5 Reasons Sellers Resist Your Training

I spent 20 years in direct sales, and I've lost count of the number of training sessions I've had to sit through. From PowerPoint slides that seemed to go on forever to games that felt more like kindergarten than the boardroom, I've been through it all. Here's the kicker: I can probably count on one hand the number of training events I enjoyed and from which I learned something. Most of the time, it was just another box to check, another afternoon away from making sales.

But now, I'm on the other side of the table. After two decades in the trenches, I took everything I learned from those years of being a training attendee to shape the way I've approached training delivery for the past 10 years. I've experienced what works, what doesn't, and what irritates sellers.

If you want to deliver training programs that the sales team appreciate—sessions that resonate and bring real value—facilitators must avoid five things that make sellers loathe training.

1. You have no scars

I once had a customer tell me, "You may have experience, but I have scars." That phrase has stuck with me for years. Sellers are a tough crowd. They don't trust someone who hasn't been in the sales trenches themselves. They want to learn from people who have faced the same challenges they deal with every day—and understand how those people overcame the difficulties.

Salespeople fight for every deal, face brutal quotas, and constantly navigate rejection. They need to hear from someone who knows what that's like—not from someone who has only read about it in a textbook or shares a flimsy "I was in sales once" line without any real stories or scars to show for it. Sellers will see right through it, and you'll lose their attention immediately. If you don't bring real-world experience to the table, you'll never earn their trust.

The fix: Leverage trainers with real sales experience. To win over a room of salespeople, you need someone who has been in their shoes. If that's not you, bring in a guest speaker who has those battle scars. Whether it's a seasoned sales leader or someone from within the company with success in the field, real stories are what matter. Let those individuals share their wins, but don't skip the losses—that's where the learning really happens. Sharing personal experiences, especially the times of struggle and failure, is the fastest way to connect with sellers. When someone tells the story of how they almost lost a deal and then salvaged it at the last minute, trainees will listen. Why? Because they know that feeling, and they respect the grit it takes to overcome those moments.

If you don't have your own stories and cannot bring in a guest speaker, at a minimum, quote and share sellers' stories. Part of your regular interaction with salespeople should be capturing the stories, myths, and legends that are a part of your organization. Use those narratives in your training events.

2. You have different definitions of fun

The vast majority of sellers don't want to participate in silly icebreakers, goofy games, or stale jokes. They're professionals, and most of them are dealing with high-pressure sales cycles. They appreciate engagement, sure, but if your idea of fun involves anything that feels too childish or disconnected from the reality of their work, they'll quickly check out.

Sellers aren't opposed to interactive training, but it needs to be relevant. If the games or activities don't directly tie into the skills they need or the challenges they face, they will think your training program is a waste of time.

Fix #1: Respect their professionalism with relevant activities. Instead of forcing participation with gimmicky games, create exercises that reflect the scenarios sellers face every day. Role-playing difficult client interactions or running through objection-handling drills are much more engaging than an icebreaker with seemingly no purpose (for example, everyone sharing "one thing interesting about yourself," while standing in a circle).

Instead, have everyone give an elevator pitch selling their favorite activity outside of work (such as rock climbing, playing an instrument, or spending time with family). Make it even harder by not allowing participants to use the name of the activity they love.

I've run icebreakers that entail sellers playing the improvisation game Questions Only. The game involves participants only using questions in a back-and-forth dialogue. If an individual says something other than a question, they lose. I make it a single-elimination tournament by having everyone in the room pair up to start the game. Whoever wins their round finds another winner. The game continues until two participants remain, and they play the final round in front of the entire group.

The activity gets everyone laughing but also hammers home the need for sellers to be good at asking questions when working with customers.

Fix #2: Use humor that resonates. A little humor can go a long way, but make sure it will land with your audience. When I lead training programs, I drop in jokes about the things all sellers hate in sales—such as a client ghosting them or the inevitable last-minute fire drill from a manager. Sellers appreciate when you can laugh about the difficult matters, but if your humor feels forced or disconnected, leave it out.

3. You are focusing on the wrong thing

One of the biggest mistakes trainers make is assuming that the same thing drives all sellers, whether it's money, ego, or competition. While it's true that some salespeople are motivated by closing the biggest deal or hitting President's Club, not everyone is wired that way. A lot of them are in the role for different reasons: customer success, work-life balance,
or personal growth, for example.

If your training program is all about surpassing quotas and winning awards, you won't appeal to the sellers who are driven by more than just money. You're also missing out on the opportunity to tap into what makes each salesperson unique—and what ultimately drives their success.

The fix: Customize the program to appeal to different motivators. When building a sales training program, think about the various drivers that influence the sales team (see sidebar). Use case studies and examples that appeal to different types of sellers. For instance, show how customer-centric salespeople can win by focusing on long-term relationships, while competitive salespeople may resonate more with strategies for closing large, high-stakes deals. Addressing different motivations will enable you to engage a wider portion of the sales team.

Further, instead of asking sellers to reflect on their own motivations, your training program should proactively address a range of possible drivers to resonate with as many team members as possible. Make it clear how the session will help them and their customers succeed. By covering a diverse set of motivators, you can connect with sellers on a personal level without asking them to do the heavy lifting of identifying their why. That ensures the content is relevant to everyone and increases overall engagement.

If you don't know the participants ahead of time, make sure to cover a broad range of motivators in your training session. Show how the skills, strategies, or insights you're offering will help sellers achieve those goals, ensuring they see how the training program directly affects their success and the success of their customers

4. You are wasting their time

Nothing frustrates a seller more than feeling as if they are wasting time. Sellers are busy. They're dealing with aggressive targets, constant client demands, and a calendar full of sales calls. The last thing they want is to sit through a training event that they believe is irrelevant, too long, or disconnected from their job. Worse yet is when you schedule such training during the busiest time of their week or—even more unfortunate—at the end of their sales period.

Sellers don't mind training if it's valuable. But if you're asking them to attend a program with content that doesn't have a direct impact on their ability to sell or succeed, they will disengage.

Fix #1: Create role-specific, actionable training. Sellers don't want to hear about general business strategies or high-level concepts that don't apply to them. They want role-specific content that focuses on everyday pain points. If you're teaching closing strategies, tie that directly to the types of deals the sales participants are handling. If the focus is prospecting, tailor it to the sales team's process. If you don't have access to their processes in advance, allot time at the beginning of the program for participants to walk you through their processes and pain points. Use those insights as references as you facilitate the session.

Fix #2: Keep it short and asynchronous when possible. Few people want to be in an all-day training event. Break your training program into smaller, digestible modules that participants can quickly complete. Sellers will appreciate concise, focused sessions that respect their time. If possible, make training asynchronous so they can complete it on their own schedule. Better yet, give them the option to attend live training, but provide a recording for those who don't attend. That way, you won't risk interfering with salespeople's most productive selling hours.

Fix #3: Always provide clear, actionable takeaways. Every training session should end with immediate, actionable steps that sellers can apply to their job. Whether it's a new closing tactic or a fresh approach to handling objections, they should walk out of the room (or log off the course) with something they can use immediately to improve their performance.

5. You don't really care about them

Salespeople have a sixth sense for detecting someone who is disingenuous, and they know when a trainer doesn't truly care about their success. If you're just there to check a box or fill a time slot—when there's no empathy or real investment in their growth—the disconnect is palpable.

Fix #1: Show that you are sincerely invested in their success. Great trainers build trust by listening to their audience and tailoring the training content to their needs. Therefore, ask sellers what they need and use their input to shape the training content. Doing so will result in participants engaging more deeply in the training session.

Fix #2: Provide quick wins. After you ask the sellers what they need, focus on the easy things that you can provide quickly. Do they need a resource to better understand the strategy for a particular product or competitor? Clear your calendar for the afternoon and get that done. Do they need some coaching on one of their calls? Get them the feedback they need. By providing for them quickly, you are showing you care and building the trust you need for your future training program.

Fix #3: Offer ongoing support. The best training doesn't end when the session is over. Providing continuous support will help sellers implement what they've learned. Whether it's through one-on-one coaching, follow-up workshops, or simply being available for questions, make it clear that you're there to help them prevail.

No more dread

If you've been in sales as long as I have, you know that bad training is all too common. But it doesn't have to be that way. By understanding what makes sellers abhor training and making thoughtful changes to the way you deliver it, you can create a program that the sales team will looks forward to.

When you take the time to make adjustments, sales training stops being a dreaded obligation and becomes a tool that helps sellers succeed—and that's when real learning happens.

Sellers' Motivations

Salespeople are not a monolith. Different factors motivate each seller. When developing training content, consider their various sources of motivation to appeal to as many participants as possible. Sellers' motivations include:

• Hitting quotas

• Earning commissions

• Maintaining work-life balance

• Building relationships

• Gaining recognition

• Winning awards

• Mastering new skills

• Solving problems

• Mentoring others

• Contributing to company growth

• Securing job stability

• Enjoying flexibility

• Having autonomy

• Building a strong reputation

• Ensuring customer satisfaction

• Closing high-value deals

• Working with prestigious clients

• Earning promotions

• Expanding their network

• Innovating in their field

• Competing with peers

• Achieving personal accomplishment

• Breaking into new markets