Could partnering with your Senior VP of Sales allow you to see improvements in your sales team? Maybe hiring a professional training manager could provide you with a fresh perspective. How would your sales team improve if you found a more effective coaching platform? IBM, Knology, Inc., and MetLife have all developed award winning sales programs in the fields of (respectively) career development, workplace learning and performance, and workplace learning and development. Read how three winning programs of the Excellence in Practice award have helped these companies to find success as they seek to develop better sales teams.

IBM Sales Learning

Armonk, New York

Class: Sales Eminence

Over the last 100 years, IBM has transformed its workforce many times, often creating a leading workforce within the technology industry. Through its Sales Eminence partnership, the learning team joined with the senior vice president of sales to transform its sales force, increase client value by setting the agenda for client's ever-changing needs, and ensuring IBM's continued leadership in the market.

The partnership focuses on enhancing the skills and expertise of sales professionals and a sales career model that simplifies jobs into three career paths: industry, solution, and technical.

Knology, Inc.

West Point, Georgia

Class: Call Center Frontline Leadership Development

At Knology's customer care centers, frontline supervisors often gained their positions through superior technical capabilities, but they were frequently ineffectual due to a lack of leadership skills. Recognizing this developmental gap, the executive director hired a professional training manager who created a four-stage program addressing the vital areas of essentials of leadership, effective team building, performance management, and coaching for top performance.

Training focused on classroom academics, between-class activities, and manager coaching interventions. Subsequently, frontline performance has significantly improved, both representatives and supervisors exhibit more positive attitudes, and everyone is working more effectively and efficiently - directly increasing the bottom line.

Metlife

El Segundo, California

Class: Sales Coaching Excellence Program

The Sales Coaching Excellence Program was developed to provide a comprehensive, consistent, and effective coaching platform for MetLife's Annuity Product Wholesaling Sales Desk and Field Development function. The goal of the program is to offer sales coaching strategies, tactics, and tools to the Sales Desk Managers to improve the performance of all inside sales reps. Managers are trained on conducting high-impact sales meetings, conducting monthly goal-setting meetings, delivering performance feedback, and conducting sit-along coaching.

Direct results of implementation have been impressive. In less than eight months the program has had a direct impact on the company's sales results, employee productivity, and business growth.

So, what are you doing to improve your sales training programs?

Are your learning and performance solutions worthy of recognition? If you think you have an award winning program, submit here.