Why do most B2B sales training courses fail? Here's the solution that works!
This is exactly what Gábor, as a manager, was thinking last year when his fifth B2B sales training failed. His sales team more or less enthusiastically attended the three-day training, took notes, made promises - and two weeks later, it was back to business as usual. The numbers hadn't changed, the approach remained the same as if nothing had happened. It all seemed a terrible waste of money, even though the training material was impeccable.
The problem is not unique to the Gábor company. 84% of classical or traditional sales training is forgotten in the first three months, and this is only part of the tragedy. Why does this happen so regularly? The answer is simple: traditional B2B sales training is fundamentally ineffective and does not have a permanent approach.
The fatal flaw of traditional B2B sales training
Most B2B sales training is structured as if you were programming a machine. They train the salespeople, give them the material and expect it to be automatically incorporated into their daily lives. This is fundamentally the wrong approach.
Most B2B sales training programmes fail because they focus on selling methods rather than on the buying habits of buyers - and this is only one aspect. Another, more serious problem is that these courses do not take into account the nature of human learning and the complex process of habit change.
What happens in practice?
- Salespeople understand new techniques
- They try them for a few days
- Then, in a difficult customer situation, they fall back into their usual patterns
- Two weeks later, only vague memories remain
Lack of coaching: where the problem starts
The traditional trainings one of the biggest shortcomings is that they lack ongoing support. After one or two to three days of intensive training, salespeople are left to their own devices. No one helps them to actually apply the new knowledge or to overcome the internal resistance that comes with change.
This is where coaching comes in. When we combine B2B sales training with coaching support, the results change dramatically. Companies that provide real-time, transaction-specific sales coaching to their employees increased their revenues by 8.41T$3T year-over-year - an improvement of 951T$3T compared to companies that do not provide this level of coaching.
But why is this approach so effective?
Why does coaching-supported B2B sales training work better?
1. Personalised solutions
Every seller is different. Zoltan has problems with cold calling, Andrea has problems with handling objections, and Peter opens great but feels uncomfortable closing.
Traditional training treats everyone the same - but coaching focuses on the specific challenges of each individual.
2. Real-world application of knowledge
"Learning becomes knowledge when it is applied" - Adam Grant
In coaching-supported B2B sales training, it is not enough to understand a technique. The coach helps you to try it out on real customers, reflect on the experience and fine-tune your approach. This leads to much deeper understanding and learning.
3. Supporting habit change
Here lies the secret: most sales problems are not caused by a lack of knowledge, but by bad habits. Martha is a very talented salesperson, but she always presented the quote too early. She knew it was a mistake, but she always did it. Why?
4. Incorporating industry specialities
A coaching allows B2B sales training to be truly relevant to the specificities of the industry. If you are working with pharmaceutical companies, you need a different approach than if you are selling to IT service providers or construction companies.
Example: In the pharmaceutical industry, the decision-making process is much more complex, takes place at multiple levels and is influenced by the regulatory environment. A traditional sales training These are general issues - coaching works with you on specific cases.
5. Shadow coaching: development in real practice
Shadow coaching is perhaps the most effective tool for coaching-supported B2B sales training. This means that the coach is present during real customer conversations with the salesperson - either face-to-face or by analysing recordings - and provide feedback afterwards. The most successful salespeople receive an average of 15 coaching sessions per month, compared to the overall average of 2 sessions Status of B2B sales discovery and promotion in 2024 - Cuvamaand a significant part of this is shadow coaching.
Why is this method so powerful? Because it happens in reality, not in simulations. When Laszlo is in an important client meeting and a critical objection or objection is raised, the coach can see immediately how he reacts.
A shadow coaching is particularly effective in B2B environments, where each customer situation is unique and decision-making processes are complex. The coach can "shadow" - i.e. be there alongside and actively observe the salesperson during real sales calls, or listen to past recordings and then provide expert feedback and improvement strategies 2024 State of B2B Sales Performance Report: Trends, Insights, and Solutions. This leads to much deeper learning than any theoretical training.
Want to know more about how to transform your own sales approach? Contact us!
The new challenges of digital sales trends
The year 2025 will bring particular challenges in the world of B2B sales. Buying habits have changed, the importance of online presence has increased and decision-making processes have changed.
LinkedIn and social selling
Today, it is not enough to make a good phone call. Salespeople also need to understand how to build relationships on LinkedIn, how to respond or share valuable content, and how to leverage the power of digital platforms.
CRM integration and data-driven sales
Modern B2B sales are increasingly data-driven. Salespeople need to know how to read CRM system signals, identify the most promising leads and optimise the sales process.
Here too, coaching has a huge role to play: while a traditional training course explains how to use CRM, coaching involves the salesperson working with their own data, learning from their own customers and learning new methods in real-life situations.
Specific B2B sales techniques with coaching support
Deep application of SPIN selling technique
The SPIN (Situation, Problem, Implication, Need-payoff) technique is widely known, but few people use it effectively. The reason is that they learn the theory in a training course, but do not get enough support to apply it in practice.
With coaching support:
- Each customer situation is discussed
- You formulate concrete questions together
- Practising injections
- Fine-tune your approach based on the results
Developing consultative selling
Consultative selling means that the salesperson acts as a true consultant. This requires serious personal development, not just mastery of techniques.
The case of Thomas: Thomas was always a good salesman, but he was too aggressive in his approach to new customers. Coaching helped him to understand that patience and asking deeper questions yields much better results. After six months of coaching, his conversion rate improved by 85%.
If you want your team to really learn and apply new sales techniques, let's talk about it!
The practical benefits of coaching-supported B2B sales training
Measurable results
Critical research has also shown that coaching has a profound impact on sales productivity: it leads to an increase of 88%, while training alone only leads to an increase of 23%. This is not a coincidence - coaching-supported B2B sales training brings concrete, measurable changes:
- Conversion rate improvement: 30-70% improvement 3-6 months after the start of coaching
- Shorter sales cycle: Shops are closing faster
- Higher average transaction value: Better positioning and communicating value
- Increase team motivation: Salespeople become more confident
Long-term impact
While a traditional training effect disappears in a few weeks, while coaching-supported development brings lasting change. The reason for this is simple: we don't just teach you new methods, we help you incorporate them into your everyday life.
How to choose the right B2B sales training?
What to look for in the service?
- Experience: At least 10+ years of sales, sales management and coaching experience
- Personalisation: Not a template, but a solution tailored to your industry
- Continuity: Not one-off training, but longer-term support
- Measurable results: Specific KPIs and tracking system
- Coaching integration: Training and coaching together in a single system
What to look for when choosing?
Avoid providers who:
- They only impart theoretical knowledge
- Template solutions are offered
- No coaching background
Choose those who:
- They take a unique approach
- Coaching support is also provided
- Have experience in the industry
The CoachLab approach: why is it different?
Our experience shows that the most effective B2B sales training is based on a combination of training and coaching. It's not enough to teach the techniques - you need to help them apply them and change their habits.
Our approach is based on three pillars:
- Personalised training content - Based on the specific challenges of your industry and your team
- Integrated coaching support - All participants receive individual coaching
- Practical implementation - We work on real clients
Interested to know how this works in practice? Let's talk about it in person!
The results speak for themselves
In our opinion, coaching-supported B2B sales training works because it puts the human factor at the centre. It is not the techniques per se that are important, but the ability of salespeople to apply them in line with their own personality and style.
Frequently asked questions about B2B sales training
The future: what lies ahead in the world of B2B sales?
According to the latest analysis by the Harvard Business Review (HBR), B2B customer decision-making is becoming increasingly complex. There are more stakeholders in the process, decision cycles are longer and customers are better informed than ever before.
This further underlines the importance of coaching-supported B2B sales training. It's not enough for salespeople to learn a few techniques - they need to adapt to a changing environment, and they can only do this with ongoing support.
The future of sales lies in personalised, coaching-supported development. Companies that recognise this and apply it properly can gain a significant competitive advantage.
