I think you are not only right, but right about a very important subject in sales training (training in general, for that matter, but let’s leave it at sales).

I’m not sure anyone has nailed the answer down just yet, but let me share what we at Trusted Advisor Associates have come up with as partial solutions to the problem of post-event ‘mental muscle memory.’

1. Coaching. Especially coaching by people whose primary qualifications lie in sales, not in coaching; and,
especially coaching one-on-one, not group; and,
especially coaching that is just-in-time, not scheduled months-in-advance.

2. Time-staggered learning, with time for real-life practice between formal training events.

3. In-room use of real-life examples, not cases or historical examples.

4. Role-plays, especially those where participants have to play their own actual potential or current customers.

It’s an important issue, and I’d like to hear from others willing to share their best practices.

Charles H. Green

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