| Measuring the effectiveness and business impact | | | | learned in the program). |
| of sales training should be rigorous, but also | | | | Phase 2: Research Design & Instrumentation |
| practical. Many tools are available from the two | | | | This phase enables you to define the types and |
| traditions of educational inquiry - qualitative and | | | | sources of needed data, create a research design |
| quantitative - and each has its own strengths and | | | | that enables you to collect and analyze valid and |
| weaknesses. | | | | reliable data, and construct data collection |
| In the qualitative research method, you collect | | | | instruments. Successful completion of this phase |
| in-depth data from a limited number of sources | | | | ensures that you collect the right data, from the |
| (e.g., sales training participants and their managers). | | | | right sources, at the right time, in the right way, |
| For example, you attend and observe the training | | | | and with the right tools. |
| session, conduct in-depth interviews with | | | | Phase 3: Sampling |
| participants, and observe their behaviors on the | | | | This phase consists of the critical step of selecting |
| job through attending their sales calls. You may | | | | representative samples of sales training |
| also interview a handful of their customers to | | | | participants and non-participants and their |
| explore their behavioral changes post training, or | | | | managers, peers, and customers. It is impractical, |
| interview sales managers to explore behavioral | | | | expensive, and unnecessary to collect data from |
| changes in their sales reps on the job and to | | | | all participants in sales training. Using appropriate |
| gauge the impact of their new behaviors on | | | | sampling techniques enables you to collect a |
| metrics such as revenue, sales cycle, etc. The | | | | manageable set of data and to generalize the |
| resulting qualitative data is analyzed and reported | | | | findings to the broader population. |
| through business impact cases and direct | | | | Phase 4: Data Collection & Analysis |
| quotations from participants, managers, or | | | | This phase is the most labor-intensive part of the |
| customers. | | | | process. It is when you collect and analyze data, |
| In the quantitative research method, you collect | | | | validate the findings, and formulate |
| large quantities of data through surveys and data | | | | recommendations for continuous improvement of |
| extracts from corporate databases (e.g., HR or | | | | the training program. It consists of four steps: |
| sales), and you use statistical analysis technique to | | | | - Testing business metrics data collection |
| measure participant satisfaction, learning, and | | | | procedures and collecting baseline data |
| impact of participants' behavioral changes on | | | | - Collecting data on achievement of learning |
| metrics such as customer satisfaction, sales quota | | | | objectives, resulting behavioral changes, and |
| attainment, and retention of the sales force. | | | | business metrics |
| Sometimes performance of those who attended | | | | - Analyzing data and identifying areas for |
| sales training is compared to those who did not, | | | | improvement |
| and statistical analysis techniques are used to | | | | - Triangulating data from multiple sources to |
| determine whether investment in sales training | | | | ensure valid inferences and recommendations |
| made a difference. The results in quantitative | | | | Phase 5: Reporting |
| research methods are reported through graphic | | | | This phase is the most visible phase of the |
| representation of customer satisfaction over a | | | | measurement process. This is when you |
| period of time before, during, and after | | | | communicate measurement findings, conclusions, |
| implementation of a sales training program or in | | | | and recommendations through reports and |
| tables that represent quota attainment of those | | | | presentations to key stakeholders and members |
| who attended training versus those who did not. | | | | of the organization. Clear, objective, and |
| (See McMillan and Schumacher (1997) and Marshall | | | | persuasive communication of findings and |
| and Rossman (1995) for more detail on these | | | | recommendations is critical to demonstrate not |
| two methodologies.) | | | | only the value of the sales training program but |
| Introducing a Blended Methodology to Measure | | | | also the value of the measurement effort. |
| Sales Training Impact | | | | Audiences for this communication include: |
| Both quantitative and qualitative methods have | | | | - Sales training managers - to demonstrate |
| strengths and weaknesses. The methodology | | | | accountability to business sponsors who have |
| described in this Infoline uses a blended approach | | | | invested in the program |
| that capitalizes on each tool's benefits while | | | | - Design and deployment team - to celebrate their |
| avoiding its shortcomings. In this way, the | | | | contribution to creating value for the organization |
| methodology effectively manages the complexity | | | | through development of effective and high-impact |
| of measuring the business impact of sales training | | | | sale training programs and through implementation |
| programs. | | | | of the recommendations for continuous |
| Overview of the Methodology | | | | improvement |
| Implementation of the methodology results in a | | | | - Business sponsors and sale managers - to |
| six-phase process: | | | | appreciate the value generated through |
| Phase 1: Context Discovery & Metrics Definition | | | | investment in sales training |
| This phase of the process consists of two steps | | | | Phase 6: Data Storage & Security |
| - defining measurement requirements and | | | | Measurement of the effectiveness of sales |
| preparing a "business value chain." These two | | | | training and especially of its business impact is not |
| steps are critical to the success of the | | | | a once-and-for-all-time effort. For some programs, |
| measurement effort because they help build | | | | such as those that continue in the organization |
| management buy-in for your measurement | | | | over time, you need to revisit the data collected |
| efforts. They also define the scope of the | | | | to build trends and to measure the continuing |
| measurement effort, customize the process to | | | | contribution of the program. Because the data will |
| the needs of your organization, and build a | | | | be needed in the future, it is imperative to store |
| blueprint for your measurement activities by | | | | it securely. The sensitivity and confidentiality of |
| determining what to measure (i.e., learning | | | | HR and business data requires that you take the |
| outcomes, desired behaviors on the job, and | | | | necessary steps to ensure it is secure. |
| metrics impacted by application of what was | | | | |