: ideal customer profile, buyer personas, positioning, process stages, discovery questions, objection library, competitive battlecards, tech stack, metrics, onboarding.

Read the instructions inside them and the direction becomes obvious. Every prompt asks you to write down what should happen. Here is the same subject matter, asked the other way.

The standard template asks

This template asks

Define your ideal customer profile and buyer personas.

List the last five customers you won, and which type you consistently lose or win and then regret.

Document your objection handling responses.

What does your best performer say, word for word, when the buyer says the price is too high?

Define your sales process stages and exit criteria.

What must the buyer have done before you call a deal qualified? Something they did, not something you concluded.

Establish your value proposition and messaging framework.

On your last won deal, what did the buyer say the problem was costing them, in their words?

Outline your discovery question framework.

What is the first question your best performer asks on a first call?

Document your competitive positioning.

What does your best performer say when the buyer already has a supplier?

The left column produces a document. The right column produces a record of what already works, and a list of the places where nothing does.

Why the empty sections are the point

A standard template is designed to be filled in completely. A blank space feels like a failure, so people write something plausible to close the gap, and the plausible thing is usually copied from the example.

This template is designed to leave gaps. If you interview three top performers and none can tell you what the buyer said the problem was costing them, that is not an incomplete document. It is the most useful thing you will learn all quarter, and it tells you precisely what to work on.

A gap you can see is worth more than a section you filled in from an example.

What is in the template

Seven sections, twenty-five questions, a worked example under every one. One to two hours per person interviewed.

Seven sections, twenty-five questions, a worked example under each. One to two hours per person interviewed.

  1. Who you actually win withNot your target market. The customers you have genuinely won and kept, and the type you keep losing.
  2. Who is in the room, and who is notWho signed, whose targets were at risk, and whether anyone spoke to the second person directly. Usually two different people, and usually only one gets a meeting.
  3. What the problem is worth to themThe buyer’s own figure, in the buyer’s own words, and the question that got them to say it.
  4. What your best people say that others do notVerbatim. The first question on a call, the price response, what they say when the buyer goes quiet. The section that matters most.
  5. What has to be true before a deal movesEvidence rather than confidence. What the buyer did, not what your team concluded.
  6. What happens after the meetingWhat the buyer agreed to do next, not what you agreed to do.
  7. What you already know and never wrote downWhat a new starter would take a year to work out, and which part of the official process your best performer skips.

How to complete it

Interview your top two or three performers one at a time. Do not email it to them: a form sent round gets the official answer, and the official answer is what you already have.

Do this on Monday

Four steps, none of which require buying anything or downloading anything.

  1. Pick one salesperson who hits their number

    Not the most senior. The one whose results are consistent. Put 45 minutes in the diary with them this week and tell them it is not a review.

  2. Ask them about one deal, not about their method

    Take the last deal they won and walk through it. What made the buyer start looking, who signed, whose targets were at risk, what the buyer said the problem was costing them. People who cannot describe their approach can always describe a deal.

  3. Write down four things they said, in their words

    Their first question on a first call. What they say when the price is challenged. What they say when a buyer goes quiet. And one thing they do that they assume everybody does. Resist tidying the language.

  4. Send those four lines to the rest of the team on Friday

    No document, no launch, no meeting. Four sentences in an email, attributed to the person who said them. That is a playbook of one page, and it will be read, because it came from a colleague rather than from a consultant.

If that produces something useful, the template below is the same exercise across seven areas. If it produces nothing, that is worth knowing too, and it is a different problem from the one a playbook solves.

Download the template

Free, no form, no email address. Use it, share it, put it in your onboarding. We ask only that you leave the attribution on it.

Editable version

Word, opens in Google Docs and Pages. Type into it.
Print version

PDF, ten pages. For the interviews themselves.

When a standard template is the better choice

Use a standard template if

  • You are building a first sales team and have no track record to capture yet
  • Nobody in the business has sold this product successfully
  • You are entering a market where none of your existing behaviour transfers
  • You want a document to satisfy an audit rather than change how people sell

Use this one if

  • You have salespeople who hit their numbers and others who do not
  • You have written a playbook before and nobody used it
  • A strong performer has left, or is about to, and their knowledge will leave with them
  • You are onboarding and want new starters learning what works here rather than in general

The first column is a real situation and a standard template is genuinely better for it. A business with no successful selling to record needs somebody else’s starting point, and there is no shame in that. What does not work is using an imported playbook on a team that already knows how to sell.

Frequently asked questions

What is a sales playbook?

A written record of how your team sells: who you win with, who is involved in the buying decision, what your best salespeople say at each point, what has to be true before a deal moves to the next stage, and what happens between conversations. It exists so that what works for one person becomes available to everyone.

One to two hours per person interviewed. Two or three top performers is enough for a first version. It is deliberately not a project.

They do different jobs. A CRM records what happened. A playbook records what to do. In our research, 62.5% of sales leaders reported significant positive impact from their CRM while only 50% achieved high utilisation by their teams, and the single largest barrier named was low user adoption. A system nobody uses and a playbook nobody opens are the same problem.

Common, and it is why the template asks about specific deals rather than general practice. Somebody who cannot describe their approach can usually tell you exactly what they said on a particular call. Ask about the deal, not the method.

Every six months, and treat it as a review rather than a rewrite. What changed in the market, what stopped working, what a new person discovered. A playbook that is not revised is a decoration.

What we found when we asked sales leaders

In a Klozers survey of 40 B2B sales leaders across 15 countries, conducted between July 2024 and February 2025, 77.5% rated sales forecasting as highly critical to business strategy while only 20% reported full confidence in its accuracy. Half the sample sat in the middle, at five to seven out of ten.

That gap is a playbook problem before it is a forecasting problem. A forecast is only as reliable as the rule that admits a deal to it, and in most organisations that rule is not written down, so every salesperson applies their own. Section five of the template is where you write it down.

Read the full findings
Related reading
Sales execution standards
Gold Selling Standards
Bespoke sales training
Bespoke training built on your own deals
Original research
The B2B Sales Landscape Report
Iain Swanston
Founder & Lead Trainer Klozers · London, Dortmund, Austin, Melbourne

Iain has trained and coached B2B sales teams since 2008. He was Lead Trainer and Coach at Microsoft Scotland. Before that he sold capital equipment and managed sales teams in the UK and North America. He served as an Associate at Strathclyde University Business School, where he delivered the sales content for the Masters in Entrepreneurship from 2015 to 2019.

Connect with Iain on LinkedIn

The playbook you need is mostly already written. It is just distributed across three people’s heads.

If the empty sections are the problem

Klozers builds bespoke sales training the same way this template works. We interview your top performers one to one before we design anything, build the programme from what already works, and add our own frameworks only where a genuine gap remains. There are no slides, and every participant writes a 90 Day Action Plan against their own live deals.

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bespoke training built on your own deals

Why B2B Sales Leadership Development Training Is Essential in Today’s Buying Environment 

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B2B Sales Leadership Development Training

B2B Sales Leadership Development Training - Top Question From Google:

What does B2B sales leadership development training entail?

B2B sales leadership development training equips sales leaders and managers with the skills and knowledge they need to successfully manage sales teams within the context of business-to-business selling. It teaches skills like strategic thinking, sales planning, coaching, and performance management, among others. 

Free access to our best tools and templates

Join our thriving community of B2B Sales professionals & leaders for free training and support.

 
B2B Sales School  

Introduction: B2B sales leadership development training

B2B selling is not as straightforward as it used to be, as buyers no longer rely on salespeople for information. Instead, they do their research and compare options before making a decision. Deals often involve multiple decision-makers and high expectations, with each buyer wanting a personalised experience. They also want to feel confident that the product or service will solve their problems and deliver value. 

To be successful, B2B sales managers have a big role to play. They guide their teams, make strategic decisions, and ensure that every rep understands the buyer’s needs. Without skilled leadership, sales teams can become disorganised and lose deals. That’s why leadership training designed for B2B sales is no longer optional. It’s a must-have. 

AI Sales Manager

Core Competencies Built Through B2B Sales Leadership Development Training

Strategic thinking 

Strategic thinking is integral to effective B2B sales leadership. Sales leaders need to see beyond individual deals and understand how their team’s efforts fit into the bigger business picture. This means learning to analyze market trends, identify new opportunities, and make decisions that help the company grow over time. They also develop skills in resource allocation, helping them decide where to invest time and energy for the best results.  

Strategic thinking training teaches leaders how to balance short-term sales targets with long-term relationship building. This is especially important in B2B sales, where customer relationships can last for years and generate significant recurring revenue. Leaders learn to think about customer lifetime value, not just immediate sales numbers. 

Coaching and mentoring sales reps 

One of the most important jobs of a B2B sales leader is developing their team members. Good coaching can turn average performers into top sellers, while poor coaching can cause talented reps to leave or underperform. Training programs teach leaders how to identify each rep’s strengths and weaknesses, then provide support to help them improve. They also discover how to recognize when team members need different types of support, whether that’s skill development, motivation, or help with specific challenges. Sales leaders learn to create environments where reps feel comfortable sharing their struggles and asking for help. This builds trust and makes the whole team more effective. 

Data-driven decision making 

B2B sales leadership development training programs teach sales managers how to use sales data to make better decisions about everything. Leaders learn to spot trends in their data that can help predict future sales performance and identify potential problems before they become serious. Forecasting accuracy is important for B2B companies because it affects inventory planning, resource allocation, and investor confidence. Training helps leaders understand different forecasting methods and choose the right approach for their business. They learn to combine hard data with insights from their team to create realistic predictions. Data-driven leadership also means knowing which metrics matter most. This helps them take action to improve performance before problems show up in the final sales numbers. 

Leading with emotional intelligence 

Recent research shows that emotional intelligence is responsible for 58% of professional success, with the World Economic Forum ranking it as one of the most important skills needed by 2025. In B2B sales, where relationships are everything, emotional intelligence becomes even more important for leaders. 

Training programs teach leaders how to recognize and manage their own emotions, especially during stressful situations like missed targets or difficult customer negotiations. They also learn to read the emotions of their team members and customers, helping them respond appropriately to different situations. They discover how to have difficult conversations without damaging relationships and how to motivate team members who are struggling. 

Sales managers also learn how to enhance cross-functional collaboration. They learn to work effectively with marketing, customer service, product development, and other teams. This requires understanding different perspectives and finding ways to align everyone around common goals. 

Adapting to tech 

Technology changes quickly, and B2B sales leaders need to stay current with new tools and platforms. Training programs help leaders understand how to evaluate new technologies and decide which ones will actually help their teams sell more effectively. They learn to avoid getting caught up in every new trend while still embracing innovations that provide real value. 

Modern training also teaches how to leverage trends like AI, automation, and personalization to make sales processes more efficient. Leaders discover how to use customer relationship management systems, sales analytics tools, and communication platforms to support their teams better. 

Sales Coaching

The Effect: How Better Leadership Elevates Sales Teams

When B2B sales leaders receive proper training, the positive effects ripple through their entire organization. Teams with well-trained leaders consistently outperform those with untrained managers, often by significant margins. This happens because good leadership creates a cycle of improvement that benefits everyone involved. 

Better leadership leads to improved team morale and lower turnover rates. Sales reps want to work for managers who support their growth and help them succeed. When leaders know how to coach effectively and provide meaningful feedback, their team members feel more valued and engaged. This reduces the costs and disruption associated with hiring and training new reps. 

Research found that salespeople with high emotional intelligence receive more customer referrals than those with lower emotional intelligence levels. When leaders model and encourage emotional intelligence, it spreads throughout the team and improves customer relationships. This leads to more repeat business and referrals, which are often the most profitable types of sales. 

Well-trained leaders also make better strategic decisions that improve long-term performance. They allocate resources more effectively, identify opportunities faster, and help their companies avoid costly mistakes. Their teams become more adaptable and resilient, better able to handle changes in the market or competitive landscape. 

Customer satisfaction improves when sales teams are led by trained professionals. These leaders ensure their reps understand customer needs and deliver solutions that actually work. They create processes that make it easier for customers to buy and get the support they need after the sale. This leads to stronger relationships and more predictable revenue growth. 

Actionable Tip

Integrate coaching and data-driven decision-making into leadership training to boost team performance and retention.

Final Thoughts

Strong leadership is the difference between an average sales team and a high-performing one. B2B sales leadership development training builds the strategic thinking, coaching ability, emotional intelligence, and tech adaptability today’s environment demands. When leaders are well equipped, teams thrive, customers receive better experiences, and businesses see sustainable growth. Investing in leadership training isn’t optional, it’s a strategic necessity.

B2B sales onboarding programs for new hires that actually work

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B2B Sales Onboarding

What are the 4 C’s for onboarding - Top Question From Google:

The 4 C’s of onboarding are Compliance, Clarification, Culture, and Connection. These are the pillars that help your new hires transition smoothly into a new role. Compliance covers legal and procedural setup. Clarification ensures role expectations are clear. Culture helps them understand how things are done at the company. And Connection makes sure they build meaningful relationships from day one. 

Free access to our best tools and templates

Join our thriving community of B2B Sales professionals & leaders for free training and support.

 
B2B Sales School  

Introduction: B2B sales onboarding programs

In B2B sales, first impressions are incredibly important. When new reps join the team, the way they’re welcomed, trained, and supported can have a direct impact on how quickly they ramp up, how well they perform, and how long they stay. Yet many organizations still rely on outdated or informal onboarding processes, expecting new hires to figure it out as they go. 

That approach doesn’t work in B2B sales settings. B2B selling is complex, with long sales cycles, specialized tools, and sophisticated buyers. Reps need more than enthusiasm to succeed. They need guidance, clarity, and a sense of connection. That’s where a thoughtful, well-structured onboarding program comes in. 

In this guide, we’ll explore what makes B2B sales onboarding effective, from compliance basics to culture and coaching. Whether you’re designing a program from scratch or improving what you already have, these principles will help you set your team up for success. 

AI Sales Manager

Why B2B sales onboarding needs a strong framework

Getting up to speed in B2B sales is no small task. Reps have to learn about your product or service in depth, understand the market, use CRM tools efficiently, and build relationships with leads who may have already done hours of independent research. All of this happens under the pressure of early performance targets. 

Without a solid onboarding framework, new hires are left guessing. That leads to confusion, poor early performance, and higher turnover, all of which affect your bottom line. On the other hand, a structured onboarding program helps reps feel confident, connected, and ready to contribute. 

The numbers speak for themselves: organizations with a strong onboarding process improve new hire retention by up to 82% and productivity by over 70% (Harvard Business Review). Simply put, great onboarding drives better outcomes for individuals and the business.

Sales Coaching

The 4 C’s of the sales onboarding program and what they mean

An effective onboarding process is a journey that introduces your reps to the tools, expectations, people, and culture of your organization.   

Below are the five core pillars of a strong program. 

Compliance: Get the basics out of the way fast 

Every onboarding program needs to start with the basics, but the goal here is to make this part seamless, not slow. Reps should quickly receive access to tools, systems, and accounts they’ll use every day. Legal documentation, internal policies, and data compliance protocols should be covered early, ensuring reps understand the boundaries they’ll work within. 

This stage isn’t glamorous, but it’s important. When done well, it clears the path so reps can focus their energy on learning how to sell, not waiting for system logins or chasing HR paperwork. 

Clarification: Define the role clearly 

Once the setup is complete, the next step is clarity. New reps need to understand what they’ll sell and what is expected of them. That means clearly defining: 

  • What success looks like (KPIs, quotas, milestones) 
  • Their target market and buyer personas 
  • Their territory (geographic, vertical, or account-based) 
  • Key tools and daily workflows (CRM, sales enablement platforms, etc.) 

Giving reps this structure early helps reduce uncertainty and builds a sense of purpose. Many companies benefit from using a process-first onboarding model, where reps learn the exact steps involved in discovery calls, demos, follow-ups, and closing. This reduces the need for trial-and-error and accelerates performance. 

Culture: Help them understand the “how” 

Culture can be harder to teach than systems, but it’s just as important, especially in hybrid or remote teams. Every sales organization has its own rhythm: how people communicate, when meetings happen, how feedback is given, and what’s celebrated. 

Help new hires absorb this by assigning mentors, encouraging participation in team huddles, and including them in informal Slack channels or coffee chats. The goal is to help them feel like part of the team early, so they’re more likely to ask questions, share challenges, and stay engaged. 

If your company has specific values, rituals, or traditions, whether it’s Friday wins, monthly demos, or internal awards, this is a great time to showcase them. 

Connection: Don’t let them drift 

Sales rarely work in a vacuum. Your reps will interact with marketing, product, operations, customer success, and more. Giving them opportunities to connect with these teams early helps them see the bigger picture and ask smarter questions. 

This could look like: 

  • Intro sessions with marketing to understand campaign goals 
  • Briefings from product managers on upcoming releases 
  • Ride-alongs with customer success reps 
  • A welcome message from the CEO or leadership team 

These interactions reinforce that sales is part of a broader ecosystem, and that everyone is working toward shared goals. 

Sales-specific training and practice

This is the heart of the onboarding experience. Once foundational topics are covered, it’s time to dig into real sales training. This includes: 

  • Product immersion: Encourage hands-on experience. Reps should see, use, and test the product the way a customer would, not just read about it in a deck. 
  • Process walkthroughs: Use real examples from your pipeline to walk through a full deal cycle. Reps should understand what happens at every stage, what materials to use, and what signals to watch for. 
  • Objection handling: Equip reps to manage pushback with confidence. Practice sessions, peer role-plays, and recordings of top performers can help build this skill quickly. 
  • CRM training in context: Avoid siloed tech modules. Instead, teach the CRM as reps build their pipeline or log calls. This makes the tool relevant and memorable. 

Measuring onboarding success

  • Completing onboarding doesn’t mean a rep is fully up to speed. That’s why it’s important to track progress with both data and feedback. Key metrics to monitor include: 

    • Time to first deal 
    • Pipeline activity by the end of week 4 
    • Quota attainment within the first 90 days 
    • Satisfaction surveys from new hires 
    • Qualitative manager feedback from shadowing or coaching sessions 

    Beyond metrics, regular check-ins make a big difference. Managers should ask new hires where they feel confident and where they feel stuck. These conversations surface gaps in the program that can be improved for future hires. 

    Organizations with strong onboarding cultures see onboarding as a living process, one that evolves based on real input, not just checklists. 

Scaling without losing the human touch

As your sales team grows, it’s tempting to streamline everything into an automated course. And while automation has its place, onboarding should never feel like a one-size-fits-all box to check. 

Some elements can and should be standardized: 

  • Recorded product demos 
  • Sales playbooks 
  • Onboarding checklists and FAQs 
  • CRM walkthrough videos 

But others need to stay personal: 

  • One-on-one coaching 
  • Personalized feedback on early calls 
  • Territory planning and goal-setting sessions 
  • Shadowing with senior reps 

Many successful companies use a hybrid approach, combining self-paced modules with scheduled group sessions, mentorship calls, and live workshops. This model gives new hires flexibility while still keeping them connected to the team and leadership. 

Onboarding as a strategic advantage

An effective onboarding process drives long-term success.  

When reps are supported from day one, they feel more capable, more connected, and more motivated. That translates into stronger results, better customer relationships, and higher retention. 

The most effective programs will inform, build clarity, and foster real connection without overwhelming your new reps.  

When you’re designing or updating your onboarding strategy, remember that you’re also shaping confidence, trust, and performance. Get it right, and your reps won’t just learn faster, they’ll stay longer and sell better. 

Actionable Tip

Use the 4 C’s—Compliance, Clarification, Culture, and Connection—as a framework to build onboarding that equips reps with clarity and confidence from day one.

Final Thoughts

B2B sales onboarding should be more than a checklist. It’s the foundation that shapes how quickly new hires ramp up, how confident they feel, and how long they stay. By building programs around the 4 C’s: Compliance, Clarification, Culture, and Connection. you create structure without losing the human touch. When reps are supported from day one, they learn faster, perform better, and become lasting contributors to the success of your sales organization.

Strategies for Driving Growth Through Partner/Channel Sales Enablement

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Partner/Channel Sales Enablement

Partner/Channel Sales Enablement - Top Question From Google:

What is Channel Sales Enablement?

Channel sales enablement is the process of equipping your partner network with the tools, training, and resources they need to sell your products effectively. It requires giving partners the same level of knowledge and support that your internal sales team gets, so they can represent your brand confidently and close deals successfully. 

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Introduction: Partner/Channel Sales Enablement

Many companies today thrive on partner and channel sales. Instead of hiring and managing large internal sales teams, businesses are turning to external partners who already have relationships with target customers. However, these partners often work with multiple vendors and may not prioritize your products without proper support. 

This is why you need a strong partner enablement program that makes your partners feel like an extension of your team. When partners understand your products, know how to handle objections, and have access to the right tools, they become powerful advocates for your business.  

AI Sales Manager

Core Elements of Effective Partner/Channel Sales Enablement

Comprehensive Training Programs 

Effective partner enablement starts with training. Your partners need to understand the problems your solution solves and the business impact it creates. They also need to know how to communicate that value to different types of buyers. 

You can create regular training programs such as webinars and workshops to keep partners up-to-date on new products, market trends, and sales strategies. This training should be practical and immediately useful. Instead of lengthy presentations about technical specifications, focus on real scenarios that partners encounter with their customers. 

Role-playing exercises also work well. Partners can practice in a safe environment so that when they face similar situations with actual prospects, they’ll respond with confidence. 

Easy Access to Sales Tools and Resources 

Partners need the same quality of sales materials that your internal team uses, and they need them to be easily accessible. You can create a partner portal where they can quickly find case studies, competitive battle cards, pricing information, and presentation templates. 

Make sure your materials are customizable so partners feel ownership over the sales process, but still ensure consistency in how your product is presented to the market. 

Ongoing Support and Communication 

Your most successful partners will be those who receive consistent support and regular communication from your team. This includes responding quickly to their questions and providing updates about product changes and market trends. 

Consider assigning dedicated partner managers who can build relationships with partners and understand their specific challenges. These managers can then provide support and additional training or resources. 

Checking in with partners regularly also helps you understand what’s working and what isn’t in your enablement program. Partners will tell you if the tools are difficult to use, or if they need support in areas you haven’t considered. 

Sales Coaching

Strategies for Driving Growth Through Partner/Channel Sales Enablement

Create Tiered Partner Programs 

Not all partners are the same, and your enablement approach shouldn’t treat them as if they are. Certification programs add credibility, help assess partner capabilities, and identify top performers, fostering engagement and commitment. Use these programs to create different tiers based on partner performance, commitment level, and strategic importance. 

Your top-tier partners might receive exclusive training sessions, early access to new products, and higher commission rates, while mid-tier partners get standard training and support, and newer partners start with basic onboarding programs. This approach motivates partners to increase their engagement with your program. 

Make the requirements for each tier clear and achievable. Partners should understand exactly what they need to do to move up to the next level and what additional benefits they’ll receive when they get there. 

Focus on Solution Selling Skills 

Today’s buyers don’t want to hear about product features; they want to understand how your solution will solve their specific problems. Sales enablement teams should focus on these essential skills for differentiating your product or service and closing deals. 

Train your partners to ask better discovery questions and listen carefully to the answers. They should learn how to uncover the real business challenges their prospects face, not just the surface-level problems they initially describe. Once they understand these deeper issues, they can position your solution as the path to achieving the prospect’s goals. 

Implement Joint Planning and Account Management 

Your most strategic accounts deserve coordinated attention from both your internal team and your partners. Create joint account planning processes where you work together to identify opportunities and coordinate your approach. 

This collaboration ensures that prospects receive consistent messaging whether they’re talking to your direct sales team or your partners. It also helps partners learn from your more experienced salespeople and understand how to manage complex, multi-stakeholder sales processes. 

Leverage Technology for Scalability 

Use technology platforms to train partners, track their performance, and provide support when partners need it. Consider implementing chatbots or AI-powered tools that can answer common partner questions instantly. This reduces the burden on your partner management team while ensuring partners get help when they need it, regardless of time zones or business hours. 

Make your platforms mobile-friendly so that partners can access training and resources from their phones or tablets while traveling between customer meetings. Make sure your partner portal and training materials work well on all devices. 

Measure and Optimize Performance 

Establish clear, measurable objectives for the partner sales enablement program, such as increasing sales, expanding market reach, or improving partner satisfaction. Set KPIs to track progress, such as sales growth, partner engagement rates, and deal close rates. 

Track both leading indicators (like training completion rates and partner portal usage) and lagging indicators (like revenue generated and deal close rates) to get a complete picture of your program’s effectiveness. Use this data to identify which partners need additional support and which enablement activities drive the best results. 

Share these metrics with your partners so they can see how they compare to others and understand where they have opportunities to improve. 

Actionable Tip

Create a partner portal with customizable sales resources, making it easy for partners to access the tools they need to represent your brand confidently.

Final Thoughts

When properly implemented, partner and channel sales enablement can help businesses capture more market share and reduce customer acquisition costs. To make the best of it, treat partner enablement as an ongoing process rather than a one-time project. Your partners’ needs will change as markets evolve, and your enablement program needs to adapt accordingly.  

Remember that the best partner enablement programs create mutual value. When your partners are successful in selling your products, they’ll naturally want to invest more time and energy into the relationship

Solution Selling vs. Value-Based Selling: Which Approach Wins in Today’s Market?

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Selling skills

Solution selling vs value based selling

One approach starts with the customer’s problem. The other starts with the value of fixing it. Most comparisons ask you to choose. The better question is which comes first.

By Iain Swanston, Founder, Klozers

  • Updated 11 November 2026
6 minute read
Diagram of one sales conversation in three phases from Gap to Value: define the gap, quantify the cost, quantify the value. Solution selling covers the first phase. Value based selling covers the last. The value is established when the buyer states it.
Diagram: where each approach sits in one sales conversation, using the three phases of Gap to Value.
In short

In solution selling vs value based selling, the difference is the starting point. Solution selling starts with the customer’s problem and shows how your offer solves it. Value based selling starts with the measurable business result and what it is worth. The strongest conversations use both, in order: define the problem first, then agree what fixing it is worth.

On this page

Key takeaways

  1. Solution selling starts with the customer’s problem. Value based selling starts with the business result and what it is worth.
  2. Solution selling suits buyers who have not yet defined their problem. Value based selling suits buyers who need a financial case.
  3. Used alone, each one fails in a predictable way: no case for spending, or a figure with nothing behind it.
  4. Run them in order. Define the problem, then its cost, then the value of fixing it.
  5. The value counts when the buyer states it, not when the salesperson does.

What is the difference in solution selling vs value based selling?

The difference is where the conversation starts. Solution selling asks what problem the customer has that you can solve. Value based selling asks what measurable result the customer needs, and what it is worth to them.

What is solution selling?

Solution selling is built on the idea that customers buy to solve problems, not to own products. The conversation starts with discovery. You find out what is not working in the customer’s business, why, and what it affects. You present your offer only once the problem is clear, and you present it as the answer to that problem.

Take a salesperson selling project management software to a marketing agency. Instead of starting with a demonstration, they ask about the agency’s current projects. They find missed deadlines, poor communication between teams, and clients who feel left out. Only then do they show how the software addresses each of those problems.

What is value based selling?

Value based selling starts with outcomes. The conversation is about the measurable result your offer can deliver: more revenue, lower cost, faster delivery or less risk. The salesperson needs to understand how the offer turns into a financial result for the customer, in terms the people who approve the spend recognise.

With the same agency, a value based conversation moves quickly to the cost of missed deadlines. How much rushed work do they cause? Do clients charge penalties? Has the agency lost a client because of them? The conversation becomes about the return on fixing the problem, not about the software’s features.

How do the two approaches differ in practice?

AreaSolution sellingValue based selling
Starting pointThe customer’s problemThe business result and its value
Typical questionWhat is your biggest difficulty with the current process?What would a 25% improvement be worth to your business?
Conversation styleExploratory and diagnosticAnalytical and focused on the future
Buyer it suitsBuyers still working out what the problem isSenior and financial buyers who want a case for spending
Success measured byWhether the stated problem is solvedWhether the agreed value is delivered

Solution selling builds a working relationship, because buyer and seller define the problem together. It can also be slow. Some senior buyers do not want to spend time on problems they already know about. Value based selling speaks directly to those buyers, because it talks about results in their terms.

One and two day sales workshops
Bespoke, measured, and built to last.

Every workshop is built from a blank page around your team’s own live deals. No slides. Every topic carries a KPI you agree up front, then track and prove afterwards.

Pre and post assessment, so you see the change

Worked on your real deals, in the room

Manager Embed Plan and calls at 30, 60 and 90 days

Delivered in person by a practitioner, not a presenter

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Trusted by teams at Microsoft, Panasonic, TikTok, Bizerba, Marangoni and Lathams.

When does each approach work best?

Solution selling works best when the product is complex or technical, and several people in the customer need to understand how it fits their situation. It suits buyers early in their research, who know something is wrong but have not yet defined it.

Value based selling works best with buyers who already understand the problem and need a reason to spend money on it. Senior and financial buyers expect the conversation to reach a figure. It is also stronger when budgets are under pressure, because a measured return competes better for funds.

Why should you use both, in order?

Because each one fails in a predictable way when it is used alone. Solution selling without value leaves the buyer agreeing there is a problem, with no case to take to the people who approve the spend. Value based selling without a defined problem produces a figure with nothing behind it, and the buyer has no reason to believe it.

Used in order, they become one conversation. Klozers calls this Gap to Value, and it has three phases:

  1. Define the gap. The difference between where the customer is now and where they need to be, and what shows it.
  2. Quantify the cost. What the gap costs the business, in figures the customer recognises, and what it costs the people who live with it.
  3. Quantify the value. What closing the gap is worth to the customer.

The first phase is what solution selling does well. The last is what value based selling does well. The middle phase connects them, and it is the one most often skipped.

Who should state the value?

The buyer. The value is established when the buyer states it, not when you state it. If you calculate the saving and present it, it becomes your claim, and the buyer’s job is to find what is wrong with it. If the buyer states the figure, it is their conclusion, and they will defend it to the people who approve the spend.

Back to the agency. The salesperson asks what missed deadlines cost in a year, counting rushed work and penalties. The buyer is not sure. So the salesperson offers a range: somewhere between 20,000 and 60,000? The buyer corrects it to nearer 45,000. That figure now belongs to the buyer, and it is the starting point for the value of fixing the problem.

Number line from 0 to 80,000. The salesperson offers a range of 20,000 to 60,000 for what missed deadlines cost each year. The buyer corrects it to 45,000. Worked example.
Chart: offer a range, and let the buyer correct it. Worked example.

A range gives the buyer something to correct. A buyer who corrects your range has told you the number they believe. If the buyer accepts the range without changing it, you do not yet have agreement, only silence.

Both approaches are core selling skills, covered with the others in our guide to the core selling skills. For practice on your own deals, see solution selling training for your team. Read more about value based selling training and applying solution selling.

Do this on Monday
Test one live deal against both halves.

Four tasks, one week, no supplier needed.

  1. Pick one open deal and write the customer’s problem in one sentence, in the customer’s words.
  2. Write down what that problem costs them each year. Note whether the customer said it, or you estimated it.
  3. If you estimated it, plan a question that offers the customer a range to correct.
  4. On the next call, ask it, and write down the figure the customer gives you.

Common questions about solution and value based selling

Is value based selling better than solution selling?

Neither is better on its own. Solution selling finds and defines the problem. Value based selling shows what fixing it is worth. A conversation that does only one of them either has no case for spending money, or no agreed problem to spend it on.

The buyer. If you state the figure, it is your claim and the buyer can dispute it. If the buyer states it, or corrects your range, it is their figure to take to the people who approve the spend.

Yes, and it is easier than learning them separately, because they are steps in the same conversation. Practise them on the team’s own live deals, so each salesperson leaves with the problem and its value defined for a real customer.

Related reading
Commercial
Solution Selling Skills Training Course
Cluster hub
Selling Skills
Supporting
Value-Based Selling Training
Iain Swanston
Founder & Lead Trainer Klozers · London, Dortmund, Austin, Melbourne

Iain has trained and coached B2B sales teams since 2008. He was Lead Trainer and Coach at Microsoft Scotland. Before that he sold capital equipment and managed sales teams in the UK and North America. He served as an Associate at Strathclyde University Business School, where he delivered the sales content for the Masters in Entrepreneurship from 2015 to 2019.

Connect with Iain on LinkedIn

Bespoke sales training
You are not buying a day of training.

You are buying a change in how your team sells, and the proof that it worked. A short call to agree what your team needs and a date that works.

Book a free consultation

Why Value-Based Selling Training is Outperforming Old-School Sales Tactics 

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Selling skills and best practice

Value-based selling training

Most value-based selling training teaches salespeople to describe value. The value that wins a deal is the figure the buyer states, so the training has to change what happens in discovery.

By Iain Swanston, Founder, Klozers

  • Updated 10 November 2026
7 minute read
Diagram: a seller states a calculated value of £480,000 a year, while a buyer corrects a range of £200,000 to £400,000 to nearer £250,000. The buyer’s figure is the one that matters.
Example figures. The buyer’s corrected figure is the one they will repeat inside their own organisation.
In short

Value-based selling training teaches salespeople to sell on the financial result the buyer will get, not on product features or price. The most important skill is used in discovery: agreeing the financial outcome with the buyer before discussing any solution. A value the buyer has stated or corrected is their conclusion. A value the seller calculates is only a claim.

On this page

Key takeaways

  1. Value is established when the buyer states it, not when the seller describes it.
  2. Agree the financial outcome with the buyer before you discuss any solution.
  3. Offer a range for the buyer to correct, not a single figure for you to defend.
  4. Measure the training on average deal value, with a target agreed before it starts.

What is value-based selling training?

Value-based selling training teaches salespeople to sell on the financial result a buyer will get from solving a problem. The product, the features and the price all come later. Klozers calls this approach Value Selling: agreeing a financial outcome with the buyer before any discussion of a solution.

Most value-based selling training teaches something different. It teaches value propositions, ROI calculators and customer stories. Those improve what the seller says. They do not change what the buyer believes, because the buyer did not produce any of it.

Why does describing value rarely work?

A value you describe is your claim. The buyer has no reason to defend it, and procurement has every reason to reduce it. When the price is challenged, a seller who has only their own figure has nothing to return to except a discount.

ROI calculators have the same weakness. Suppose a calculator shows that a problem costs the buyer £480,000 a year. The seller chose the inputs, so the result is still the seller’s number. Buyers discount figures they did not help to produce, and they are right to.

A calculator is useful as a starting point for a conversation. It is not useful as the conclusion of one.

When is the value established?

The value is established when the buyer states it, not when you state it. That is the central idea of Gap to Value, the framework Klozers teaches for value-based selling.

This changes where the work happens. Klozers’ position is that a demonstration does not sell anything. It confirms a sale that was made in a good discovery call. If the buyer has not stated the value before the demonstration, no demonstration will state it for them.

How do you get the buyer to state the value?

Ask in a fixed order. Gap to Value has seven stages in three phases: define the gap, quantify the cost and quantify the value. In plain terms, a discovery conversation covers four things.

  1. Agree the gap. Where does the business need to be, and by when? Where is it today?
  2. Agree the cost. What does the gap cost each year, in the buyer’s own financial terms?
  3. Agree the personal cost. What does it mean for the buyer’s own targets, workload and standing this year?
  4. Agree the value. Ask the buyer what closing the gap is worth to them.

Salespeople often treat the costs as one step and stop after the first. The personal cost is the stage salespeople leave out most often, and it is the stage that creates urgency.

Offer a range, not a figure

When the buyer cannot give a figure, offer a range and ask them to correct it. For example: “In businesses of a similar size, this costs between £200,000 and £400,000 a year. Is that high, low or about right?”

If the buyer answers “Lower, nearer £250,000”, that figure now belongs to them. It is smaller than the calculator’s figure, and it is far more useful. The buyer will repeat it to the people who approve the money.

An uncorrected number is not agreement. If the buyer does not correct the range, ask again until they do.

One and two day sales workshops
Bespoke, measured, and built to last.

Every workshop is built from a blank page around your team’s own live deals. No slides. Every topic carries a KPI you agree up front, then track and prove afterwards.

Pre and post assessment, so you see the change

Worked on your real deals, in the room

Manager Embed Plan and calls at 30, 60 and 90 days

Delivered in person by a practitioner, not a presenter

Book a free consultation

Trusted by teams at Microsoft, Panasonic, TikTok, Bizerba, Marangoni and Lathams.

What should value-based selling training include?

Value-based selling is a change in behaviour, not a change in vocabulary. A programme should give salespeople practice in the conversations where value is agreed, on deals they are working now.

  • Discovery questions, practised on the team’s own open deals rather than on a case study.
  • Offering a range and recording the buyer’s correction in the buyer’s own words.
  • Writing proposals that state the value before the price, because the investment only makes sense against what success is worth.
  • Holding the value when the price is challenged, instead of moving to a discount.
  • A plan each salesperson writes during the training, which their manager uses afterwards.

The last point matters most. A plan someone wrote themselves is a plan they will defend. A plan given to them is only a document.

Why do salespeople discount when they mean to sell value?

Most salespeople agree with value-based selling in the training room. The problem appears later, when a buyer pushes on price and the deal is due to close this quarter. Under that pressure, salespeople return to the habits they know: they describe features and they offer a discount.

This is rarely a lack of knowledge. It is usually a missing step in discovery. A salesperson who never asked the buyer to state the value has no figure to return to, so the discount is the only answer left. Training that only teaches the argument does not change this. Training that makes salespeople ask the questions on their own deals does.

Who should attend value-based selling training?

Anyone who talks to buyers about money: salespeople, account managers, pre-sales and technical salespeople. Their sales managers should attend as well.

Managers matter because they decide what is inspected after the training. If a manager asks “What discount do they need?” in a deal review, the team will discount. If the manager asks “What value did the buyer state, in their words?”, the team will ask the buyer. Klozers gives managers their own plan for reinforcing the behaviour, with follow-up calls at 30, 60 and 90 days.

How do you measure value-based selling training?

Agree the measure before the training starts. Klozers sets one KPI for each topic and does not use satisfaction scores. For Value Selling, the measure is average deal value.

Two results from Klozers sales simulation work in 2025 show what that looks like. A 96-person technology company increased its average deal value by 18%. A 270-person manufacturer reduced early-stage discounting by 33%. These are results from single engagements, not averages across clients.

Chart: in two Klozers sales simulation engagements in 2025, average deal value rose 18% at a 96-person technology company and early-stage discounting fell 33% at a 270-person manufacturer.
Source: Klozers sales simulation delivery, 2025. Single engagements, not averages across clients.

How is value-based selling different from solution selling?

Solution selling starts with the buyer’s problem and matches a solution to it. Value-based selling goes one step further. It agrees what solving the problem is worth before any solution is discussed.

The difference shows when the price is challenged. A seller who has sold a solution defends the solution. A seller who has agreed the value returns to the buyer’s own figure. For a fuller comparison, read solution selling vs value-based selling.

Should value-based selling training be bespoke?

The conversations that set value depend on your market, your prices and your buyers. Generic examples about software or office supplies do not help a team that sells industrial equipment or professional services.

Klozers builds the programme from your own deals. We interview your salespeople and managers before designing anything, so the discovery questions, ranges and examples use your figures. See how value selling in a bespoke programme is designed and delivered.

The workshop runs on your team’s live deals, not on a case study. Each salesperson leaves with a written plan for the deals they are working now.

Do this on Monday
Check whether your buyers have stated the value.

You need your three largest open deals and thirty minutes.

  1. For each deal, write down the value of solving the buyer’s problem, and who stated it.
  2. Mark each figure the buyer stated or corrected, and each figure your team calculated.
  3. For every figure your team calculated, write one range you could ask the buyer to correct.
  4. Ask that question in your next conversation with each buyer, and record their answer in their words.

Common questions about value-based selling training

What is value-based selling?

Value-based selling is selling on the financial result the buyer will get from solving a problem, rather than on features or price. The value is established when the buyer states it.

Four skills: discovery questions that define the problem and its cost, and offering a range for the buyer to correct. Then writing the value before the price in a proposal, and holding the value when the price is challenged.

Klozers delivers it as a one-day workshop of four 90-minute modules. Delivered live online, the same modules run as separate sessions, one or two a week, so salespeople can practise between sessions.

Agree one measure before the training starts. For value-based selling, the usual measure is average deal value, tracked on the team’s own deals before and after the training.

No. Solution selling matches a solution to the buyer’s problem. Value-based selling agrees what solving the problem is worth before any solution is discussed.

Related reading
Commercial
Bespoke sales training
Supporting
Solution Selling vs Value-Based Selling
Product
Sales simulation
Iain Swanston
Founder & Lead Trainer Klozers · London, Dortmund, Austin, Melbourne

Iain has trained and coached B2B sales teams since 2008. He was Lead Trainer and Coach at Microsoft Scotland. Before that he sold capital equipment and managed sales teams in the UK and North America. He served as an Associate at Strathclyde University Business School, where he delivered the sales content for the Masters in Entrepreneurship from 2015 to 2019.

Connect with Iain on LinkedIn

Bespoke sales training
You are not buying a day of training.

You are buying a change in how your team sells, and the proof that it worked. A short call to agree your four topics and a date that works.

Book a free consultation

A Guide to Sales Kick-off Planning & Execution for High-Performing Teams 

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A Guide to Sales Kick-off Planning & Execution for High-Performing Teams
Sales kickoff

Sales Kick-Off Planning for High-Performing Teams

Do not fill valuable kickoff time with information that could have been delivered beforehand. Start with what needs to change after the event, then use the time together for alignment, decisions, practice and application.

By Iain Swanston, Founder, Klozers

  • Updated 15 October 2026
5 minute read
Comparison of content to deliver before a sales kickoff and work to use the kickoff for.
Protect kickoff time for work that benefits from participation. Routine information can often be delivered before the event.
Short answer

A high-performing sales team does not need more content simply because everyone is together. Define the business outcome and the few behaviours, decisions or capabilities that need to change. Use the kickoff for work that benefits from people being together, then build manager reinforcement and follow-through into the plan before the event begins.

On this page

Start with what should change after the kickoff

Before you choose speakers, activities or an agenda, define what should be different after the event. The answer might be a clearer approach to qualification, better account planning, stronger discovery, a new go-to-market priority or more consistent management of opportunities.

Then separate what the team already does well from what needs to change. This matters because a kickoff should not replace effective internal practice with a new methodology simply for the sake of novelty. Preserve what works. Add new methods where there is a genuine capability or execution gap.

If you need the wider architecture for the event, use our complete sales kickoff guide. This article focuses specifically on planning the work that happens before, during and after the event.

Decide what actually deserves kickoff time

Time with the whole sales team is limited. Treat it accordingly. Routine information, reference material and basic updates can often be delivered before the event. The kickoff itself is better suited to activities that require people to work together.

Consider moving before the event

Routine information, reference material, basic updates and material people can read or watch without discussion.

Protect kickoff time for

Alignment, discussion, decisions, practice, application and work on real sales situations.

This is not a rule that every presentation is unnecessary. Leadership context can be important. The test is whether the format serves the outcome or simply occupies the agenda.

Involve the right stakeholders before you build the agenda

HR and L&D should not have to infer the commercial priorities alone. Speak with the sales leader, relevant managers and other stakeholders who own the outcomes the kickoff is expected to support.

Ask what is changing in the market, what the team is struggling to execute consistently, what good performance already looks like internally and what managers need to reinforce afterwards. These conversations give you the evidence needed to decide what belongs in the event.

Build the agenda around participation, not presentations

Once the outcomes are clear, design the agenda backwards from the work participants need to do. If the objective is alignment, create structured discussion. If the objective is a decision, give the group the information and process needed to reach it. If the objective is capability development, create time to practise and apply the skill.

A sequence of presentations can communicate information, but it does not automatically create application. The agenda should make clear what participants are expected to contribute, practise, decide or produce.

Use real sales situations when capability development is required

Where appropriate, use live accounts, opportunities, prospecting situations or customer conversations as the material for practice. This reduces the distance between the session and the work people return to afterwards.

Sales training simulations can provide a structured way to practise realistic situations and receive feedback without turning the whole kickoff into a lecture.

Adjacent-skill evidence: this evidence is about workplace learning and development, not sales kickoffs specifically. The CIPD defines learning transfer as applying newly acquired knowledge and skills to real workplace situations and argues that transfer should be an integral part of the L&D process. That supports designing follow-through and application into capability-focused kickoff sessions rather than treating attendance as the end point. CIPD: evidence-based L&D and learning transfer.

Choose speakers against the job they need to perform

Do not begin with a speaker list. Decide what the session needs to achieve, then choose the person and format that fit the brief. You may need a speaker for perspective or challenge, a trainer for capability and practice, or a facilitator for structured discussion and decisions.

Our guide to choosing sales kickoff speakers sets out the selection criteria in more detail.

Get the logistics right without letting logistics drive the event

Venue, room layout, travel, technology, timing and breaks all matter because poor logistics can obstruct participation. But they are delivery constraints, not the purpose of the kickoff.

Design the work first. Then choose the environment and schedule that make that work possible. For example, a session built around small-group opportunity work needs a different room layout from a leadership briefing.

Build follow-through before the kickoff starts

If participants are expected to use something differently after the event, decide in advance how that expectation will be reinforced. Managers need to know what to observe, what to discuss and when progress will be reviewed.

This is especially important when the kickoff includes training. The event can introduce and practise a capability, but the working environment determines whether people continue to use it. Build manager involvement into the design rather than adding a follow-up email after the event.

Measure what happens after the event

Attendee feedback can tell you how people experienced the event. It does not tell you whether the required behaviour, decision or commercial action happened afterwards.

Return to the outcome defined at the start. If the requirement was a new account-planning discipline, inspect whether account plans are being used. If it was stronger discovery, managers need a way to observe and coach discovery. If it was alignment around priority opportunities, review whether the agreed actions were completed.

The measure should match the outcome. Do not claim revenue impact where the evidence only shows attendance, satisfaction or completion.

Sales kickoff planning checklist organised into before, during and after the event.
A practical planning checklist for connecting the event to the work that happens before and after it.

Sales kickoff planning checklist

Before
  1. Define the business outcome.
  2. Identify the required behaviour or decision.
  3. Capture existing good practice.
  4. Identify what must be learned, decided or practised.
  5. Move routine information before the event where appropriate.
During
  1. Create participation around the priority.
  2. Practise where capability development is required.
  3. Use relevant sales situations.
  4. Make required decisions.
  5. Agree actions and ownership.
After
  1. Give managers a reinforcement role.
  2. Observe the required behaviour.
  3. Review agreed actions.
  4. Check progress at an agreed point.
  5. Measure against the original outcome.

When should sales training be part of the kickoff?

Include training when a capability gap is genuinely preventing the team from executing the commercial priority. Do not add training simply because a kickoff agenda needs another session.

For teams that need practical development around their own sales environment, Klozers can run your kickoff as a bespoke programme. The starting point is the outcome, the existing internal best practice and the sales situations the team needs to handle more effectively.

Iain Swanston
Founder & Lead Trainer Klozers · London, Dortmund, Austin, Melbourne

Iain has trained and coached B2B sales teams since 2008. He was Lead Trainer and Coach at Microsoft Scotland. Before that he sold capital equipment and managed sales teams in the UK and North America. He served as an Associate at Strathclyde University Business School, where he delivered the sales content for the Masters in Entrepreneurship from 2015 to 2019.

Connect with Iain on LinkedIn

Sales kickoff support
Plan the kickoff around what needs to happen afterwards.

If your kickoff includes sales development, we can help you turn the commercial priorities into practical sessions built around your team’s real sales work.

Book a free consultation

Top 10 AI Skills Every Sales Professional Needs to Crush It in 2025

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Top 10 AI Skills Every Sales Professional Needs to Know

AI SKILLs - Top Question FRom Google

What are the most important AI skills sales professionals need to stay competitive in 2025?

Sales in 2025 will be defined by how well professionals can combine human expertise with AI capability. Buyers expect speed, precision, and personalisation that simply can’t be delivered through traditional selling methods alone. That’s why mastering the right AI skills is no longer optional: it’s the difference between hitting quota and being left behind. In this guide, we’ll break down the top 10 AI skills every sales professional should focus on, how they translate into day-to-day results, and which tools can help you get there faster.

Free access to our best tools and templates

Join our thriving community of B2B Sales professionals & leaders for free training and support.

 
B2B Sales School  

Introduction: Top 10 AI Skills Every Sales Professional Needs

Artificial intelligence isn’t just a trendy topic anymore; it’s a must-have strategic tool for every business.  

And nowhere is this more evident than in B2B sales, where the pressure to work faster, personalise more deeply, and forecast more accurately is relentless. 

If you’re a sales professional or revenue leader, it’s no longer enough to rely on charm, product knowledge, or relationship-building alone. The most successful salespeople today are blending those traditional skills with AI capabilities to gain a competitive edge.  

Buyers are savvier, entire sales cycles are tighter, and the amount of sales and customer data available is staggering. AI helps make sense of this modern sales landscape. 

AI can make your job easier and your results stronger, whether you’re a business development rep sending dozens of outreach emails daily, an account executive managing multi-stakeholder deals, or a sales manager coaching a remote team.  

In this article, we’ll explore exactly how B2B sales teams can leverage AI, the top 10 AI skills you’ll need in 2025, the real-world benefits of acquiring these skills, and a rundown of the AI tools and technologies reshaping sales as we know it. 

AI Sales Manager

How your sales team can leverage AI

The smartest B2B sales organisations aren’t just experimenting with AI, they’re integrating it into the core of their growth and sales strategies.  

Rather than treating AI as a set of disconnected tools, they’re using it to transform how they find opportunities, engage prospects, and drive sales performance at scale. 

When AI is mentioned in sales, the conversation often jumps straight to tools. However, the true opportunity lies in transforming workflows. AI empowers sales teams to do more of what works and less of what doesn’t.  

Here are some of the key ways B2B sales teams are harnessing AI: 

Smarter Sales Prospecting

AI can crawl company websites, scan job boards, and even monitor funding news to identify new prospects or trigger events worth pursuing. Rather than spending hours trawling LinkedIn or databases, sales reps can use AI tools to generate targeted lead lists in minutes. 

AI Powered Opportunity Identification 

Top-performing sales teams are using AI to uncover new sources of revenue, both in their core markets and in emerging segments.  

Analysing customer behaviour, purchase history, and market signals helps sales professionals spot untapped potential that might otherwise be missed.  

AI can help identify dormant accounts with renewed interest or flag cross-sell opportunities, bringing precision to opportunity discovery. 

Personal Outreach At Scale 

Sales innovators are leveraging generative AI to tailor offerings and outreach to increasingly niche customer needs. No more one-size-fits-all messaging.  

AI enables reps to craft communications that speak directly to the buyer’s role, industry, business pain points, and intent, resulting in higher engagement and trust from the first touchpoint.  

Combined with human review and contextual adjustments, this enables scalable yet authentic outreach. 

Value-based, AI-enabled pricing 

Gone are the days of flat pricing models and guesswork. With AI, companies are leveraging advanced data analysis and machine learning tools to shift toward dynamic, value-based pricing that adjusts based on customer segment, buying context, and perceived value.  

This not only sharpens pricing discipline but also gives sellers more confidence in structuring deals that align with customer preferences and business objectives. 

Digitally enabled task automation 

AI is a powerful tool for freeing up sellers’ time to focus on relationship-building and closing deals.  

From prioritising leads and scheduling follow-ups to summarising meetings and drafting proposals, task automation powered by AI allows sellers to deliver value more quickly and consistently.  

It also helps teams build better sales and marketing alignment and sync together day-to-day activities with AI-powered sales strategies. 

Meeting Intelligence & Coaching

Sales calls are full of insight if you know where to look. Tools like Gong and Chorus use AI to analyse meetings, flag competitive mentions, and highlight talk-to-listen ratios. Sales managers no longer need to manually review recordings to coach their team effectively. 

Pipeline & Forecasting Accuracy

By analysing patterns across deals, AI can highlight which opportunities are most likely to close and which are at risk. This helps sales leaders provide more accurate forecasts, identify red flags early, and better allocate resources. 

Data Driven Talent Development

Sales organisations are also using AI to improve how they assess and develop talent. Performance data can now be analysed in real time, revealing which behaviours lead to sales success and where coaching is needed.  

AI also supports capability-building at scale, delivering personalised learning paths and targeted feedback that continuously improve seller and sales effectiveness.  

At Klozers, our AI training for sales reps goes beyond theory. We help B2B teams embed AI into their sales processes without disrupting what already works. 

Sales Coaching

Top AI skills for sales professionals in 2025

Mastering AI in sales doesn’t mean becoming a data scientist. It means acquiring practical, job-relevant, and human skills that align with how sales is done today.  

Here are the 10 most valuable AI skills for sales professionals in 2025: 

1. Prompt Engineering

Crafting effective prompts is key to generating useful outputs from AI tools. The best sales reps will know how to structure prompts to get nuanced and contextually relevant responses. 

Example: Instead of typing “write a follow-up email,” a well-crafted prompt might be: “Write a concise, friendly follow-up email to a marketing manager at a B2B SaaS company who expressed mild interest in a demo last week but hasn’t replied.” 

2. AI-aided research and insight gathering 

Sales professionals must know how to use AI to gather valuable insights about accounts, market trends, and competitor activity. Tools like ChatGPT, Apollo, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator (with AI overlays) allow for rapid, surface-level and deeper research. 

3. AI-enhanced email writing and sequencing

While anyone can generate an email with AI, few can fine-tune it into a message that gets opened, read, and replied to. Skill lies in editing for tone, clarity, and value, while maintaining personalisation and professionalism. 

4. AI-driven task management and workflow optimisation 

AI won’t replace salespeople, but those who can delegate low-value tasks to automation will have a major edge. Sales professionals must learn how to integrate AI tools into their daily routines to automate admin tasks, generate follow-up actions from meetings, and maintain clean, accurate CRM data. 

5. Customising sales collateral with AI 

Whether it’s a proposal, case study, or slide deck, AI tools like Canva AI, ChatGPT, or Beautiful.ai can generate or assist in tailoring content for specific clients, thus saving time and making it contextually relevant to each client and their needs. 

6. Simulating sales scenarios with AI 

Salespeople can use AI to roleplay challenging conversations or practice objection handling in private. This allows for skill development in a low-pressure environment and with real-world examples before stepping into high-stakes meetings. 

7. Analysing conversational data 

Reps and managers should learn how to review and interpret the insights surfaced by conversation intelligence tools: keyword frequency, objection patterns, competitor mentions, and buyer sentiment trends. 

8. Forecasting and deal risk assessment 

Understanding how AI models flag deal risks, perhaps due to buyer inactivity, weak multi-threading, or poor timing, enables reps to take pre-emptive action to re-engage or reposition. 

9. Fluency in sales tech stack 

Reps don’t need to be IT experts, but they should be comfortable using AI-driven tools inside the CRM or enablement platform. This includes configuring email cadences, running AI-assisted reporting, or setting up alerts. 

10. Ethical AI 

AI should enhance trust, not erode it. Sales professionals need a strong grasp of where AI fits and where it doesn’t, ensuring privacy, compliance, and transparency in all sales operations. 

AI can help you - create the right conditions

Benefits of AI skills for sales professionals

Sales teams that are equipped to use AI effectively don’t just work faster, they work smarter, with greater precision and impact across every stage of the funnel. 

Here’s what businesses typically gain when their salespeople are trained to harness AI: 

  • Increased sales productivity with AI: By automating time-consuming admin and repetitive tasks, AI frees up reps to focus on what really matters: engaging prospects and closing deals. 
  • Shorter sales cycles: AI accelerates research, sharpens messaging, and improves buyer targeting, enabling sales conversations to progress faster and more efficiently. 
  • Higher win rates: Personalised outreach, real-time objection handling, and data-backed follow-ups give reps the edge needed to convert more opportunities into wins. 
  • Smarter coaching and performance development: With AI-generated insights from calls, emails, and CRM activity, sales leaders can deliver targeted, real-time coaching that directly improves individual and team performance. 
  • Greater commercial agility: Teams become more responsive to shifts in buyer behaviour and market dynamics, using AI to adapt messaging, reprioritise efforts, and seize emerging opportunities without delay. 

At Klozers, we focus not just on introducing new tools but on developing the skills and confidence your team needs to turn those tools into measurable outcomes. 

Types of generative AI used in sales

Different types of generative AI are utilised at various stages of the sales funnel, each delivering value in distinct ways. They include:  

  • Text generation: Used for crafting AI-powered outreach emails, LinkedIn messages, call scripts, and value propositions. Text-based AI is the most widely adopted in sales today. 
  • Speech and voice analysis: AI tools analyse sales calls for sentiment, talk ratios, filler words, and buying signals, transforming conversation data into coaching opportunities. 
  • Image and visual content: Used to quickly generate visuals for sales decks, social media posts, or case studies, particularly valuable for BDRs who work closely with marketing. 
  • Multimodal AI: The next frontier, combining voice, text, and visual AI. Tools like Fireflies, Zoom AI Companion, and Microsoft Copilot are beginning to offer integrated sales support across formats. 
Sales Coaching

Top generative AI tools for sales teams in 2025

Here’s a curated list of some of the best AI tools for sales teams in 2025: 

  • Gong: For real-time call intelligence, deal tracking, and rep coaching based on actual conversations. 
  • ChatGPT Enterprise: Customisable AI chatbots used for drafting emails, summarising content, and brainstorming ideas. 
  • Lavender: Enhances cold email writing with AI-driven scoring, tone correction, and personalisation tips. 
  • Salesforce Einstein: Native AI embedded in Salesforce, supporting lead scoring with AI, opportunity insights, and sales analytics. 
  • HubSpot AI: Offers predictive lead scoring, content generation, and AI-powered chatbots that are ideal for SMEs. 
  • Apollo AI: Combines prospecting and outreach tools with intelligent lead recommendations. 
  • Fireflies: Transcribes meetings and provides searchable, shareable notes with AI-driven highlights. 
  • Pipedrive: AI sales assistant.  

These sales AI tools are only as powerful as the humans behind them. That’s why at Klozers, our AI Skills for Sales course focuses on sales techniques and skills before software, ensuring teams get the most out of every tool they use. 

ACTIONABLE TIP

Start practicing prompt engineering today. Take one AI tool you already use, whether it’s ChatGPT, Salesforce Einstein, or Apollo, and experiment with writing more specific prompts for a single task like follow-up emails. Track which versions get higher open or reply rates. Small daily tests will sharpen your AI prompting skill and translate directly into better sales outcomes.

Takeaway: Master these 10 AI skills to outsell the competition in 2025

2025 won’t reward sales teams that dabble in AI. It will reward those who embed it into their culture, sales training, and everyday workflows. 

Your team doesn’t need to be tech geniuses; they need to be curious, coachable, and empowered. 

Investing in AI fluency today will yield better engagement, more conversions, faster onboarding, and stronger forecasting. But above all, it will futureproof your sales team in an increasingly competitive, AI-enhanced marketplace. 

At Klozers, we’re helping forward-thinking sales teams across sectors turn AI into a competitive advantage. Through tailored workshops, executive coaching, and practical sales enablement, we’ll help your team develop the AI skills that drive results. 

Do you want to unlock your team’s full potential with AI? Explore our AI Sales Skills Training and Coaching Programmes today. 

FAQ's AI Skills

Here are the answers to some common questions about AI in sales:  

How can AI help with finding and closing leads

AI identifies promising leads by analysing behaviour, demographics, and buying intent. It helps sales teams prioritise outreach, personalise messaging, and suggest next steps. This makes prospecting more efficient and improves close rates by enabling reps to engage the right people with the right message at the right time. 

Prompt engineering involves crafting clear, specific instructions to get better results from AI tools. In sales, it helps reps generate personalised emails, summarise meetings, or simulate objections. Strong prompts save time and improve content quality, making AI a more reliable assistant in everyday sales activities. 

AI supports and will most likely not outrightly replace sales reps. It handles repetitive tasks and surfaces useful insights, freeing up time for reps to focus on building relationships and closing deals. Those who embrace AI will have a thriving sales career; those who ignore it may fall behind as tech-savvy peers outperform them using smarter tools. 

What soft skills still matter when using AI in sales?

When using AI, sales reps must apply critical thinking to interpret data and question AI-generated suggestions. Adaptability is also key to mastering new tools and workflows, turning AI insights into strategic digital selling techniques and personalised customer engagement and human-led conversations that build trust. 

AI can feel impersonal if overused or poorly implemented. However, when used effectively, it enhances personalisation by providing deeper insights into each prospect. The key is combining AI efficiency with human empathy, ensuring customer interactions are relevant, timely, and aligned with each customer’s specific needs. 

Top tools include Gong for call analysis, ChatGPT for content creation, Apollo.io, an AI tool for lead generation, and Salesforce Einstein for pipeline insights and CRM automation. These platforms help reps automate routine work, stay organised, and engage and understand customers more effectively, so they can focus on data-driven selling. 

 

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Mental Health in Sales FREE Training

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mastering mental health in sales

Mental Health in Sales - Top Question from Google

How stressful is a sales job?

Here’s the short answer:

Sales can be stressful due to pressure, rejection, and long hours. However, it offers high earning potential, accomplishment, variety, and personal development. Whether it suits you depends on your personality and stress tolerance.

In this article we will cover...

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. The Hidden Toll - Why Mental Health Matters

The fast-paced, high-pressure world of sales can take a significant toll on mental health. While the pursuit of success and exceeding quotas can be motivating, the relentless pursuit of performance can often come at a cost.

Statistics paint a concerning picture:

These statistics illustrate the hidden toll that the demands of sales can take on mental wellbeing. Ignoring these concerns can have detrimental consequences, not only for individual salespeople but also for the entire organization.

2. The Unique Challenges of Sales & Mental Wellbeing

Sales professionals face a unique set of challenges that contribute to elevated stress and risk factors for mental health issues compared to other professions. Here are some key factors:

  • Pressure to Perform: Sales are often commission-based, creating significant pressure to meet or exceed individual quotas. This constant pressure to perform can lead to anxiety, burnout, and feelings of inadequacy if they miss their sales goals.
  • Rejection Sensitivity: Sales involves frequent customer rejection, which can be emotionally draining and impact your self-esteem. A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that salespeople experience higher levels of rejection sensitivity compared to individuals in other professions [https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-18724-001].
  • Unpredictable Work Schedules: Many sales roles require long hours, travel, and unpredictable schedules. This work-life imbalance can disrupt sleep patterns, create difficulty maintaining healthy habits, and contribute to feelings of isolation and loneliness.
  • Highly Competitive Environment: The competitive nature of the sales industry can breed feelings of inadequacy, envy, and imposter syndrome, further contributing to stress and anxiety.

By understanding these unique challenges, organizations and individuals can prioritize mental health support and create a more supportive work environment for sales professionals.

3. The Impact of Poor Mental Health on Sales Performance

The negative impact of poor mental health on sales performance is well-documented and can have significant consequences for both individual salespeople and organizations. Here’s a breakdown of some key effects:

  • Decreased Productivity: A study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that employees experiencing symptoms of depression are 37% less productive than their healthy counterparts. This translates to decreased sales calls, missed opportunities, and lower overall revenue generation.
  • Increased Absenteeism and Turnover: Mental health issues can lead to increased absenteeism and employee turnover, further disrupting team dynamics and impacting overall sales performance. A 2018 report by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) estimated that depression alone costs U.S. employers $170 billion annually due to absenteeism, presenteeism (reduced productivity while at work), and medical expense.
  • Diminished Decision-Making: Chronic stress and anxiety associated with poor mental health can impair cognitive function and decision-making abilities. A study published in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience found that stress can lead to impaired judgment, reduced creativity, and difficulty focusing, all of which can negatively impact sales strategies and negotiations.

These detrimental effects highlight the importance of prioritizing mental health support within sales teams. By creating a culture of well-being and offering resources and support systems, organizations can empower their salespeople to thrive and improve their performance.

4. Building Resilience: Strategies for Salespeople

The demanding nature of sales can undoubtedly test mental resilience. Fortunately, by developing coping mechanisms and adopting healthy habits, salespeople can learn to thrive in a high-pressure environment. Here are some key strategies:

1. Cultivate a Growth Mindset: Embrace challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that individuals with a growth mindset demonstrate greater resilience in the face of setbacks and are more likely to persist towards achieving their goals.

2. Practice Mindfulness and Stress Management: Techniques like meditation, deep breathing exercises, and regular physical activity can effectively reduce stress and improve emotional regulation. A 2017 meta-analysis published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that mindfulness-based interventions can significantly reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.

3. Seek Social Support: Building strong relationships with colleagues, friends, and family can provide invaluable support and a sense of belonging. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that individuals with strong social networks experience lower levels of depression and anxiety.

4. Celebrate Wins and Focus on Progress: Acknowledge and celebrate even small victories to maintain motivation and build confidence. Focusing on progress, not just the end goal, helps maintain a positive outlook and fosters resilience in the face of challenges.

5. Prioritize Self-Care: Make time for activities that promote relaxation and well-being, such as hobbies, spending time in nature, or getting enough sleep. Prioritizing self-care helps manage stress and prevent burnout, leading to increased resilience and overall well-being.

By adopting these strategies, salespeople can cultivate mental resilience and navigate the challenges of their profession with greater confidence and well-being.  However, if in doubt please seek professional help here https://www.wellityglobal.com  

5. Creating a Supportive Sales Culture

Beyond individual strategies, building and maintaining a supportive sales culture is crucial for promoting mental well-being and optimizing team performance. Here’s how organizations can create a more positive and empowering environment for their salespeople:

  • Open Communication and Feedback: Encourage open communication and regular feedback sessions. This allows salespeople to voice concerns, receive constructive criticism in a safe space, and feel supported by management.
  • Focus on Collaboration: Promote collaboration over cutthroat competition. Encourage knowledge sharing, team problem-solving, and celebrate collective wins. This fosters a sense of camaraderie and reduces feelings of isolation.
  • Work-Life Balance: Implement flexible work arrangements and discourage practices that lead to burnout, such as excessive overtime or constant after-hours communication.
  • Recognition and Appreciation: Recognize and celebrate individual and team achievements. Public acknowledgement of successes reinforces positive behaviors and motivates continued effort.
  • Mental Health Resources: Provide access to mental health resources such as Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) or online resources on stress management and mental well-being.
  • Destigmatize Seeking Help: Normalize conversations about mental health and encourage open communication about challenges. This reduces stigma and creates a safe space for salespeople to seek help when needed.

By prioritizing these elements, organizations can create a supportive sales culture that fosters mental well-being, boosts employee morale, and ultimately, drives improvements in sales performance.

6. Benefits of Prioritising Mental Health in Sales

Investing in the mental well-being of your sales team isn’t just the humane thing to do, it’s a strategic decision with demonstrably positive outcomes for both employees and the organization. Here’s how prioritizing mental health in sales can benefit your company:

  • Enhanced Sales Performance: Studies have shown a clear link between mental well-being and sales success. A happier, less stressed salesforce is more productive, resilient, and capable of handling rejection. A study by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that employees who report higher levels of well-being are significantly more likely to be high performers [https://www.apa.org/].
  • Reduced Absenteeism and Turnover: Mental health issues can lead to increased absences and employee churn. By addressing these concerns, companies can experience significant cost savings and maintain a stable, experienced sales team. A 2020 report by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that depression and anxiety cost the global economy $1 trillion in lost productivity each year [https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression].
  • Improved Decision-Making: Chronic stress and anxiety can negatively impact cognitive function. By prioritizing mental health, you empower your salespeople to make sound decisions, develop effective sales strategies, and ultimately close more deals.
  • Enhanced Customer Relationships: A happier, more well-balanced salesperson is more likely to project positive energy and build rapport with customers. This fosters trust, strengthens relationships, and increases customer satisfaction.
  • Stronger Employer Brand: Companies that prioritize employee well-being attract and retain top talent. By fostering a supportive environment, you build a positive employer brand that makes your organization more competitive in the talent marketplace.

These benefits highlight the strategic value of prioritizing mental health in sales. By investing in the well-being of your salespeople, you’re not just doing the right thing; you’re also creating a high-performing, successful sales team.

7. Getting Help: Resources for Sales Professionals

Prioritizing mental health is key to success in sales. If you’re struggling, know that you’re not alone. Numerous resources exist to support sales professionals across the globe.

For Sales Professionals in the UK:

For Sales Professionals in the US:

  • National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): A national organization offering support groups, educational resources, and advocacy for mental health: https://www.nami.org/Home
  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Provides mental health information and resources, including a treatment locator tool: https://www.nimh.nih.gov/
  • The Jed Foundation: Focuses on mental health resources and support specifically for teenagers and young adults, including those entering the workforce: https://jedfoundation.org/
  • The Trevor Project: Provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services specifically for LGBTQ+ youth, a demographic with higher rates of mental health concerns: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

For Sales Professionals in Australia:

Additional Resources:

  • Headspace National Support Line (Australia): 1300 22 4636
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (US): 988
  • Samaritans 24/7 Helpline (UK): 116 123

In addition to these resources, many Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) offered by employers can provide confidential counseling and support services. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your HR department to see what resources are available to you.

Remember, seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Taking care of your mental well-being is essential for success in both your personal and professional life.

8. FREE TRAINING

As part of our giving back Klozers are proud to offer free sales training for the B2B sales community.  Course details:

Building a Sales Mindset & Mastering the Pressure Cooker of Sales

Learning Objectives:

By the end of your training session, your sales team will be able to:

  1. Identify the unique stressors faced by B2B sales professionals.
  2. Understand the negative impact of chronic stress on performance and health.
  3. Apply five practical strategies to manage stress, anxiety, and pressure.
  4. Develop a personalized plan to prioritize your mental well-being.

Course Duration – 90 minutes

Delivery – Live Online

To Request a FREE Course  – >>>Contact Us Here<<<

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

Check out our sales Training courses here

Online Sales Training – Supercharge Your Sales Team

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Best Online Sales Training Courses

Online Sales Training, how much does it cost?- Top Question from Google

How much does online sales training cost?

Here’s the short answer:

Online sales training varies in cost from free for a recorded program, to $2000 per participant, for live training customised to your needs. 

In this article we will cover...

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. Online Sales Training Courses

Online training became popular during the covid lockdowns of 2020, when sales professionals were no longer able to work from their traditional office, or field based roles. 

Overnight the lockdowns made B2B selling much tougher and employers needed to find online solutions to support their teams.

Whilst the lockdowns have thankfully gone, what has remained are sales teams who now work remotely.  Working remotely is often not just working from home.  More often than not working remotely means working from your home in another region or country.

With increases in flights and hotel charges, bringing remote sales teams together has become very expensive. 

“Companies that move sales training online save 30 to 70 percent on travel costs and lost productivity.” – Brevit Group

This is where online training courses come into their own, and can give your sales professionals and sales managers the support they need to grow and develop.

If you’re wondering whether online sales training is an inferior alternative to traditional In-person training, read on to find out can still be an effective tool in your learning arsenal.

What are the Biggest Challenges in Remote Selling?

What are the Top Skills Gaps in your Sales Team?

2. Online Sales Courses Available via Klozers

As a business we now have the ability to deliver our entire portfolio of training courses for online delivery.  These courses are delivered live online with one of our sales trainers.  Each of our sales courses is modular, which means that you can easily swap modules in and out to build a bespoke sales course that meets your exact needs.

We have 17 sales courses available and 65 modules as shown below:

COURSE NAME

TRAINING MODULES (90 mins each)

Sales Fundamentals (Level 100)

Building your Sales Pipeline

Questioning Techniques

Objection

Handling Techniques

The Art of Klozing

AI for Sales

(Level 200)

Pre-call Intelligence & Strategic Targeting

Data Driven Negotiation and Deal Structuring

Hyper personalised engagement & Relationship Building

Competitive Intelligence and Strategic Differentiation

Consultative Selling Skills (Level 200)

Consultative Selling Intro

Perfecting your Value Proposition

Collaborative Problem Solving

Negotiation, Klozing & Customer Success

Story Telling for Sales

Skills (Level 200)

The Science of Storytelling: Why Stories Sell

Crafting Your Compelling Sales Narrative

Putting Your Stories to Work in the Sales Cycle

Storytelling Mastery: Taking It to the Next Level

Solution Selling (Level 200)

Uncovering Customer Buying Motives

Perfecting your Value Proposition

Mastering the Sales Conversation

Klozing & Building Long Term Partnerships

SaaS Sales Training (SDRs) (Level 200)

Sales Mindset of a Winner

Perfecting your Value Proposition

Outbound Sales Prospecting

Needs Assessment Discovery & Qualifying

SaaS Sales Training (AEs)

(Level 200)

Pre-demo Preparation

Selling Value not Price

SaaS Product Demos

Objection

Handling Techniques

LinkedIn Sales Training

(Level 200)

Building your LinkedIn Sales Arsenal

The Art of Persuasive Communication

Mastering the Sales Conversation

LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Telephone Sales Training (Level 200)

Sales Mindset

of a Winner

Perfecting your Value Proposition

Telephone Sales Skills

Live Calling with Coaching

90 Day Sales Planning

(Level 100, 200 & 300)

Principals of 90 Day Planning

Creating an Effective Action Plan

Communication & Collaboration

Accountability & Motivation

Outbound Lead Generation

(Level 200)

Building a Value Proposition

Cold Email Outreach

LinkedIn Selling Skills

Telephone Sales Skills

Inbound Lead Generation (Day 1 of 2)

(Level 200)

Introduction and Case Study Review

Strategy and Planning

Creating content that converts

Building High Value Assets

Inbound Lead Generation (Day 2 of 2)

(Level 200)

Technical Requirements and Set up

Selling Online

Measurements & Reporting

Action Planning

Key Account Management (Day 1 of 2) (Level 300)

Unlocking the Power of Key Accounts

Understanding the Enterprise Landscape

Building Trusted Relationships

 

Crafting a Winning Key Account Plan

Key Account Management (Day 2 of 2) (Level 300)

Sales Negotiation and Deal Structuring

Implementing Your Key Account Strategy

Maintaining and Growing Key Accounts

The Future of Key Account Management

Sales Negotiation Training (Level 300)

Foundation of B2B Negotiations

Planning & Preparation

Mastering the Negotiation Dance

Beyond the Deal

Enterprise Sales Training

(Level 300)

This course content is customised to meet your exact needs.

This course content is customised to meet your exact needs.

This course content is customised to meet your exact needs.

This course content is customised to meet your exact needs.

Bespoke Sales Training

(Level 100, 200 & 300)

This course content is customised to meet your exact needs

This course content is customised to meet your exact needs

This course content is customised to meet your exact needs

This course content is customised to meet your exact needs

Sales Management & Leadership

(Level 300)

Sales Benchmarking & Improvement Planning

Sales Leadership Styles

Sales Performance & Coaching

Hiring Sales Winners

3. Online Training vs In-Person Sales Training Courses

In-person or face to face delivery of sales training remains highly popular, however, some companies find the costs prohibitive and the disruption to schedules affect productivity. The logistics involved with arranging classroom-based learning can be very costly, not only in terms of your budget, but your time too. 

Online training tends to be delivered in bite sized chunks making it easier for sales reps to consume and less impactful on their diary.  In addition to the challenges of taking time out for traditional face to face training training, some salespeople report struggling after the training to internalise and implement what they have learned.

One or two days away from your desk, usually only serves to create a backlog of work for salespeople to return to and deal with. This creates a tendency to continue “doing what you’ve always done” rather than implementing new sales strategies, new sales skills and new sales techniques.

Technological advancements with products like Microsoft Teams and learning portals have made online sales training much more effective and easier to deliver and consume learning.

Video conferencing, enhanced streaming capabilities and the emergence of powerful and dependable new software have made online sales training much more effective than it was in the past.

It’s now possible to source training from experts around the world, rather than just ones based in your locality. We ourselves are now supporting companies from Melbourne, Australia to San Francisco, California with their sales strategy, business development, selling process, inbound sales methodology and new customer acquisition.

The Klozers team regularly deliver online training to clients with sales professionals in multiple countries and spanning different time zones. 

online sales training

4. Sales Coaching Online

An often overlooked but important part of the learning and development process, is sales coaching.

Training is the transfer of knowledge, whereas coaching is the practical application of the knowledge in the field. Coaching takes what sales reps learn in the classroom, and coaches them through how to implement the new learning and new sales skills in the boardroom.

In addition to being able to provide important context and nuance, a good sales coach will boost the sales professionals morale and confidence.

Sales Coaching can also deliver real value when helping sales managers reps focus on the right behaviours. Learning new skills is worthless unless the skill is then used in the day to day behaviours of the sales representatives.

Many clients now choose a Hybrid delivery model whereby they start a sales training programme with a traditional face to face training workshop, and then follow this up with online sales coaching. 

 “Continuous training results in 50 percent higher net sales per employee.” Brevit Group

 

Exec Sales Coaching

Our executive sales coaching has grown in popularity and the online format works particularly well for time poor sales managers.

The Exec coaching is bespoke to every Exec, however, previous engagements have helped sales leaders with identifying potential buyers, inbound sales methodology, sales strategy, management skills, understanding the buying process, communication skills for inside sales, identifying customer pain points, emotional intelligence for sales professionals and an ongoing focus to close deals and build a successful sales team.

online sales training

5. Advantages of Online Training Courses

A more flexible way to learn:

Studies show that many of today’s b2b sales teams regard online sales training as more useful than classroom-based learning. “Learning helps me grow, adapt and achieve my career goals.” LinkedIn Learning Report.  
When salespeople can learn at their own pace, and at a time that suits them, they are more likely to feel engaged with the content.

In addition, they can even access the material in the comfort of their own homes in many cases. Some salespeople will inevitably learn quicker than others, so each sales rep can learn at their own pace rather than receiving training at the pace of the group which maybe too fast or too slow for them.

Most courses are simply accessed via a course link from your PC or mobile device which makes the learning process much easier for the user.

A Bite Sized Approach to Learning

Many sales people prefer the bite size approach our online learning offers. With this approach, they can take in 90 minute segments of content at a time and avoid being overloaded with information.

We typically deliver our courses which contain 4 modules at a rate of 1 module per week.  This allows participants to take in, absorb and most importantly go away and practice the new sales skills and sales strategies in between sessions. 

Nonetheless, online sales programs shouldn’t replace face to face learning completely.  Classroom-based training still offers certain benefits for your businesses, and we believe you should take advantage of both learning methods.

Keeping Your Team Productive

In-person or face to face sales training remains relevant, but it can harm also harm productivity. The logistics attached to arranging classroom-based learning can be very costly, not only in terms of your budget, but your time too.

Online training tends to be delivered in bite sized chunks making it easier for salespeople to consume.
In addition to the challenges of taking time out for traditional event based training, many salespeople report struggling after the training.

One or two days away from your desk usually only serves to create a backlog of work for the sales manager and reps to return to and deal with. Technological advancements with products like Microsoft Teams and learning portals have made online sales training much more effective and easier to deliver and consume.

Course Structure

Whilst traditional in person sales training has been delivered via one or two day sales courses this model does not lend itself to online delivery.

The format simply doesn’t work well with online learning, as asking sales professionals to sit at a desk for 8 hours a day is more likely to put them off learning than encourage them. Our web based sales training is structured very differently around shorter 90 minute sessions with breaks to avoid “Zoom fatigue”.

We have found that sessions lasting 2 hours are simply too long for most people, and our own online sessions are typically no longer than 90 minutes long. In addition, they are deliberately interactive in order to grab and hold the attention of participants. Rather than a one way monolog PowerPoint, every session includes interactive elements to engage participants and create a positive learning environment.

Each session in our web based sales training would normally contain some form of initial introduction and discussion on the topic, a piece of work based activity for the participants to complete, and a review conversation to capture lessons learned at the end.

Finding Specific or Bespoke Content:

Another key benefit of virtual training courses are that it’s now simpler to source the specific type of training you need.  If you require a sales course that’s specific to your industry or a problem that you’re facing, it’s easier than ever to locate people that can provide it.

Salespeople can receive their targeted sales skills training individually if they wish, or via a wider group in the sales team if Peer learning is part of the learning strategy.

Content is less likely to go off-topic when it is delivered online. They can also choose to learn at a time that suits them which helps keep the learning relevant to their needs.

Continuous Learning

We provide many advanced level online training courses for more experienced salespeople, looking to up-skill or refresh their skills, improve their techniques or go on to more leadership oriented subject matter.

A sales training course specifically for groups can also make teams more connected, help strengthen their relationships, increase collaboration, boost sales performance and provide a focus that reinforces the companies ongoing learning and development strategy.

Online training can be better suited for companies seeking continuous learning, whereas many face to face sales courses may see trainers only visit your company once or twice, per annum.

90 day sales plan free template

6. Self-Paced Sales Training Courses

We provide a limited number of Self-paced training courses online, however, we have found that instructor led training, which is delivered live is the optimum approach when engaging salespeople and creating a productive learning environment.

Simply put, without engagement there will be no improvement in either sales skills or sales behaviours and any increase in sales performance from the sales team will be negligible.

Live, Instructor led training is much better at capturing and holding the attention of any sales team. In our experience, salespeople are extremely busy, and when you are relying on them to find time in their day to complete self paced training it rarely happens.

Every company, every sales team has a specific nuance, a different context in terms of their approach and understanding of Selling skills, changes to sales process, sales performance, sales management and sales results. This can never be catered for in self paced learning. Participants need the ability to question, clarify and even challenge the sales trainer which is only available with instructor led training.

7. Post Training Support

Investing in your sales team is about more than just acquiring skills; it’s about cultivating a culture of continuous improvement, where knowledge drives performance and results.

Our ongoing sales training program transcends the traditional classroom model, providing a robust framework for sustained success:

  • Post-Training Coaching: We don’t stop at imparting knowledge. Our immersive 90-day sales coaching program empowers your team to internalize and master new sales techniques, ensuring practical efficacy and optimal ROI.

  • Peer-to-Peer Mastery Network: Foster cross-pollination of expertise and best practices internally through facilitated peer-to-peer coaching sessions. This collaborative environment fosters confidence, refines skillsets, and provides invaluable constructive feedback.

  • Evergreen Learning Ecosystem: We cultivate a culture of continuous learning and knowledge retention. Ongoing access to training materials, online resources, and refresher sessions keeps your team at the forefront of industry trends and best practices.

  • Victory Celebrations: Recognize and celebrate individual and team achievements, fostering a sense of purpose, reinforcing the value of continuous improvement, and fueling the fire of ambition within your sales force.

Remember, your sales team is the engine driving your success. By investing in their growth, you invest in your own.

Our complimentary consultations are your gateway to crafting a bespoke training program tailored to your unique needs and objectives. Ask any questions, discuss your vision, and let our experts build a roadmap to unleash the full potential of your sales force.

Transform your team from proficient to peak performers. Contact us today and ignite your sales engine!

8. In Conclusion

In today’s cutthroat B2B landscape, crushing your sales objectives demands more than just hustle. It requires a razor-sharp team equipped with mastery of the sales fundamentals, honed leadership skills, and the agility to adapt to ever-evolving customer needs. This is where Klozers online sales training emerges as your best choice.

Imagine:

  • Reps confidently navigating your entire sales process, from prospecting and qualification, inbound sales conversion, to objection handling, closing deals and improved customer relationships.
  • Leaders & Managers inspiring and motivating their teams, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.
  • Every interaction infused with customer-centricity, building lasting relationships and repeat business.

The benefits extend far beyond your bottom line. Invest in your team’s growth with online training, and watch as their confidence soars, and their job satisfaction increases. Don’t let outdated training methods hold you back. Take the first step towards unlocking your sales potential today.

Explore our comprehensive course library, featuring everything from sales basics to inbound advanced leadership training. Download our free resources, or contact our expert team to craft a personalized training program that perfectly aligns with your unique goals.

Remember, in the competitive world of B2B sales, the only constant is change. Embrace the power of online training and equip your team with the agility and expertise to thrive in any market.

Key features we provide that will power your success:

  • Flexible, virtual learning: Train at your own pace, even for field sales teams on the go.
  • Ongoing Review: Comprehensive assessments, track progress, manage teams, and ensure everyone’s on track.
  • Live, Instructor led training: Master skills and build confidence with ongoing support.
  • Diverse skill levels: Beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses cater to every member of your team.

The future of your sales success starts now. Invest in your team, invest in online training.

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

Check out our sales Training courses here

Designing the Best Sales Course

by
designing the best sales course

Designing the Best Sales Course - Top Question from Google

How do you design sales training that drives ROI?

Here’s the short answer:

  • Identify key sales goals & customer pain points. Align sales training with business objectives and address specific buyer challenges.
  • Build a data-driven curriculum. Leverage your existing sales metrics & data to tailor content and delivery methods.
  • Develop engaging learning experiences. Combine interactive workshops, role-playing, and personalized coaching for maximum impact.
  • Measure & refine for continuous improvement. Track performance metrics and adapt training to ensure ongoing ROI and team empowerment.

Data: Our tailored training programs deliver higher conversion rates and boost employee engagement by.

Call to Action: Download our free guide to designing impactful B2B sales training or schedule a consultation today!

In this article we will cover...

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. Designing a Sales Course That Drives Results

In the B2B sales arena, where complex solutions meet with complex decision-making, your sales team is the tip of the spear. Their skills, knowledge, and confidence directly impact your win rate and revenue. But with the sales landscape constantly evolving, off-the-shelf training programs might not be the best way forward for you.

At Klozers we are passionate about delivering results, not training.  Crazy as it may seem, there are still companies who are buying training so they can tick a box. 

Even though we deliver hundreds of our standard sales courses every year, there are times where our clients have a unique situation and benefit from the ability to create a bespoke sales training program.  We’ve put together this simple guide to help our customers design and build a customised training program. 

This helps ensure they get the most appropriate training content, which in turn, drives genuine business results.

2. Why Investing in the Best Sales Training Program Matters

In today’s competitive B2B landscape, having a highly skilled and motivated sales team is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. However, simply throwing any old sales course at your reps won’t do the trick. Investing in the best sales training program possible is the key to unlocking their true potential and driving revenue growth.

Why is this so crucial? Let’s delve into the seven key facets of why the right sales training program can be a game-changer for your business:

  • Boosted Revenue: A well-designed program equips your team with the knowledge, skills, and techniques they need to close more deals and boost your bottom line.
  • Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: When your salespeople are properly trained, they can better understand and meet the needs of your customers, leading to higher satisfaction levels and repeat business.
  • Stronger Brand Reputation: A team that consistently delivers excellent customer service through effective sales calls and meetings can help build a positive reputation for your brand.
  • Reduced Onboarding Time: A well-structured program can help get new salespeople up to speed quickly, reducing onboarding time and maximizing their productivity.
  • Elevated Employee Morale: Salespeople who feel confident and competent in their abilities are more likely to be engaged and motivated, leading to higher morale and lower turnover rates.
  • Sharpened Sales Skills: The program should teach essential skills like developing personalized presentations, overcoming objections, and building rapport, crucial for effective sales interactions.
  • Ongoing Focus on Learning: The best programs offer continuous learning opportunities through regular updates, online courses, and ongoing support, ensuring your team stays ahead of the curve.

So, what makes a sales training program the “best”?

There are many factors to consider, but some of the most important include:

  • Relevance: The content should be relevant to your specific industry, target market, and sales process.
  • Engagement: The program should be engaging and interactive, using a variety of methods to keep learners motivated.
  • Practical Application: The focus should be on teaching skills that can be applied in real-world sales situations.
  • Measurement: The program should have a clear way to measure its effectiveness, so you can track ROI and make improvements as needed.

By investing in a comprehensive sales training program, you give sales teams the tools they need to succeed. Remember, it’s not just about finding the most popular sales courses or the lowest price. It’s about finding the program that aligns perfectly with your specific business needs and empowers your team to build lasting relationships, win more deals, and ultimately, drive sustainable growth for your company.

Ready to take the next step? Explore the vast array of online and in-person training options available, from top-rated programs like Klozers.  There’s a perfect program out there waiting to transform your sales team into a force to be reckoned with.

Remember, the investment you make in sales training today is an investment in the future of your business. Choose wisely, and watch your sales soar!

3. What Constitutes a Sales Training Course?

At Klozers all our courses are modular.  This means that each course is made up of either 4 or 8 modules (1 or 2 day courses).  These modules can be swapped for other modules at no charge. 

Each of our modules last 90 minutes, so on a typical one-day training course we would deliver 2 modules in the morning and 2 modules in the afternoon.  This is obviously then replicated for our two-day courses.  The 90-minute modules allow time for breaks, and ensure the participants are never overloaded with information in any one session.

We’ve included a course agenda below as an example of what a typical 1 day sales training course would look like:  

b2b sales consultancy

4. How Bespoke can the Training Content be?

With Klozers modular framework clients can design and create their own sales training course using any of the modules listed below at for no additional charge.  Our modules are based on what we call the four “high value areas of sales” which are Finding, Klozing, Growing and Developing. 

Regardless of what industry you are in the more time that your sales reps focus on finding companies/people to sell to, once they find them they have to take the prospect through a process to Kloze them and then once they have done all this hard work they need to Grow and keep their new customer.  The last quadrant is “Developing” which is all about continuously developing your sales team in terms of productivity, skills and mindset.

For organisations that need a modules and a course designed exclusively for them, we charge extra for that design time.  In terms of costs this varies based on your individual requirements. 

This way the course can be up to 100% designed and bespoke to the needs of your organisation.

b2b sales consultancy

5. Choosing the Right Sales Training Modules

The training modules listed for each of our sales training courses on the website are the most popular modules for that particular course.  Indeed, many companies take our sales training courses as is, however, you are equally welcome to change the modules if you believe there is another module that is more suitable. 

In order to ensure that you are choosing the right modules you can follow our simple guide below:

Step 1: Diagnosing your Sales Training Needs

Think of your sales department as a high-performance engine. Before making any adjustments to increase performance, you need a thorough diagnostic. Here’s how you can do this:

  • Data Dive: Analyze sales metrics, KPIs, customer feedback, and call recordings to identify common strengths and weaknesses. Areas like prospecting, objection handling, closing techniques or sales process might need to be a focus.
  • Skill Gap Assessment: Use questionnaires or interviews to gauge individual skill levels and knowledge gaps. Are they comfortable navigating complex conversations? Can they effectively showcase your value proposition? What sales skills do they need to improve to get to the next level?
  • Stakeholder Interviews: Talk to sales managers, marketing, and even customers to understand expectations, challenges, and desired outcomes. What specific behaviours would boost win rates?
  • OKRs: If your sales team uses an OKR framework you can design the training in a way that supports the delivery of the OKRs.  What skills do they need to deliver their OKRs? Which OKRs are they struggling with? 
  • Sales Strategy:  You may have a new sales strategy that requires the sales team to approach sales in a different way.  For example: can your sales reps open new markets in a different vertical?  Can your sales professionals reach and hold a conversation with senior level decision makers in Enterprise accounts? Is your strategy focussed on inbound sales from new accounts, or are your nurturing existing customer relationships.

Step 2: Architect the Curriculum

Imagine your training as a strategic roadmap, guiding your team from Point A (current state) to Point B (sales mastery).

  • Define Learning Objectives: what would you like the sales team to be able to do that they currently cannot?  What would you like your sales teams to be better at, than they currently are?
  • Training Modules: Break down the roadmap into logical modules addressing identified skill gaps. This could include prospecting strategies, value proposition development, negotiation tactics, or customer relationship management.
  • Choose the Delivery Method: Will it be in-person / instructor led workshops, live online sales training, pre-recorded online sales training, blended learning, or a mix? Consider your team’s preferences, learning styles, and geographical spread. As a guide currently our most popular delivery method is hybrid where we start the project with a one-day in-person workshop which is then reinforced by 90 days of remote sales coaching.  

Step 3: Inject Real-World Relevance

Textbook scenarios rarely capture the dynamic B2B reality. To make your training impactful, inject real-world relevance.  So where possible we recommend you include:

  • Include senior people: Peer learning can be very powerful and by including senior people from your team they can help the participants connect the training to real world scenarios from their personal experience.  
  • Role-Playing: Consider setting aside one of your modules for roleplay so we can simulate real-world sales interactions like prospecting calls, customer presentations, or objection handling. This allows your team to practice in a safe environment, fostering confidence and refining their skills.

 Step 4: Accountability

Learning is great, however, implementing what is learned is equally important.  It’s vital to consider how you plan to hold the sales representatives accountable to integrating what they have learned into their daily sales behaviours.  This should be carried out by the sales leaders in the organisation.

  • Action Plans: All the courses include an “Action Plan” for participants to complete. 

It’s important that their line manager follows up on this after the training in order to hold participants accountable. 

 

Step 5: Measure and Monitor Success

Training isn’t a one-time event. To ensure sustained impact, you need to measure and monitor success:

  • Pre- and Post-Training Assessments: Use the same assessments used in Step 1 to track individual and team skill development. Have they closed the identified skill gaps?
  • Performance Metrics: Monitor sales data after the training. Did win rates increase? Average deal size? Time to close deals, Sales Process compliance. 
  • Team Feedback: Conduct surveys or interviews to gather feedback on the training’s effectiveness, engagement, and areas for improvement.

KLOZERS SALES TRAINING COURSES

KLOZERS SALES TRAINING MODULES (90 mins each)

Sales Fundamentals (Level 100)

Building your Sales Pipeline

Questioning Techniques

Objection

Handling Techniques

The Art of Klozing

AI for Sales

(Level 200)

Pre-call Intelligence & Strategic Targeting

Data Driven Negotiation and Deal Structuring

Hyper personalised engagement & Relationship Building

Competitive Intelligence and Strategic Differentiation

Consultative Selling Skills (Level 200)

Consultative Selling Intro

Building a Value Proposition

Collaborative Problem Solving

Negotiation, Klozing & Customer Success

Solution Selling (Level 200)

Uncovering Customer Buying Motives

Building a Value Proposition

Mastering the Sales Conversation

Klozing & Building Long Term Partnerships

SaaS Sales Training (SDRs) (Level 200)

Sales Mindset

Building a Value Proposition

Outbound Sales Prospecting

Needs Assessment Discovery & Qualifying

SaaS Sales Training (AEs)

(Level 200)

Pre-demo Preparation

Selling Value not Price

SaaS Product Demos

Objection

Handling Techniques

LinkedIn Sales Training

(Level 200)

Building your LinkedIn Sales Arsenal

The Art of Persuasive Communication

Mastering the Sales Conversation

LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Telephone Sales Training (Level 200)

Sales Mindset

Building a Value Proposition

Telephone Sales Roleplay

Live Calling with Coaching

90 Day Sales Planning

(Level 100, 200 & 300)

Principals of 90 Day Planning

Creating an Effective Action Plan

Communication & Collaboration

Accountability & Motivation

Outbound Lead Generation

(Level 200)

Building a Value Proposition

Cold Email Outreach

LinkedIn Selling Skills

Telephone Sales Skills

Inbound Lead Generation (Day 1 of 2)

(Level 200)

Introduction and Case Study Review

Strategy and Planning

Creating content that converts

Building High Value Assets

Inbound Lead Generation (Day 2 of 2)

(Level 200)

Technical Requirements and Set up

Selling Online

Measurements & Reporting

Action Planning

Key Account Management (Day 1 of 2) (Level 300)

Unlocking the Power of Key Accounts

Understanding the Enterprise Landscape

Building Trusted Relationships

Crafting a Winning Key Account Plan

Key Account Management (Day 2 of 2) (Level 300)

Sales Negotiation and Deal Structuring

Implementing Your Key Account Strategy

Maintaining and Growing Key Accounts

The Future of Key Account Management

Sales Negotiation Training (Level 300)

Foundation of B2B Negotiations

Planning & Preparation

Mastering the Negotiation Dance

Beyond the Deal

Enterprise Sales Training

(Level 300)

This course content is customised to meet your exact needs.

This course content is customised to meet your exact needs.

This course content is customised to meet your exact needs.

This course content is customised to meet your exact needs.

Bespoke Sales Training

(Level 100, 200 & 300)

This course content is customised to meet your exact needs

This course content is customised to meet your exact needs

This course content is customised to meet your exact needs

This course content is customised to meet your exact needs

Sales Management & Leadership

(Level 300)

Sales Benchmarking & Improvement Planning

Sales Leadership Styles

Sales Performance & Coaching

Hiring Sales Winners

6. Example: Building a "Value Selling" Masterclass

This is much simpler and easier than most people think, so here’s an example of these steps in action, and used to design a bespoke “Value Selling” masterclass for a B2B software company with customised modules based on their individual requirements:

  • Diagnose: Sales data reveals low win rates for high-value deals. Customer interviews point to weak value proposition articulation throughout the sales process.
  • Architect: The 1 day curriculum includes 4 x modules on 1) identifying customer pain points via consultative  questioning techniques, 2) building compelling value propositions, 3) storytelling in sales presentations, 4. Objection handling and closing techniques.
  • Real-World: Case studies analyze successful high-value deals within the company. Role-playing within the  sessions simulate questioning techniques, value presentations and objection handling.
  • Engage: Interactive exercises help participants build personalized value propositions. Peers from within the business who are regularly above target share their stories.
  • Monitor: Win rates for high-value deals are tracked monthly. Post-training feedback assesses the course’s effectiveness in improving value selling skills.

Remember, your bespoke sales training course is an investment, not a cost. By crafting unique sales training programs tailored to your unique challenges and opportunities, you’ll empower your sales team to become top sales performers. They’ll not just push products, but become trusted advisors, crafting solutions that perfectly align with customer needs and unlock mutual value. This leads to stronger relationships, higher win rates, and ultimately, sustainable business growth.

7. Sales Manager Training

The single biggest influence on any B2B sales professional’s success is their immediate line manager. Great managers create great sales reps, but sales management courses can give them the tools and techniques to be truly impactful. Delivering initial training sessions focused on the entire sales cycle, from inbound sales methodology to account management, is crucial. But to ensure your sales teams learn effectively, their line managers need to be on board too.

The right online sales course or onsite training program for sales leaders, ideally before rolling out training to the wider organization, can significantly improve your chances of sales success. Comprehensive courses from Klozers, focusing on business development, customer acquisition, and building trust, can equip managers to lead and support their teams effectively. They’ll learn specific techniques for nurturing leads, developing personal brands, and closing deals, with real-world exercises and actionable insights to solidify their learning.

Our free virtual courses can offer a convenient and accessible starting point for sales fundamentals, while more in-depth courses with sales simulations provide ongoing learning and enhanced user experience. Regardless of the format, choose a program with a similar structure to your sales process, covering aspects like price points, overcoming resistance, and handling objections. Most importantly, it should help managers build trust with their teams and cater to their specific needs.

Leading sales isn’t just about individual performance; it’s about team dynamics and collaboration. Sales team training programs focused on building trust, developing communication skills, and fostering a customer-centric approach can make a significant difference. These programs can teach managers how to effectively build support for new strategies and initiatives, while also providing them with the tools to manage their teams efficiently and mentor individual members.

Remember, the best sales training programs are those that are unique and tailored to your company’s specific needs. Consider factors like your industry, sales process, and target audience when choosing a program. Whether it’s focusing on digital products or mastering complex sales cycles, the right training can equip your sales managers to accelerate your business growth and lead your team to win more deals.

So, invest in your sales management team with the right training. It’s not just about improving individual skills; it’s about building a high-performing sales organization that can consistently attract customers, close deals, and drive sustainable growth.

8. Post Training Support

Here are some additional ideas to take your bespoke training to the next level:

  • Coaching: Consider our 90 day post coaching support to help your team internalise what they have learned during the training. 
  • Peer Coaching: Encourage peer-to-peer mentorship and practice sessions. This allows team members to learn from each other, share best practices, and provide constructive feedback in a supportive environment.
  • Ongoing Reinforcement: Don’t let the learning stop! We can provide ongoing access to training materials, online resources, and refresher sessions to ensure continual skill development and knowledge retention.
  • Celebrate Successes: Recognize and celebrate individual and team achievements. This keeps the momentum going, motivates further learning, and reinforces the value of continuous improvement.

Remember, your sales team is your engine of success – invest in your people, and watch your business soar.

We provide free consultations where you can ask any further questions you might have about specific aspects of creating your bespoke training course. We’re here to help you turn your sales team into sales champions!

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

Check out our sales Training courses here

Klozers Bolsters Leadership Team

by

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

Klozers Bolsters Leadership Team with Appointment of Marc Smit as General Manager to Drive Expansion

Smit brings over 30 years of sales expertise and 17 + years in training experience to Klozers

[Edinburgh, United Kingdom – 01/11/2023]

UK based Klozers, a leading provider of sales training and coaching, today announced the opening of its new European Headquarters in Amersfoort, Netherlands, in conjunction with the appointment of Marc Smit as General Manager.  The decision follows increased demand in Europe for their range of Professional Selling programmes throughout 2023.

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

New European Office

Klozers Founder and Managing Director, Iain Swanston said “We are forecasting record growth for the mainland of Europe, mainly in the DACH and Benelux regions.  Our new Amersfoort, NL office and the appointment of Marc Smit as General Manager, represents our commitment to our existing clients in the region.  Marc has a great track record, not just in sales education, but also in Business Development, and we are looking forward to working with him.”

Smit brings over 17 years of experience in the sales training industry working at the highest level.  Most recently, Smit worked as Partner at the European Institute for Sales, and previously as a Sales Performance Consultant at Miller Heiman where he helped clients achieve significant sales growth and profitability.

In his new role Smit will be responsible for leading Klozers Global Accounts Team and developing Klozers Worldwide Partner Delivery Network.

“We are thrilled to have Marc join our team,” said Iain Swanston, CEO of Klozers.  “His extensive experience in sales training and his proven track record of success make him the ideal person to lead our new European operations.  We are confident that under Marc’s leadership, we will continue to grow, expand our business, and help our clients achieve even greater success. “

Smit is a highly respected sales training expert and consultant.  He is also a certified Miller Heiman Sales Performance Consultant and is passionate about helping sales professionals and sales teams improve their skills and achieve their goals. 

“I am excited to join Klozers and lead the company’s growth and expansion.“ said Smit.  “Klozers is a leader in the sales training industry, and I am committed to helping our clients achieve even greater success.  I look forward to working with our team to develop and implement new sales training programmes and solutions that meet the needs of our clients.

About Klozers

Klozers is a leading provider of professional sales training and coaching.  The company offers a wide range of sales training programmes, exec sales coaching and consulting services.  Klozers clients include Fortune 500 as well as mid-market and large SMEs.

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

Check out our FREE Graduate Training

15 Energizing Sales Kickoff Themes for Your Team

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sales kickoff themes
Sales kickoff

15 Sales Kickoff Themes Built Around Business Priorities

A sales kickoff theme should do more than make the event memorable. Choose the business priority first, then use the theme to connect leadership messages, sales development and action planning around the same idea.

By Iain Swanston, Founder, Klozers

  • Updated 15 October 2026
5 minute read
Three-stage process for choosing a sales kickoff theme: business priority, theme, then agenda.
Choose the commercial priority before the theme. The theme then gives the agenda a clear organising idea.
Short answer

The best sales kickoff theme is one that reinforces the commercial priority of the event. Decide what the team needs to understand or do differently, choose a short theme that expresses that priority, then build the agenda and follow-through around it.

On this page

How to choose a sales kickoff theme

Start with the outcome, not a slogan. If the business needs to enter a new market, improve conversion, strengthen value selling or align several functions around the same plan, the theme should make that priority easier to understand and repeat.

Then test the theme against the event. Can leadership use it naturally? Does it help participants understand why the sessions belong together? Can managers refer back to it after the kickoff without it sounding forced?

Business priority → theme → agenda. That order keeps the theme connected to the work.

For the wider event structure, use the sales kickoff planning guide. It covers objectives, agenda design, speakers, training and follow-through.

15 sales kickoff theme ideas

The ideas below are grouped by the business objective they are designed to support. Each can be adapted to your language, sales strategy and internal priorities.

Growth and new markets

Build the Next Market

Use when the priority is entering a new sector, geography or customer segment. Centre the agenda on market insight, target accounts, customer problems and the sales behaviours needed to create traction.

Win the Right Opportunities

Use when the team needs better focus rather than simply more pipeline. Sessions can cover qualification, opportunity selection, deal strategy and where sales time should be invested.

From Pipeline to Growth

Use when the organisation has pipeline but needs stronger conversion. Connect the theme to opportunity progression, discovery, stakeholder engagement and next-step discipline.

Customer and value

Create Customer Value

Use when the team needs to move away from product-led conversations. Build sessions around customer priorities, discovery, value creation and how sellers connect solutions to business outcomes.

Sell the Difference

Use when buyers struggle to see meaningful differentiation. Focus the kickoff on customer problems, competitive alternatives, proof and how salespeople communicate relevant value.

Customer First

Use when the commercial priority is improving customer understanding across sales, marketing and account teams. Use customer evidence and real sales situations rather than treating the phrase as a slogan.

Execution and performance

Turn Strategy into Action

Use when leadership has a clear strategy but execution is inconsistent. Translate strategic priorities into the sales behaviours, account actions and manager follow-through required after the kickoff.

Raise the Standard

Use when the team needs greater consistency in how sales work is carried out. Define the behaviours that good execution requires, then give participants time to practise and apply them.

Focus. Execute. Improve.

Use when too many priorities are competing for attention. Narrow the kickoff to the few commercial actions that matter most and define how progress will be reviewed afterwards.

Change and innovation

Ready for What’s Next

Use when the business is responding to a significant market, product or organisational change. Give the team the context first, then work through the implications for customers and sales execution.

Adapt and Advance

Use when established sales habits need to change. Make the agenda practical by identifying which behaviours should be retained, which need to change and what sellers will do differently.

AI-Assisted Selling

Use when the business is introducing AI into sales work. Keep the theme focused on useful applications, judgement, workflow and customer value rather than presenting AI as the objective in itself.

Team alignment

One Team, One Plan

Use when sales, marketing, customer success or leadership need better alignment around the same commercial priorities. Build shared planning and decision-making into the event.

Better Together

Use when collaboration across roles, regions or functions is the main requirement. Give mixed groups real commercial problems to work on together rather than relying on generic team-building activities.

Connected to Win

Use when complex opportunities depend on better internal coordination or multi-stakeholder selling. Connect the theme to account coverage, information sharing and clear ownership.

Matrix of 15 sales kickoff theme ideas grouped by growth, customer value, execution, change and team alignment.
Fifteen theme options grouped by the business objective they are intended to support.

What makes a sales kickoff theme useful?

A useful theme is specific enough to support the commercial message but broad enough to connect several sessions. It should make sense to the people attending without a long explanation.

 
  • Relevant: it reflects a real business or sales priority.
  • Clear: people can understand the idea quickly.
  • Usable: leaders and facilitators can connect sessions to it naturally.
  • Practical: it can lead into decisions, practice and actions.
  • Repeatable: managers can refer back to it after the event.

How should the theme affect the agenda?

The theme should influence the questions the event asks, the examples people work on and the actions they leave with. It does not mean every slide needs the same headline or visual device.

If the theme is Turn Strategy into Action, for example, the agenda should give people time to translate the strategy into account, opportunity or prospecting actions. If the theme is Create Customer Value, the sessions should include customer problems, discovery and value conversations rather than only product updates.

If the kickoff contains a substantial training component, Klozers can run your kickoff as a bespoke programme, built around the priorities and sales situations your team needs to work on.

Should the theme determine your speaker?

It can help define the brief, but the speaker should still have a clear job to do. Choose someone because they can help the audience understand, practise or act on the priority, not because their presentation title happens to match the theme.

See our guide to choosing sales kickoff speakers for the questions to ask before you book someone.

What about virtual or hybrid sales kickoffs?

The same selection principle applies. A virtual event does not need a separate fantasy theme simply because it is online. Choose the business priority first, then design shorter sessions, participation and collaboration around the way people will attend.

Where active practice is important, sales training simulations can provide a structured way for participants to apply skills to realistic sales situations.

Sales kickoff theme FAQs

What is a good theme for a sales kickoff?

A good theme expresses the business priority of the kickoff in a short, usable idea. It should help connect the agenda and the actions expected after the event.

Define what the team needs to understand or do differently, select a theme that expresses that priority, then test whether the planned sessions and follow-through genuinely support it.

It can be motivating, but motivation should not be the only test. The theme should also help the team understand the commercial message and what needs to happen after the kickoff.

You can, but the delivery format does not need to determine the theme. The business priority should still come first.

Shortlist a small number that fit the business priority, then test them with the people responsible for the event. The final choice should be easy to explain and use throughout the agenda.

Related sales kickoff guides

Sales kickoff planning guide
Sales kickoff speakers
Sales training simulations
Iain Swanston
Founder & Lead Trainer Klozers · London, Dortmund, Austin, Melbourne

Iain has trained and coached B2B sales teams since 2008. He was Lead Trainer and Coach at Microsoft Scotland. Before that he sold capital equipment and managed sales teams in the UK and North America. He served as an Associate at Strathclyde University Business School, where he delivered the sales content for the Masters in Entrepreneurship from 2015 to 2019.

Connect with Iain on LinkedIn

Sales kickoff support
Need the training element of your kickoff to produce useful sales work?

Tell us what the team needs to do differently after the event. We can help you design practical sales training around those priorities.

Book a free consultation

Sales Graduate Training

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Sales Graduate Training

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

Klozers Embarks on Mission to Empower University Graduates Through FREE Education, Aiming to Enable 100,000 Graduates to Build a Career in Sales.

[Edinburgh, United Kingdom – 05/09/2023

Klozers, a leader in B2B sales education, is proud to announce a groundbreaking mission dedicated to fostering the next Generation of Sales Professionals. Our mission is clear: to equip the next generation of sales professionals with the essential skills they need to excel in the modern sales landscape. We are committed to providing top-notch sales training to 100,000 graduates, completely free of charge, because we firmly believe that education should never be a barrier to success.

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

Why We're Committed

  1. 1 in 8 Jobs are in Sales roles:  Sales is one of the largest sectors within employment, and the communication skills required for selling in the modern world, are equally important in other roles, outside of sales.

  2. Graduates need Help: Finding and retaining employment is arguably more difficult then ever.  In addition, many Graduates are leaving University burdened with debt, and getting the first step on the wage ladder is hugely important.

  3. Empowering the Workforce: At Klozers, we understand that educated, skilled graduates are the lifeblood of successful businesses. By imparting knowledge and expertise to navigate the sales landscape, we empower the workforce and contribute to the growth and prosperity of enterprises, both large and small.

  4. Bridging the Skills Gap: In the rapidly evolving world of modern sales, staying relevant is paramount. We offer comprehensive modules covering vital topics such as Building your Sales Pipeline, Mastering Questioning Techniques, Overcoming Objections, and The Art of Closing, ensuring that graduates are equipped to thrive in today’s competitive marketplace.

  5. Long-Term Careers: Our commitment to free education goes beyond the numbers; it’s about nurturing  graduates and supporting their skills development. By investing in the early stage growth of graduates, we can help them understand the benefits of a career in sales.  

  6. Driving Economic Prosperity: Empowered graduates lead to thriving businesses, vibrant industries, and prosperous economies. Through our mission, we actively contribute to the economic prosperity of the business community and society at large.  This is our way of giving back.

How You Can Join Us

We invite the business community to unite with us on this transformative journey. Partner with Klozers, and together, let’s pave the way for 100,000 graduates to unleash their true potential in sales. 

Your support is not just an investment in the future of your company; it’s an investment in the future of a generation, shaping a brighter tomorrow for all.

Join us as we build a community of skilled, confident, and accomplished sales professionals, driving the business world forward.

Partner with Klozers and become a catalyst for change and good – empowering 100,000 graduates to thrive in sales, absolutely FREE.

Check out all the free courses here: Online Courses – Klozers

For media inquiries, please contact:

Iain Swanston – sales @ klozers.com

About Klozers:

Klozers is a leading provider of B2B sales education, dedicated to empowering the next generation of sales professionals with the skills and knowledge the need to excel in the modern sales landscape. Our mission is to eliminate barriers to success by providing the modern sales training to 100,000 graduates, free of charge, ultimately contributing to the growth and prosperity of the business community. 

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

Check out our FREE Graduate Training

Sales Training Simulations

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Diagram: in a sales training simulation debrief, teams reach the Technical Evaluator and the Coach in most deals, and the Economic Owner in a minority, leaving the person who owns the outcome unreached.
Sales simulation

Sales Training Simulations Show You How Deals Are Actually Run

Training tells you what your team knows. Sales training simulations tell you what they do when the deal gets hard, and which people in the buying group they never reach.

By Iain Swanston, Founder, Klozers

  • Updated 31 October 2026
7 minute read
Diagram: in a sales training simulation debrief, teams reach the Technical Evaluator and the Coach in most deals, and the Economic Owner in a minority, leaving the person who owns the outcome unreached.
Diagram: sellers reach the Technical Evaluator and the Coach early because those are the comfortable conversations. The Economic Owner, who owns the pain and the outcome, is the role most often left unreached.
In short

A sales training simulation is a controlled selling scenario, built around your market and deal complexity, in which a team runs a deal from first contact to commitment while every decision is observed and recorded. Unlike role play, it produces evidence of how deals are run, not an opinion about how well someone performed.

Table of Contents

Key takeaways

  1. Training measures what a team knows. Sales training simulations measure what they do when the deal gets hard.
  2. Role play tests how someone performs. A simulation tests the decisions they take, and records them.
  3. The most common finding is that sellers reach the people who are easy to reach, and never reach the person who owns the outcome.
  4. The output is a baseline, not a score. It tells leadership where execution breaks, by stage and by seller.
  5. A simulation is a diagnostic. It is the step before you decide what to teach or what to standardise.

What is a sales training simulation?

A sales training simulation is a constructed deal. Your team runs it from first contact through to commitment, against a buying group who behave the way your real buyers behave. Every decision they take is visible, and every decision is recorded.

That is the whole point of it. In a workshop, a seller can tell you they always confirm who releases the money before they build a proposal. In a simulation, you find out whether they did.

The scenario is engineered rather than borrowed. Your deal sizes, your sales cycle, your buying group, your objections. A generic scenario produces generic behaviour, and generic behaviour tells you nothing you did not already suspect.

Training improves capability. It does not control execution.

How are sales training simulations different from role play?

Role play is a performance in front of the room. It is short, it is judged on delivery, and the seller knows exactly what is being marked. A simulation runs long enough for pressure to increase, and long enough for a seller to cut a corner and believe it was reasonable at the time.

The difference matters because those cut corners are what the simulation is there to record.  Nobody skips the Economic Owner in the first hour. They skip them in hour four, when the close date is under threat and the Technical Evaluator is returning calls.

Role playSales training simulation
Judged on how well someone spokeJudged on the decisions they took
A generic scenarioEngineered to your market and deal complexity
Runs for minutesRuns long enough for pressure to build
Produces a feeling about the teamProduces a baseline you can inspect
The seller knows what is being markedThe seller reveals what they do by default
One and two day sales workshops
Bespoke, measured, and built to last.

Every workshop is built from a blank page around your team’s own live deals. No slides. Every topic carries a KPI you agree up front, then track and prove afterwards.

Pre and post assessment, so you see the change

Worked on your real deals, in the room

Manager Embed Plan and calls at 30, 60 and 90 days

Delivered in person by a practitioner, not a presenter

Book a free consultation

Trusted by teams at Microsoft, Panasonic, TikTok, Bizerba, Marangoni and Lathams.

What do sales training simulations actually reveal?

Three patterns show up in almost every engagement, at every level of seniority.

The buying group is guessed at, not mapped

Sellers name the person who talks to them most and treat that person as the deal. They rarely separate the Economic Buyer, who releases the money, from the Economic Owner, who owns the pain of the problem and the outcome the purchase has to deliver.

Those are two different people, and confusing them is one of the most reliable ways to lose a deal late. You can persuade the Economic Buyer and still lose, because you never involved the person whose problem it is. A purchase nobody owns is usually abandoned inside the year.

A simulation makes this visible in a way a conversation cannot. At the debrief you can put the buying group on a screen and mark who was actually contacted. The Technical Evaluator is always there. The Coach is usually there. The Economic Owner frequently is not.

Value is described, then abandoned at the first price question

The value argument survives right up until the Commercial Evaluator arrives, at which point it is quietly replaced with a discount. Sellers who can articulate value fluently in the morning session concede it in the afternoon without noticing they have done so.

Commitment is assumed rather than tested

Deals move forward because the conversations have been friendly. Nobody asks what has to be true before this goes to the board, so nobody finds out that it was never going to.

Why does the buying group matter more than it used to?

Because your sellers get fewer chances to influence it. A Gartner survey of 646 B2B buyers, published in March 2026, found that 67% prefer a rep-free experience, and that 45% used AI during a recent purchase.

Read that alongside the finding in the same research that confident buyers are twice as likely to report a high-quality deal, and the conclusion is uncomfortable. Buyers are doing more of the work without you, and the deals that go well are the ones where the buying group reached clarity. If your seller spent their limited access on the person who checks features, that clarity was built without them.

This is not an argument for more training. It is an argument for knowing, before you train anyone, which of the eight roles your team actually reaches.

"Not a theoretical course. I left with a clear plan for my own accounts."

Workshop delegate

How do you know whether you need one?

Not every team does, and it is worth being blunt about that before anyone spends a budget.

A simulation earns its place when leadership suspects something is wrong but cannot name it. The forecast keeps slipping in the same way. Two sellers hit target and the rest do not, and nobody can articulate what the two do differently. Deals die late, after the demo, for reasons that never appear in the CRM. Those are execution problems, and they are invisible from a dashboard because a dashboard records outcomes rather than decisions.

It is the wrong tool when the problem is already named. If your team cannot explain what you sell, that is a product knowledge problem and a workshop will fix it faster and cheaper. If your pipeline is empty, no amount of deal execution work will help, because there are no deals to execute on. If leadership has already decided what the answer is and wants a day that confirms it, a simulation will simply produce evidence they ignore.

The honest test is whether you are willing to act on what it finds. A baseline that shows your team never reaches the Economic Owner is only useful if somebody then changes how deals are inspected. If nothing will change, you are buying an enjoyable day rather than a diagnostic, and there are cheaper ways to have one.

How do you run a sales training simulation that produces something useful?

Most simulations fail for the same reason most training fails. Nobody decides in advance what they are trying to find out, so the day produces enthusiasm and nothing else.

Decide the question first, then build the scenario to answer it. If the question is whether your team can reach the person who owns the outcome, the scenario needs a buying group where that person is deliberately hard to reach, and a Technical Evaluator who is very easy to reach and very willing to talk.

Agree the measure before the day, not after. The retention problem that undermines most sales training starts with a day that had no measure attached to it, and a plan that nobody inspected at 30 days.

Keep leadership in the room as observers. A debrief delivered second-hand is a report. A debrief watched live is a decision.

What do you get at the end?

A baseline of how deals were run, stage by stage and seller by seller. A 90 day action plan per seller, tied to their own real accounts rather than to the scenario. And a leadership debrief on what surfaced across the team, which is usually the part that changes what happens next.

Diagram: a sales training simulation produces three outputs. A baseline of how deals were run stage by stage, a 90 day action plan per seller tied to their own accounts, and a leadership debrief. The baseline is measured again at day 90.
Diagram: the three outputs of a sales training simulation. The baseline is the asset, because it is the only one of the three that can be measured again.

The baseline is the asset. It is what lets you measure again at 90 days and say whether anything moved, rather than asking people how they found the day. If you are choosing between providers, ask each one what you will hold at the end that you did not hold at the start. Browse all sales training courses if you want to see how a simulation fits alongside the rest of a programme, or read what to look for in B2B sales training for enterprise teams.

Do this on Monday
Run a ten minute version before you buy a full one.

You do not need a supplier to find out whether you have an execution problem. You need one meeting and four questions.

  1. Take your three largest open deals. For each one, ask the owning seller to name every person in the buying group.
  2. For each name, ask which one releases the money and which one owns the pain and the outcome. They are rarely the same person, and the second one is the one that matters.
  3. Ask what evidence exists that the person who owns the outcome has agreed the problem is worth solving. Not an opinion. A meeting, an email, or a number they gave you.
  4. Count how many of the three deals survive question three. That number is your baseline, and it cost you ten minutes.
Common questions about sales simulations
How long does a sales training simulation take?

Most run across one or two days. The scenario has to be long enough for pressure to increase, because the decisions that cost deals do not appear in the first hour. A two hour version tests presentation, not judgement.

It works better with experienced sellers. They have more habits, and habits are exactly what a simulation makes visible. Junior teams reveal gaps in knowledge. Senior teams reveal gaps in discipline, which are more expensive and harder to see any other way.

No. A business game is usually about understanding how an organisation works and is judged on engagement. A sales simulation is a diagnostic, engineered around your deal complexity and judged on what it reveals about execution.

No. It is the step before it. A simulation tells you what to fix, so the training that follows is aimed at something specific rather than at everything.

Yes, and for many teams that is the better starting point. Live deals are cheaper to work with and immediately relevant. An engineered scenario is worth the extra effort when you need to pressure-test something that your current pipeline does not happen to contain.

Related reading

Commercial
Browse all sales training courses
Bridge
Why sales training fails without reinforcement
Supporting
B2B sales training for enterprise teams
Iain Swanston
Founder & Lead Trainer Klozers · London, Dortmund, Austin, Melbourne

Iain has trained and coached B2B sales teams since 2008. He was Lead Trainer and Coach at Microsoft Scotland. Before that he sold capital equipment and managed sales teams in the UK and North America. He served as an Associate at Strathclyde University Business School, where he delivered the sales content for the Masters in Entrepreneurship from 2015 to 2019.

Connect with Iain on LinkedIn

Bespoke sales training
You are not buying a day of training.

You are buying a change in how your team sells, and the proof that it worked. A short call to work out what would need to change, and a date that works.

Book a free consultation

DISC Training for Sales Success

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DiSC training for sales

DISC Training for SALES - Top Question from Google

What DISC Personality is best for Sales?

Here’s the short answer:

In all our years of delivering sales training and coaching we can honestly say that we have worked with great salespeople from every quadrant.  Each DISC style has strengths and weaknesses and the best salespeople know how to manage these.

With that said, if you are selling into a vertical such as accountancy, where the group’s DISC culture is predominantly of a similar customer buying style, it is easier for salespeople who are from that same DISC style as the buyers, to build relationships and sell quickly.  

DISC is about preferences, there are no right or wrongs and there are no can do’s and can’t do’s. 

In this article we will cover...

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. DISC training for sales success

Disc training is a valuable tool for everyone who is customer facing, whether they be in customer service or frontline sales. If like us you believe that people buy from people, you will understand that DISC is an effective way to help salespeople build relationships, gain rapport and sell more.

Disc training helps salespeople better understand themselves and others, so they can be more successful in their sales role. 

Our sales team training teaches people how to identify their own sales style, different personality types, and how to adjust their approach accordingly. With the right training, salespeople can gain powerful skills that will enable them to close deals and increase their overall sales performance.

2. What is a DISC personality test?

DISC is a personality test that helps us understand what we do and how we behave. DISC tests have been developed over many years from the original assessment, which was developed by William Marston Moulton who based his work around the teachings of Carl Jung and Jung’s book “The Emotions of Normal People”.

So what is DISC?  Well every human being regardless of race, colour or creed has a preferred style of behaviours that they exhibit.  Specifically, every Human Being has a preferred style of behaviours that fall into one of four categories D – I – S or C.  Sometimes we are accused of labelling people, or putting them into boxes when we do this, but please do not be offended.  This is no different to recognising that some people are left handed or that some people have blue eyes, or others have red hair.  

There is no right or wrong, and neither is there a better or best DISC style.  Each of the four quadrants has strengths and weaknesses and this just recognises that none of us are perfect.

Take a DISC Assessment Now!

Supercharge my Communicaton Skills

3. What are the four DISC personality types?

DISC tells us that every individual has a “preferred” way of doing and behaving. These ways predominantly fall within four main types or disc styles. These DISC styles are: D Profile, I Profile, S Profile and C Profile.

Whilst many companies attach words to the styles such as D for Dominance or I for Influencer, we prefer not to, as words on their own can be subjective as individuals can draw different conclusions and meanings from the same words.

The Four most common words used to identify disc styles are:

D – Dominance

I – Influencer

S – Steadiness

C – Compliance

Not every individual fits exactly into the four quadrants and some share the traits of two or more quadrants.  However, each individual does have a centre which is the DISC style they will default to under stress.  

In addition to their natural sales style, some individuals have an adjusted style or work mask. Whilst the natural style never changes, the work mask can change based on the individuals perceptions of what they need to do to be successful. 

 

4. What does DISC training do?

From a sales perspective a DISC sales profile has four main benefits as follows:

  1. DISC assessments help salespeople identify and understand their own personal DISC sales profile.  In addition to a 16 page report on their DISC sales style, each of our participants has the opportunity to book additional training and coaching. 

  2. DISC assessments helps salespeople understand different customer buying styles and quickly build stronger relationships with their customers, thus improving sales effectiveness.

  3. DISC assessments helps sales leaders understand the strengths and weaknesses of their sales team and identify where they will need the most support.

  4. DISC assessments helps sales leaders identify the best DISC sales profile among candidates as part of the hiring process.

5. How DISC training drives sales results

DISC sales does more than help improve communication and sales interactions. It empowers salespeople at every step of the sales process and gives each individual specific strategies they can use to improve their sales performance and the customer experience.

In sales we understand that each of us has a different way of selling and that’s what makes us unique. Without loosing our natural sales style, it’s important to acknowledge that our sales style will fit well with many customers, but it may not fit well with others.

Our DISC sales style, in certain circumstances may hurt us and negatively influence the prospect. By providing salespeople with their own disc sales profile you are enabling them to

  • Provide participants with the self knowledge and a deeper understanding of their own natural sales style.

  • Help participants explore their own natural strengths and weaknesses via the disc model.

  • Use the DISC sales model to quickly identify customers and their buying styles and then use that information to practice adapting their styles to each specific customer.

  • Discover specific strategies they can draw upon to improve sales interactions and further develop their own emotional intelligence.

  • Use DISC profiles by placing customers first and at the center of their communication style and build rapport fast.

  • Provide sales leaders with a disc sales map and list of sales priorities to help them manage, train and coach their sales team.

6. How much does DISC training cost?

Our DISC training costs £250 per person plus taxes and includes:

  • 1 x DISC sales assessment complete with in depth information in a 16 page report and a DISC sales profile.

  • 1 x Live, one on one training session delivered remotely with one of our DISC trainers.

  • For DISC sales of groups of 10 or more please contact us in advance.

We also provide DISC training on site, either on your premises, or at an external location of your choosing. Our workshops are highly interactive and designed to deliver the best possible DISC sales learning experience.
The DISC sales facilitation kit our trainers use is proprietary and not available to purchase.  

Take a DISC Assessment Now!

Supercharge my Communicaton Skills

How to Improve Sales Effectiveness

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Sales execution standards

Sales effectiveness

Most teams judge sales effectiveness by revenue and activity. Those numbers show what happened. They do not show whether each deal was run well enough to happen again.

By Iain Swanston, Founder, Klozers

  • Updated 10 November 2026
8 minute read
Bar chart from a Klozers survey of 40 B2B sales leaders across 15 countries, July 2024 to February 2025. 77.5% rated forecasting as highly critical. 20% reported full confidence in the accuracy of their forecast.
Chart: how sales leaders rate forecasting, against how many trust their own forecast. Source: Klozers B2B Sales Landscape Report, 40 B2B sales leaders, 15 countries, July 2024 to February 2025.
In short

Sales effectiveness is how well a sales team turns the opportunities it has into won business, at the price it needs. It differs from sales efficiency, which is what that revenue costs to produce. Effectiveness improves when every deal is run to one written standard that managers inspect. More activity alone does not improve it.

On this page

Key takeaways

  1. Sales effectiveness is how much of the available business a team wins, and at what price. Sales efficiency is what that business costs to win.
  2. Revenue, win rate and activity measure results. They do not show whether deals were run in a way that can be repeated.
  3. Between 40% and 60% of deals are lost to customers who said they would buy and then made no decision.
  4. Effectiveness improves when every deal is run to one written standard that managers inspect, deal by deal.
  5. Start with a benchmark of where the team is now, not with a programme of tips.

What is sales effectiveness?

Sales effectiveness is how well a sales team turns the opportunities it has into won business, at the price the business needs. An effective team wins a high share of the deals it should win, at full value. It also keeps and grows the customers it wins.

It is often confused with sales efficiency. Efficiency is the ratio between what the sales team costs and the revenue it produces. Both matter, and they answer different questions. Efficiency asks what each pound of revenue costs. Effectiveness asks how much of the available business the team actually won.

QuestionSales effectivenessSales efficiency
What it asksHow much of the available business did we win, and at what price?What did that revenue cost to produce?
Typical measuresWin rate, deal value, sales cycle length, retention and expansionCost of sales, cost per new customer, revenue per salesperson
How it goes wrongDeals stop moving, close at a discount or end with no decisionToo much cost for the revenue won
The usual responseMore training, more activity, a new selling methodCut cost, cut headcount, automate

A team can be efficient and ineffective at the same time. It can be cheap to run while it loses deals it should have won. Cutting cost in that position makes the numbers look better for a quarter and leaves the cause in place.

How do you measure sales effectiveness?

Measure sales effectiveness against the goals of your business, in each of the four areas where B2B sales effort goes. For more than ten years, Klozers has organised its own sales planning around four high value areas of B2B sales. They are Finding, Klozing, Growing and Developing.

Finding

You have to find people, companies and opportunities before you can sell to them. Measure how many new opportunities each salesperson creates and how many of those match your ideal customer profile. Then measure how many new customers you win in a period. A high conversion rate is of little use if the team only creates one opportunity a month.

Define what counts as a qualified opportunity before you measure it. If every salesperson uses their own definition, the conversion rate measures their definitions, not their selling.

Klozing

Klozing is taking an opportunity through your sales process and winning it. Measure the win rate on qualified opportunities, the average deal value, the length of the sales cycle, and how many deals end with no decision. Track discounting too. The aim is to sell at your price, not to win by cutting it.

Results here depend on two things: ability and performance. Ability is the skill to run a deal well. Performance is whether that skill is used, deal after deal. A highly trained salesperson who does not apply what they know will not close more deals than an untrained one.

Growing

Winning a new customer is the hardest and most costly part of selling. Once it is done, keep the customer and grow the account. Measure retention, customer losses and the revenue added in existing accounts through further sales. Measure customer satisfaction as well, so that gains in sales are not made at the customer’s expense. Our own view is that reducing customer losses is the first area of sales effectiveness to address. There is no point winning new business if you cannot keep it.

Developing

Finding, Klozing and Growing are all done by salespeople, so the team itself has to be developed and kept. Measure how long new salespeople take to reach target, how many of the team meet target, and how many good people stay. In a growing business, check the sales process works before adding people. One salesperson who cannot win deals quickly becomes ten who cannot.

Established businesses face a different problem. Experienced salespeople can resist change, and many sales leaders accept average results because changing how a whole team works is hard. Delivering training is the easy part. Changing how every deal is run, across the whole team, is the work that makes the difference.

Gold Selling Standards
A pay plan rewards results. A standard governs how they are won.

Training improves what salespeople can do. It does not control how deals are run. The fix is a standard your managers can inspect, deal by deal.

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Why do sales results not show how effective a team is?

Because results arrive after the deal is decided. A win rate tells you how many deals closed last quarter. It does not tell you whether they were run the same way, or whether the next ten will close. By the time a result appears, it is too late to change the deal that produced it.

The largest loss is often invisible in the numbers. Dixon and McKenna analysed more than 2.5 million recorded sales conversations. They report that between 40% and 60% of deals are lost to customers who said they intended to buy, and then made no decision. A pipeline report shows those deals as open until they quietly disappear.

Unit chart of ten deals. Between four and six of them are lost to customers who said they intended to buy but never made a decision. Source: Dixon and McKenna, Harvard Business Review, 2022, from more than 2.5 million recorded sales conversations.
Chart: of every ten deals, four to six are lost to no decision. Source: Dixon and McKenna, Harvard Business Review, 2022.

The forecast suffers in the same way. In a Klozers survey of 40 B2B sales leaders across 15 countries, 77.5% rated forecasting as highly critical. Only 20% reported full confidence in its accuracy, in the B2B Sales Landscape Report. The fieldwork ran from July 2024 to February 2025. Leaders know the forecast matters. Few trust it, because each deal in it was judged by the salesperson who owns it.

Activity measures do not close that gap. More calls, meetings and proposals show that people are busy. They do not show whether the right person in the customer has agreed the problem is worth solving.

Many businesses respond by adding sales enablement: more content, tools and training for the sales team. These help a salesperson prepare. They do not tell a manager whether a particular deal is real, so the forecast stays as uncertain as before.

What improves sales effectiveness?

A written standard for how every deal is run, which managers inspect deal by deal. Training improves what salespeople can do. Motivation improves how hard they try. Neither tells a manager whether a particular deal is real, or what is missing from it.

Klozers’ version of that standard is enterprise sales operating standards, packaged as Gold Selling Standards. It has six domains:

  • Qualification Criteria. What “qualified” means in your business, defined on conditions the customer has confirmed, not on interest.
  • Evidence Requirements. The proof expected at each stage, so a deal moves forward on evidence, not on the salesperson’s say-so.
  • Value Articulation. How value is stated and checked, in terms a senior customer recognises.
  • Stakeholder Alignment. What must be known and confirmed about the customer’s buying group before a deal progresses.
  • Progression Integrity. Each pipeline stage reflects something the customer did, not something the seller did.
  • Forecast Admission. The evidence a deal needs before it enters the forecast.

The standard is built from what your own best people already do where that exists, and from a written definition where it does not. It changes the question a manager asks. The old question is how the salesperson feels about the deal. The new question is what evidence there is for the stage the deal is at. That question has an answer, and the answer is the same whichever manager asks it.

This is also why sales training on its own rarely changes results for long. People return to their desks and nothing checks that the new skill is used. See our article on why sales training fails.

A standard does not replace training or coaching. It gives both something to work towards. Training teaches the team how to meet each requirement. Coaching helps each salesperson meet it on their own deals. Inspection shows whether they did.

How do you start improving sales effectiveness?

Benchmark the sales unit first, then plan. A plan built from a benchmark is a different conversation from a plan built from opinion. Look at the whole function, from sales leaders to managers to each salesperson. The seven areas of sales management give a structure for the benchmark.

Six questions get the benchmark started:

  1. What data do I have? Start with what you can act on now. Do not let a wish for perfect data stop progress.
  2. What data should I have? List the data you need to make the right decisions, and start recording it.
  3. What data is easy to collect? Make collection simple, and avoid adding work for salespeople.
  4. What if there is no data? Score each area from 1 to 10, where 10 is as good as it can be.
  5. Where are the quick improvements? Find two or three, so the work has early results to show.
  6. Which changes will make the most difference? Rank the rest by their effect on win rate, deal value and retention.

Then write the standard for the stage where most deals stop making progress. Inspect every open deal at that stage against it. One stage, inspected properly, teaches more about the team’s effectiveness than a new set of activity targets.

Do this on Monday
Inspect one stage of your pipeline.

Four tasks, one week, no supplier needed.

  1. Pick the pipeline stage where most deals stop making progress or end with no decision.
  2. Write down, in one sentence each, what the customer must have done for a deal to be at that stage.
  3. Check every open deal at that stage against those sentences, with the salesperson who owns it.
  4. Move any deal that fails back a stage, and record how many there were.

Common questions about sales effectiveness

What is the difference between sales effectiveness and sales efficiency?

Sales effectiveness is how much of the available business a team wins, and at what price. Sales efficiency is what that revenue costs to produce. A team can be efficient and ineffective: cheap to run, while losing deals it should have won.

There is no single figure that applies to every business. Win rates depend on deal size, sector and how strictly a team qualifies. Compare your win rate with your own previous quarters, measured against the same definition of a qualified deal.

Training improves what salespeople can do. On its own it does not change how deals are run, because nothing checks that people use what they learned. A written standard, inspected by managers, is what holds the change in place.

Related reading
Commercial
Gold Selling Standards
Supporting
Sales Management: Seven Areas Every Leader Must Control
Supporting
Why Sales Training Fails
Iain Swanston
Founder & Lead Trainer Klozers · London, Dortmund, Austin, Melbourne

Iain has trained and coached B2B sales teams since 2008. He was Lead Trainer and Coach at Microsoft Scotland. Before that he sold capital equipment and managed sales teams in the UK and North America. He served as an Associate at Strathclyde University Business School, where he delivered the sales content for the Masters in Entrepreneurship from 2015 to 2019.

Connect with Iain on LinkedIn

Bespoke sales training
You are not buying a day of training.

You are buying a change in how your team sells, and the proof that it worked. A short call to agree what your team needs and a date that works.

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Sales Consultancy | Unlock Your Sales Potential

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b2b sales consultancy

Sales Consultancy - Top Question from Google

What do sales consultants do?

Here’s the short answer:

We are professional sales consultants specializing in helping B2B companies by improving their sales performance and achieving their sales goals. We work with a wide range of clients, including SMEs, Mid-Market and Enterprise accounts.

Our sales consultants look at your business as a whole and typically work with clients to identify areas for improvement in sales strategy, sales performance and sales process.  Whilst many companies come to us for sales training, we have learned that in some cases training is the wrong place to start.  

Therefore, we only provide training that we know will be impactful and aligned with the companies overall sales objectives.  

Sales consultants may also work with clients to develop marketing and sales materials, such as brochures, presentations, and proposals, and they may provide guidance on sales techniques and best practices.

Our goal as sales consultants is not just to increase sales, but to do so in a way that is scalable and profitable.  Furthermore we love to leave a legacy after us in terms of an improved culture and continuous improvement in sales performance. 

We do this by providing expertise and guidance on a wide range of sales and marketing-related topics, and by working with clients and their sales teams to develop and implement effective growth strategies.

In this article we will cover...

There’s a new way to deliver sales growth…

Don’t buy Sales Training until you’ve watched this video…

1. Why is sales consulting important

No CEO, VP, or Sales Director can be an expert in everything.  A proven sales consultant who is external to the business can bring different skills, experiences and perspective to your business.  The reality is that there is nothing that we bring that any CEO or VP of Sales could do themselves.  What we bring is speed – our teams knowledge and skills will fast forward your business quicker that you can do working on your own.  In addition to speed our team brings:

  1. Our consultants bring expertise and experience in sales and marketing to our clients. They can provide valuable insights and guidance on a wide range of sales and marketing-related topics, and they can help you identify areas for improvement in your existing sales approach and to develop effective strategies to achieve real sales growth.

  2. Working with our consultants, we help our clients improve their teams sales skills, productivity and sales performance resulting in real business growth. Our sales consultants will help you to identify and address bottlenecks in the sales process, and they can provide guidance on best practices and strategies to increase new sales enquiries and sales.

  3. Klozers sales consulting services are flexible and scalable, which makes them suitable for companies of all sizes and in a variety of industries. Companies can work with us on a short-term or long-term basis, depending on their needs, and they can scale their support up or down as needed.

We serve as trusted advisors to CEOs and Sales Directors by supporting not just their sales team, but their sales operation as a whole.

Every business is unique so we would love to talk to you and learn more about your business.  Contact us now for a free and no obligation sales consultation.

 

2. Common Consulting Projects - Sales Process

Often B2B sales can seem complicated and we do our best wherever possible to simplify everything.  Sales is a process and should have logical and measurable start and ending points.  Without a process it’s simply not possible to achieve consistency in either results or performance and more importantly it’s not scalable.  

Our sales consultancy helps you:

  1. Identifying areas for improvement: we work with clients to identify bottlenecks or other issues in the sales processes that are preventing them from achieving their goals. They can then develop strategies to address those issues and improve the sales process.

  2. Providing training and development: we can provide training and development to help your sales force improve their skills and achieve better results. This might include training on sales techniques, product knowledge, or customer service skills.

  3. Developing sales strategies: we work at CEO and Sales Director level to develop sales strategies that align with their business objectives. This might include identifying target markets, developing sales processes and systems, and creating marketing and sales materials.

  4. Analyzing data and market trends: we use data analysis from your CRM and market research to identify trends and patterns that can inform your sales strategy. We can then use this information to develop changes to the sales approach whilst if necessary retaining the original sales strategy.

  5. Providing group pipeline coaching and individual one to one coaching support: we work with sales people to develop 90 day sales plans for their teams and then provide coaching to help the sales teams deliver on the plans.

As part of our endeavours to simplify sales we break each area of the sales process down into the four high value areas of sales.  Which are Finding, Klozing and Growing – we’ve found if you focus all your energies on just finding more people to sell to, then improving your klozing to get more deals over the line and then ensure that you both retain and grow those accounts, its impossible not to sell more.  

The fourth and last high value are of sales is Developing which is the constant development of skills, confidence and knowledge of the sales people themselves. 

b2b sales consultancy

3. Common Consulting Projects - Sales Training

Klozers started as a sales training business back in 2014 and sales training and coaching is at the heart of our business.  We’ve successfully delivered sales training across multiple countries and verticals, from frontline SDRs to boardroom sales leaders.

  1. Developing bespoke training programs: our clients have typically tried generic sales training courses and come to us looking for something different – results.  We work with clients to develop customized sales training programs that meet the specific needs of their people and their organization. These programs might include training on lead generation, sales techniques, customer service, or other relevant topics.

  2. Providing training workshops: our sales consultants can conduct sales training workshops for salespeople, either in person or online. These sessions might include lectures, group discussions, and hands-on exercises to help salespeople learn and practice new skills.

  3. Providing ongoing coaching and support: we have team of experienced sales coaches who provide ongoing coaching and support to salespeople to help them apply their new sales skills in the workplace and to overcome any situational challenges as they arise. This might include providing feedback and guidance on sales techniques, as well as encouragement and support.

  4. Evaluating the effectiveness of training: our consultants can also help clients to evaluate the effectiveness of your in house sales training programs, by collecting data and analyzing the results. This can help clients to identify areas for improvement within their sales force and to refine their training programs as needed.

  5. Sales Team activity: training and improvement to sales processes are important, however, many sales teams struggle to execute the right types and level of sales activity. Every sales team needs to be held accountable to delivering the sales activity required.  

Our sales training can be delivered either in-person at a location of your choosing, remotely online or a hybrid of the two. All our training is aligned with the companies overall sales strategy and goals which ensures you will receive the outcomes, results and business growth you are looking for.

4. Common Consulting Projects - Sales & Marketing Alignment

Aligning sales and marketing within a business is important because it helps to ensure that both teams are working towards the same overall goals and objectives. Here are some examples of the type of projects we work on to align sales and marketing within a business:

  1. Establish clear and common growth goals and objectives: The first step in aligning sales and marketing is to establish clear and common growth goals and objectives for both teams. Examples include setting overall OKR based goals for the business, such as increasing sales revenue or expanding into new markets.

  2. Define roles and responsibilities: It is important for both sales and marketing teams to understand their roles and responsibilities within the entire sales process. This may involve defining the specific tasks and responsibilities of each team, as well as how they will work together to achieve the overall goals of the business.

  3. Communicate and collaborate: To align sales and marketing effectively, it is important for both teams to communicate and collaborate regularly. To this end we are great advocates of “Growth Pods” whereby we remove traditional siloed sales and marketing departments and place professionals from sales and marketing into smaller pods where they work together with common goals.

  4. Use data and analytics: By using data and analytics, both the sales team and the marketing team can better understand the needs and preferences of their customers, and make more informed decisions about how to reach and engage them.

  5. Use shared metrics: Using shared metrics can help to align sales and marketing efforts, as both teams can track progress towards common goals and objectives. This may include metrics such as customer acquisition cost, customer lifetime value, or lead conversion rate.

Aligning sales and marketing is a subject close to our hearts as we have gone through the process as a business ourselves.  We can show you exactly how we did it, including the results, warts and all.

b2b sales consultancy

5. Klozers B2B Sales Consultancy - Join us

We’re growing fast and keen to hear from experienced sales consultants who would like to join our team.  Our clients quite rightly demand the best and here are some of the vast array of skills that you will need:

  • Sales and Marketing:  sales and marketing are inextricably linked in modern selling so you will need to demonstrate expertise in all aspects of B2B sales and marketing.  
  • Communication skills: you will need to be a natural communicator and be able to effectively communicate with clients, from CEO & Sales Director level, through to the front line sales team. You should be able to clearly and concisely convey information and ideas, and be able to adapt your communication style to suit different personas.

  • Analytical skills: we will help you analyse the data in your CRM system to help your clients identify trends and patterns, from which you will need to develop solutions for sales growth.

  • Problem-solving skills: we love working with our clients on complex problems and helping them find the best solution for their circumstances.  We don’t believe in a one size fits all solution so you’ll need to be creative in terms of your problem solving.

  • Consultative skills: our genesis as a business was delivering consultative selling skills which is still our best selling course.  Our sales consultants are our brand champions so you will need to be able to work with clients in a consultative manner, and build strong relationships based on trust and mutual respect.

  • Business acumen: sales never operates in isolation of the wider business and our sales consultants need a strong understanding of business principles and how to apply them to different sales scenarios. You should be able to analyze market trends and customer needs, and to develop sales strategies that align with clients’ business objectives.

Klozers are a full life sales and marketing  consultancy meaning we cover everything from the initial value proposition development through to closing more sales deals.  What this means to you is that we work in a fast paced environment and no two days are the same.  It’s great fun and hugely rewarding. 

We are currently recruiting consultants throughout Europe and North America so please feel free to call us for more information. 

“A fantastic learning experience”

Amanda – Account Manager

Check out our sales Training courses here

90 Day Sales Plan | Free Download

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90 day sales plan template
90 day sales plan

90 Day Sales Plan: Free Editable Template and Practical Guide

A 90 day sales plan turns your sales priorities into a focused quarter of execution. The Klozers approach uses four quadrants that apply to every sales role: Finding, Klozing, Growing and Developing.

By Iain Swanston, Founder, Klozers

  • Updated 15 October 2026
5 minute read
What is a 90 day sales plan?

A 90 day sales plan is a short execution plan that turns sales priorities into specific outcomes and actions for the next quarter. At Klozers, we organise the plan into four areas: Finding new contacts, leads, deals and opportunities; Klozing uncovered deals; Growing existing clients; and Developing the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to improve sales performance.

On this page

Key takeaways

  1. A 90 day sales plan is not a to-do list. It focuses the work that matters most during the quarter.
  2. Every salesperson has four jobs: Finding, Klozing, Growing and Developing.
  3. The weighting changes according to role, market and sales model, but the four quadrants still apply.
  4. Each priority should become a specific action that can be inspected and reviewed.
  5. Review at days 30, 60 and 90 so there is time to remove blockers and change the plan.

What are the four parts of a Klozers 90 day sales plan?

The Klozers framework divides sales work into four quadrants. The strength of the system is that the same four areas apply regardless of what you sell. What changes is the weighting and the actions inside each quadrant.

Klozers four quadrant 90 day sales planning framework showing Finding, Klozing, Growing and Developing
The four quadrants remain constant. The balance between them changes according to the salesperson's role and commercial situation.
Finding

Finding new contacts, leads, deals and opportunities.

Klozing

Klozing is a Klozers play on the word closing. Once you have uncovered a deal, it covers the process you go through to progress and close that opportunity.

Growing

The process of retaining and growing your existing client base.

Developing

The constant learning and improvement required to become and remain a top performer in sales.

An SDR may put more weight into Finding. An account manager may put more weight into Growing. An AE with a live opportunity portfolio may have significant work in Klozing. The actions differ, but the framework still forces each salesperson to consider the complete sales job.

Different role. Different weighting. Same four-quadrant sales planning system.

How is a 90 day sales plan different from an annual sales plan?

An annual sales plan sets the wider revenue sources, priorities, routes, capacity and measures. A 90 day plan converts the most important parts of that plan into work that can be executed and reviewed during the next quarter.

It should not repeat every routine task in the salesperson’s job. The existing Klozers methodology explicitly treats the 90 day plan as something other than a to-do list. The purpose is to identify the high-value actions that deserve attention and accountability.

If the organisation has not yet agreed which markets, customers, routes or value propositions it intends to prioritise, a 90 day plan can create activity without direction. That is a strategy problem rather than a planning problem. The Sales Strategy Workshop is designed to make those decisions before transferring a dated 90-day execution plan to the team.

How do you build a 90 day sales plan?

Start with the commercial outcome the plan is intended to support. Then work through all four quadrants and decide what needs to happen during the next 90 days.

For each quadrant, define the outcome you want, the actions you will take, who owns them, when they are due and what evidence will show progress. Keep the list focused. Adding more actions can dilute attention rather than improve execution.

Do not fill every quadrant with activity simply to make the plan look complete. A salesperson may have only one material Developing priority this quarter and several Klozing priorities. The framework creates coverage, not equal weighting.

What should you include under Finding?

Finding covers the work required to create new contacts, leads, deals and opportunities. Examples might include selecting target accounts, reaching new contacts, developing referral sources, following up inbound enquiries, activating partners or creating new qualified opportunities. The plan should reflect the actual strategy rather than prescribe a universal prospecting activity target.

What should you include under Klozing?

Klozing is the Klozers play on closing. It begins once a deal or opportunity has been uncovered and covers the process required to progress and close it.

Actions may include improving qualification, gaining access to the right stakeholders, strengthening discovery, building the value case, agreeing next steps, managing competition, progressing a proposal or preparing for a negotiation.

The plan should not encourage salespeople to keep dead deals simply to preserve pipeline cover. If an opportunity no longer has a credible route to a decision, disqualifying it can be better sales management than adding another follow-up action. Use the sales pipeline to inspect whether live opportunities remain qualified and are actually progressing.

What should you include under Growing?

Growing covers both retaining existing clients and expanding those relationships. Depending on the role, actions could include account reviews, stakeholder mapping, renewal preparation, identifying new departments or use cases, improving adoption, creating referrals or developing an account plan.

Growth should not be confused with pushing more products into every account. Start with the customer’s objectives and the value you can legitimately add.

What should you include under Developing?

Developing is the process of constant learning and improvement required to become and remain a top performer in sales.

The priority should be specific to the salesperson. One person may need to improve discovery. Another may need stronger commercial negotiation, account planning, product knowledge, prospecting or access to senior decision-makers.

Turn development into application. Identify what will be learned, how it will be practised, where it will be applied on live work and what evidence will show improvement.

How should you review a 90 day sales plan?

Review the plan during the quarter, not only at the end. The replacement Klozers template uses 30, 60 and 90-day inspection points.

90 day sales plan review cycle showing planning followed by day 30, day 60 and day 90 reviews
Review execution early enough to remove blockers and change priorities before the quarter is over.

At day 30, inspect what has been completed, what is blocked and what needs to change. At day 60, look at progress, assumptions and where support is required. At day 90, review the outcome, capture what was learned and decide what should carry into the next plan.

Managers can use the same plan for coaching. Ask what is working, what is not progressing, what support is required and what the salesperson will commit to before the next review.

Where can you download the 90 day sales plan template?

Download the editable Klozers 90 Day Sales Plan Template

The replacement template uses the current Klozers four-quadrant framework: Finding, Klozing, Growing and Developing. It includes planning pages for each quadrant, an execution register and 30, 60 and 90-day reviews.

Download the editable 90 Day Sales Plan Template

PowerPoint format so you can edit and use the plan with your own sales team.

90 day sales plan FAQs

Is a 90 day sales plan the same for every salesperson?

No. The four quadrants apply across sales roles, but the weighting and actions change. An SDR, AE and account manager should not have identical plans.

Klozing is a Klozers play on the word closing. In the four-quadrant system it describes the process used after a deal has been uncovered to progress and close that opportunity.

Yes, where the development is relevant to sales performance. The Developing quadrant covers the continuous learning and improvement needed to become and remain a top sales performer.

90 days
Need help turning sales strategy into 90 days of execution?

We can help you identify the priorities, owners, measures and first 90 days required to put the strategy into practice.

Book a free consultation