The Ultimate Guide to the Best Sales Training Programs in 2024
As a sales leader, one of the most impactful investments you can make is in the ongoing development and training of your sales team. The right sales training will equip your reps with the skills, knowledge, and strategies they need to engage today‘s buyers, differentiate from the competition, and consistently hit quota.
But with thousands of options to choose from, how do you find the best sales training programs for your business? In this guide, we‘ll break down the key criteria to look for and highlight the top sales training companies across every category.
How to Choose the Best Sales Training Program for Your Team
Before investing in sales training, it‘s important to assess your team‘s specific needs and goals. The most effective sales training programs are highly tailored to your company‘s unique sales process, solutions, buyers, and challenges.
Avoid a generic, "one-size-fits-all" approach and look for a program that can be customized to your industry, sales methodology, and objectives. The training should directly relate to the real-world situations your reps face in the field.
Other key factors to consider:
- Expertise of the training provider and individual facilitators
- Focus on application, practice, and skill development vs. lecture
- Blended learning methods, including in-person, virtual, and online
- Inclusion of reinforcement and coaching to drive long-term adoption
- Ability to measure impact and demonstrate ROI to justify the investment
With that criteria in mind, let‘s dive into the top sales training programs for 2024, broken down by category:
Best Comprehensive Sales Training Programs
For a complete, end-to-end sales training solution, these programs cover the entire sales process from prospecting to closing.
1. RAIN Group – Insight Selling
RAIN Group‘s Insight Selling program teaches sellers how to lead with insights and inspire buyers to take action. The customized training focuses on the skills needed to succeed in today‘s virtual selling environment, including:
- Leading compelling digital sales conversations
- Creating value-based messaging that speaks to buyer needs
- Advancing the sale and overcoming objections
- Driving buyer consensus and closing the deal
Delivery options include on-site, virtual instructor-led, and online formats. Participants get access to on-demand courses, tools, and deal coaching to reinforce the learning.
2. ValueSelling Associates – Value-Based Sales
The ValueSelling Framework provides a proven formula for engaging buyers and communicating value. The training program is tailored to your company‘s offerings, sales process, and customer‘s business issues. Your team will learn:
- Conducting strategic discovery to uncover buyer needs
- Quantifying your value in the buyer‘s terms
- Executing the steps of the ValueSelling process
- Negotiating to preserve margin and avoid discounting
Delivered through a mix of in-person and virtual instructor-led workshops, ValueSelling Essentials Certification ensures sellers can apply the methodology in the field.
3. The Brooks Group – IMPACT Selling
The award-winning IMPACT Selling program from The Brooks Group gives sellers a 6-step process for leading a value-based sales conversation:
- Investigate: Uncover needs through active listening and insightful questions
- Meet: Position your solution‘s value and impact
- Probe: Dig deeper into buyer needs and decision criteria
- Apply: Deliver a tailored presentation linking your value to needs
- Convince: Resolve objections and build buyer confidence
- Tie-it-up: Close the sale and establish next steps
The Brooks Group collaborates closely with clients to assess their needs, customize the training, and deliver it via on-site or virtual workshops. The program also includes a cloud-based portal and mobile app for skills reinforcement.
Best Inside Sales and Virtual Selling Programs
For inside sales teams selling over the phone or via web conferencing, these programs zero in on the unique challenges of virtual selling.
4. ASLAN Training – Inside Sales Training
ASLAN Training‘s virtual selling program gives inside reps the skills to grab a buyer‘s attention, deliver a powerful message, and create a buying atmosphere – all in a virtual setting. The program covers:
- Crafting a compelling opening and ‘sales hook‘
- Delivering a concise, needs-based presentation
- Resolving objections and building buyer conviction
- Securing commitments that advance the sale
The live training is delivered virtually in a highly interactive, "learn-by-doing" format that includes skills practice, real-world application exercises, and video coaching.
5. JBarrows Sales Training – Virtual Selling Mastery
JBarrows offers a comprehensive virtual selling curriculum that spans the entire sales process. The interactive training courses focus on adapting selling skills to a remote environment:
- Sales prospecting and appointment setting
- Running effective virtual sales meetings
- Demonstrating value with virtual presentations
- Negotiating and closing in a virtual world
Training is delivered via live virtual sessions, on-demand video lessons, group exercises, and 1:1 coaching. The program also integrates with your CRM and sales enablement tools.
Best Sales Management and Leadership Programs
Effective sales management is key to getting the most from your sales training investment. These programs develop the skills managers need to reinforce training and coach reps to top performance.
6. Integrity Solutions – Sales Leadership
Integrity Solutions provides a robust sales leadership curriculum that transforms managers into coaches who inspire and develop top performers. The program focuses on:
- Transitioning from selling to coaching
- Motivating and engaging sellers
- Coaching the behaviors that drive results
- Recruiting and onboarding new sales talent
- Leading a high-performance sales culture
Training spans 12 weeks and includes virtual instructor-led sessions, online self-study, on-the-job assignments, group coaching, and skills assessments.
7. Sales Readiness Group – High-Impact Sales Coaching
Sales Readiness Group‘s management program equips leaders with a proven process for developing and motivating reps. Participants learn how to:
- Observe selling skills and identify coaching opportunities
- Deliver constructive feedback that drives behavior change
- Leverage different coaching styles based on the situation
- Create individual coaching and development plans
The interactive virtual sessions include scenario-based exercises to apply skills to real-world coaching situations. Managers also get tools and templates to structure effective coaching conversations.
Sales Training ROI: Measuring the Impact
The most effective sales training programs deliver measurable improvements in sales performance and business results. To gauge the return on your investment, track these key metrics:
- Learning retention and on-the-job application
- Sales activity metrics (calls, meetings, opportunities, pipeline)
- Leading indicators (opportunity win rate, sales cycle, average deal size)
- Lagging indicators (bookings, revenue, quota attainment)
Look for a training provider that offers a comprehensive measurement approach and works with you to define success upfront. Many of the top programs highlighted in this guide provide pre- and post-training assessments, manager toolkits to observe behavior change, and detailed reporting on business impact.
Best Practices for Sales Training Success
To get the most value from your sales training program, be sure to:
- Align training goals and content to your overall business strategy
- Customize training to your sales process, buyer‘s journey, and messaging
- Leverage a blended learning approach to maximize engagement
- Allow ample opportunities for real-world practice and application
- Enlist frontline sales managers to reinforce skills and coach
- Provide ongoing coaching and training to drive long-term behavior change
- Measure results and optimize the program based on feedback and data
Armed with these tips and recommendations, you‘re well equipped to find the best sales training program for your team in 2024. The key is to treat sales training not as a one-time event, but as an ongoing initiative that continuously elevates the skills and performance of your sales organization.
