Time to Rethink Sales Training with GenAI?

The Persistent Problem with Sales Training: Sales training has been the bedrock of professional development for decades, yet the methods we cling to haven’t evolved much. The result? Increasingly outdated and ineffective practices. Whether it’s the traditional face-to-face workshops (class – room) or the never-ending video marathons (class-zoom), the current approach fails to tackle the real enemy: "knowledge decay." Ever heard of the Forgetting Curve? You probably have, but guess what? You forgot!  Introduced by psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, it’s a phenomenon that shows how quickly we lose newly acquired knowledge. Think about it—within just an hour, 50% of what we learn slips away. Give it 24 hours, and 70% of that new information is gone. After a week? We’ve forgotten up to 90%.

Is This Really Working? As if the Forgetting Curve wasn’t enough to make you question traditional sales training, consider the other challenges we’re up against:

• Turnover Turmoil: It’s tough to pin down exact figures, but B2B sales turnover hovers around 35% to 45%, according to Forrester and HubSpot. That’s nearly half of your salesforce walking out the door each year. What does that mean for you? A constant cycle of recruiting, onboarding, and training—only to do it all over again. And after all that effort, it’ll take another six months for these new hires to become truly effective. Are we really okay with this?

• Mixed Teams, Mixed Results: With turnover comes inconsistency. Your sales team becomes a patchwork of varying skill levels, which is hard to manage. It’s no wonder we see the infamous “bell curve” of sales performance—some sellers excel, others flounder, and most hover somewhere between average and mediocre.

• The Death of Mentorship: Technology, budget-conscious CFOs, and even COVID-19 have changed the workplace forever. One casualty? Mentorship. Back in the ‘80s (the 1980s, to be clear), I learned more from seasoned mentors than from any formal training course. But today? Sellers are more isolated, and the opportunity to soak up that invaluable wisdom is fading fast.

Why So Complicated? Sales training has somehow turned complexity into a badge of honor. We’ve traded simplicity for a labyrinth of techniques, acronyms, and “clever” processes. It’s as if we believe the more intricate the training, the more effective it must be. But let’s be real—does anyone actually benefit from this convoluted mess? Too often, sellers are left with an overflowing toolbox, unsure which tool to use when it matters most. Isn’t simplicity the soul of efficiency? Yet, sales training has drifted far from that ideal.

The truth is, the complication of sales training, and the rise of the “deal coach,” serves another purpose: keeping consultants in business. The longer they stay involved, the more fees they collect. But is this really the best way to equip our sales teams?

A Brighter Path with GenAI: The old methods? It’s time to let them go. Instead, let’s acknowledge the limitations of traditional training and the new challenges we face. Enter a fresh approach: targeted, timely enablement and readiness. Let’s use tools that don’t just add to the noise but actually help—tools that do the research, connect the dots, and provide actionable insights right when sellers need them. Imagine getting your team better prepared, faster, and with less effort. That’s the promise of GenAI.

Conclusion: So, isn’t it time to say goodbye to outdated sales training? Let’s welcome a smarter, more efficient way to empower our sellers. With Shadow’s specialized GenAI, we can transform how we enable, prepare, and manage our teams. Curious to learn more? Visit our website to see how GenAI can revolutionize your sales training. Empower your team with the tools they need, exactly when they need them.