Every sales leader in the world strives to hit their growth goals each quarter. But reaching those targets isn’t as simple as handing out quotas and hoping reps rise to the occasion.
In fact, recent research found that 84% of sales reps missed their quotas last year, a clear sign that hitting sales goals is more than just laying out expectations.
Sellers also need the right support to reach their goals. That’s where the debate of sales training vs sales coaching comes into play.
While sales training and sales coaching are often used interchangeably, they’re not the same thing. But both play an important role in preparing sellers to engage buyers and close deals.
In this post, we’ll upack the key differences between sales training vs sales coaching, explain why both are critical to sales success, and explore how artificial intelligence can help you scale and optimize your programs for maximum impact.
Sales training vs sales coaching: What’s the difference?
Sales training and sales coaching are certainly related. But they aren’t the same thing. Understanding the key differences between sales training vs sales coaching is key to building an effective sales enablement strategy.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the key differences between sales training vs sales coaching.
#1 Purpose and focus
The purpose of sales training is to provide reps with the foundational knowledge they need to sell. For example, you might deliver sales training on topics like:
- A new product offering or changes to an existing one
- Your organization’s sales methodology
- Core sales processes your reps need to learn and follow
Sales coaching builds upon that foundational knowledge.
The purpose of sales coaching is to:
- Reinforce what reps have learned
- Help them apply what they’ve learned in real-life situations
- Provide tailored guidance and feedback to strengthen skills, improve behaviors, and drive consistent performance
#2 Format and timing
Typically, sales training is formal and delivered at regular intervals. For example, a new rep might go through onboarding when they join the company, followed by ongoing sales training sessions every quarter to reinforce key concepts and learn new ones.
Training is often tied to moments of change. Some examples include:
- A new product launch
- A shift in the competitive landscape
- The rollout of a new sales methodology or tool
Sales training can also be targeted to address specific skill gaps. For example, a group of reps struggling with objection handling might complete a targeted training module focused on improving this skill.
Sales training programs can take a number of different formats, including:
- Classroom training
- Live or virtual workshops
- Videos
- Quizzes and assessments
- Bite-sized, on-demand sales training modules
On the other hand, sales coaching is continuous and adaptive.
A recent study found that 65% of sales managers rely on regularly scheduled calls to coach the members of their teams. But sales coaching doesn’t have to be limited to formal meetings. It can (and should) happen between meetings and whenever a teachable moment arises.
Today, more and more revenue teams are using AI-powered sales coaching tools to enhance their efforts. With AI sales coaching tools, reps can get personalized feedback and guidance – anytime and anywhere. We’ll take a closer look at AI sales coaching later in this post.
#3 Audience and ownership
Sales training programs are typically designed for a larger audience, such as the entire sales team or a specific segment based on role, territory, or tenure. Oftentimes, sales training is developed and delivered by a sales enablement or training team.
On the other hand, sales coaching, when it’s done right, is customized for each seller, addressing their unique strengths, weaknesses, and active deals. Research tells us that in most cases, a rep’s direct manager is responsible for delivering coaching. However, a growing number of organizations also leverage AI sales coaching software to provide real-time, on-demand feedback and guidance.
#4 Tools of the trade
Sales training and sales coaching both depend on the right tools to drive impact. While each strategy requires its own set of resources, there is often overlap in the tools and technology used to support them.
Organizations often use a learning management system (LMS) or other training platform to deliver sales training. These platforms are often paired with tools like sales playbooks, instructional videos, and video conferencing software.
Sales coaching, on the other hand, is often supported with tools like CRMs, sales coaching software, conversation intelligence tools, and live and recorded role-play tools that provide insight into rep performance.
Increasingly, organizations are consolidating these sales coaching and training tools into a single revenue enablement platform. These all-in-one solutions support all of the core elements of revenue enablement, including sales training, coaching, content, and analytics. Many revenue enablement platforms have AI features, allowing organizations to deliver tailored, effective sales coaching and training at scale.
#5 KPIs
Sales training is often measured through metrics like completion rates, knowledge retention, and certifications. Organizations might track sales coaching metrics like the number of coaching sessions delivered per rep.
However, what’s most important to track is how sales training and coaching translate into improved skills and behaviors and stronger sales performance.
| Sales training | Sales Coaching | |
|---|---|---|
|
Purpose |
Build foundational knowledge. |
Reinforce learning and improve a rep’s skills and ongoing sales performance. |
|
Focus |
Broad topics, such as product knowledge and sales methodologies. |
Focused on individual seller’s performance and deals. |
|
Format |
– Onboarding – Sales kickoffs – Live and virtual workshops – Bite-sized virtual learning |
– Manager-delivered feedback – AI-delivered feedback |
|
Timing |
Delivered at set points, such as: – Onboarding – New product launch – Introduction of new sales methodology Training can also be assigned when a seller needs additional support on a specific skill or competency. |
– Regularly scheduled coaching calls – Ad hoc coaching, as needed and depending on manager availability – On-demand, via AI |
|
Audience |
The entire sales team or subsets of it (ie specific roles or regions). |
Individual sales reps. |
|
Owner |
Sales enablement or training team. |
Sales managers. |
|
Examples of tools |
– LMS – Training platform – Revenue enablement platform – Sales playbooks |
– CRM – Conversation intelligence tools – Coaching platforms – AI tools – Live and recorded role-plays – Revenue enablement platform |
|
Examples of KPIs |
– Completion rates – Knowledge retention – Skills assessment |
– Win rates – Sales performance improvement |
Which matters more for B2B organizations: Sales training vs sales coaching?
There’s actually no need to debate sales training vs sales coaching. Why? Because while each serves a distinct purpose, they’re deeply connected and both essential to building a team of high-performing B2B sales reps.
Sales training lays the foundation for success. It provides reps with the essential knowledge and information they need to be able to sell. Sales coaching builds upon that foundation, giving each rep the feedback and guidance they need to effectively apply what they’ve learned in real-life selling scenarios.
Together, sales training and coaching create a dynamic learning loop. Sales training introduces new concepts and information, and sales coaching ensures these concepts and information translate into action and results.
Why do sales training and coaching matter for B2B organizations?
A combination of sales training and coaching is especially important for B2B organizations. But why?
B2B sales cycles are typically long and complex. Buyers have high expectations, buying groups are larger, and the deals themselves tend to be higher in value. In other words, there’s a lot more at stake.
Sellers must engage with multiple stakeholders, clearly articulate value to each, and tailor their approach for each buying scenario. Without sales training and coaching, even the most talented rep can fall short – and lose out on valuable opportunities.
When combined, sales training and coaching can have a powerful impact on sales performance and growth. Some of the benefits to B2B sales organizations include:
- Faster ramp time: Sales training gets new reps up to speed quickly, while sales coaching helps them stay on track and start contributing to revenue growth.
- Higher win rates: Sales training equips sellers with the right knowledge, while sales coaching helps ensure they know how to apply this knowledge to engage buyers and close more deals.
- Greater adaptability to change: Change is inevitable, whether it’s a new product, market shift, or or updated messaging. Sales training and coaching helps sellers quickly adjust and be successful in the midst of change.
- Higher retention of top reps: Sellers want to work for a company that supports its employees and is invested in their success. By supporting your sellers with sales training and coaching, you’ll boost morale, motivation, and loyalty.
When used together, sales training and coaching boost individual performance and team-wide results. You’ll create a high-performing B2B sales team where each rep contributes meaningfully to your organization’s growth goals.
How is AI transforming sales training vs sales coaching?
There’s no doubt that sales training and coaching can have a significant impact on sales performance. But traditional approaches have their limitations – especially when it comes to scale, consistency, and speed.
That’s why more B2B organizations are embracing AI sales coaching and training to modernize the way they enable and support their teams.
AI sales training
It makes sense to deliver some types of sales training – like onboarding or new product rollouts – to the entire sales team. But other sales training must be personalized to be impactful. The challenge is, personalized sales training is hard to scale.
AI sales training solves this, enabling organizations to deliver personalized, bite-sized learning experiences that adapt to each rep’s strengths, weaknesses, recent performance, and learning preferences. That means sellers can access the right training at the right time – whether it’s during onboarding or just-in-time before a sales call.
Revenue enablement platforms like Mindtickle are leading the charge with innovations like Mindtickle Copilot, which acts as a real-time learning assistant. Copilot can surface relevant content, recommend next steps, and trigger just-in-time learning based on recent activity and sales outcomes. This AI sales training helps reinforce learning and makes sales training more relevant and impactful.
AI sales coaching
Sales coaching must be personalized to be impactful. But with sales managers overseeing more reps than ever, delivering consistent, one-on-one coaching is harder than ever.
AI sales coaching gives organizations new ways to support reps – without burdening managers.
Take Mindtickle Copilot, for example. This AI sales coaching tool analyzes sales calls and provides real-time feedback on elements like tone, pacing, and confidence. Sellers can use this instant feedback to fine-tune their approach and improve performance on future calls, without involving a sales manager.
Mindtickle also offers AI role-plays, another powerful AI sales coaching capability. AI role plays give sellers a safe place to practice their skills as often as they’d like with an AI-powered buyer. Reps get real-time coaching and feedback, which they can use to improve their skills before they engage with real prospects.
With AI sales coaching, organizations can provide personalized, real-time guidance to help sellers succeed – without stretching their managers thin.
Unlock the power of AI sales coaching and training with Mindtickle
Sales training and coaching are both proven strategies for improving sales performance. But traditional sales training and coaching approaches have their limitations – especially when it comes to personalization and scalability.
That’s why top revenue organizations are embracing AI sales coaching and training to deliver tailored support at scale. Mindtickle, an award-winning revenue enablement platform equips winning teams with the AI-powered tools needed to boost sales performance and drive revenue growth.
Experience AI sales training and coaching with Mindtickle
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By Helen Waite
By Christian Pieper
