Need for an Academy

According to Bersin & Associates - a research and advisory company for corporate learning, talent management, and HR - in their article 'A New Generation Of Mastery-Based Learning Platforms Has Arrived', academies are the “next big step in corporate learning.” Sales academies, in particular, promise to manage and close the ever-widening skills gap in the sales sector. Sales leaders concerned about the talent shortage should invest time and effort into learning about and leveraging sales academies to close this gap effectively.

Sales Academies Address Two Critical Issues

1. The Ever-Widening Skills Gap: Despite significant investment in corporate training, companies still face a growing skills gap. Sales academies offer a structured approach to developing essential sales skills, ensuring companies remain competitive.

2. Misalignment Between L&D and Business Goals: Traditional learning methods often fail to align with business objectives. Sales academies integrate business needs into their curriculum, ensuring that sales training directly supports company goals.

Additional Benefits of Building Sales Academies

1. Reducing Costs: Upskilling existing employees is often cheaper than hiring new talent.

2. Boosting Retention and Engagement: Offering career growth opportunities through skill development enhances employee satisfaction.

3. Providing Dexterity for Future Skilling: Sales academies help companies adapt to future skill needs, ensuring continuous development.

Basic Tips to Start Building a Sales Academy

1. Address Challenges with the Appropriate Solution: Identify whether the need is for training, learning, and/or development.

2. Provide Time for Upskilling: Encourage employees to participate in upskilling activities by allocating company time for these initiatives.

3. Encourage Learning in Cohorts: Foster a supportive and accountable learning environment through group-based training.

4. Involve the Entire Business: Ensure alignment and support from all departments, particularly from the leadership team, to enhance the academy's effectiveness.

Best Practices for Aligning Culture and Climate

1. Leadership Commitment:

   • Participation. Leaders should actively promote and participate in sales training programs. Their commitment signals the importance of these initiatives to the entire organization.

   • Providing Resources. Ensuring that adequate resources—such as time, budget, and tools—are allocated for training and development efforts.

2. Integration with Organizational Values:

   • Value-Based Training. Designing training programs that reflect the organization's core values and strategic objectives. This alignment helps sales professionals understand the relevance and importance of their development efforts.

   • Consistent Reinforcement. Continuously reinforcing the alignment between organizational values and sales goals through regular communication and recognition.

3. Creating a Supportive Environment:

   • Encouraging Feedback. Establishing mechanisms for sales professionals to provide feedback on training programs and suggest improvements. This feedback loop ensures that training remains relevant and effective.

   • Building a Learning Culture. Promoting a culture that values learning and development as integral to personal and organizational success. This includes celebrating learning achievements and encouraging ongoing skill enhancement.

With rapidly changing skills requirements, companies must adopt effective solutions quickly. Sales academies offer a robust, affordable approach to upskilling that aligns with business needs. Whether using advanced platforms or simple tools, the key is to start building your sales academy today.