Enhancing Employee Engagement in Training

Every so often, I run neuroscience studies where I scan multiple people at the same time. It allows us to see if and when people’s brains align during a shared experience, like a sales presentation or training session. Unfortunately, what I often notice is that people’s brains synchronize not because they’re deeply engaged, but because the information is easy to process. This is called processing fluency, which we think is desirable, but that ease can be deceptive because what’s processed easily is often forgotten just as easily. So, two practical guidelines to consider: 1) Avoid babying people’s brains too much and 2) Invite your audience to work just a bit harder. Ask them to connect ideas, not just receive them. Ask for explanations as to why something works the way it does. Present something that violates expectation but remains relatable (surprise should be meaningful, not gimmicky). Combine visuals and words that don’t immediately match (forcing reconciliation). Build narrative tension before sharing insights because anticipation enhances attention and recall. Frame information around the self (“what would you do?”) because self-schema acts as a strong retrieval anchor. In short, ease feels good, but it’s depth that lasts.

"𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁." That was the advice I received in my first sales role. Along with: "This is what works." "This is what the top performers do." "Don't reinvent the wheel." All well-intentioned guidance. All seemingly logical. And all profoundly wrong for me. Because no matter how perfectly crafted that script was, when I tried to deliver it, I sounded like exactly what I was – someone reading someone else's words. The breakthrough came when a mentor pulled me aside and said something I'll never forget: "Stop trying to be the best version of someone else. Start being the best version of you." That advice transformed my career, and it's at the core of what I now teach clients. There's tremendous power in finding and using your authentic voice in sales – even (especially) when it differs from the conventional approach. This doesn't mean abandoning structure or proven methodologies. It means adapting them to align with your natural communication style and strengths. I've worked with naturally analytical sales professionals who tried to force themselves into high-energy, charismatic presentations because they thought that's what selling "should" look like. When they embraced their methodical, detail-oriented approach instead, their results soared because prospects could feel their authenticity. I've coached naturally empathetic reps who struggled with "assertive" closing techniques, only to find that their collaborative, consultative approach actually built stronger trust – resulting in both higher close rates and better retention. Your authentic voice isn't just about how you speak – it's about how you listen, how you process information, how you build relationships, and how you create value in conversations. Finding this voice requires both self-awareness and courage: • The self-awareness to recognize your natural communication patterns and strengths • The courage to leverage them even when they don't match the prevailing sales culture But the payoff is immense: Better results. Greater resilience. More sustainable performance. And perhaps most importantly, the freedom that comes from alignment between who you are and how you work. What about you? Have you found your authentic voice in sales? Or are you still trying to fit into someone else's idea of what a sales professional "should" sound like? #AuthenticSelling #SalesSuccess #ProfessionalDevelopment

Most training programs create excitement. Very few create measurable business impact. A few months ago, I worked with an organization that had a very specific challenge. Their frontline teams were attending workshops, feeling motivated, taking notes but when it came to actual performance on the field, their sales conversion was very low. Great energy. Poor execution. Something was missing. So before designing the learning intervention, I asked one simple question: “What’s the real context in which your people operate daily?” Not the role. Not the job description. Not the competencies. The context. What pressures do they face? What conversations are toughest? Where do deals collapse? Who influences decisions? What behaviours matter most on the ground? The organization opened up. We mapped real scenarios. We shadowed calls. We watched interactions. We decoded customer psychology. We understood the reality behind the numbers. Only then did we build the training journey. Not generic content. Not textbook concepts. Not motivational theory. But a program designed exactly around their on-ground realities. The impact. Over the next eight weeks, something changed. Sales conversations became sharper. Objections were handled with more confidence. Teams spoke value, not price. Managers reinforced learning consistently. The conversion saw a huge jump and this was created not by more training, but by the right training. The lesson is simple: Content informs. Context transforms. Workshops don’t create results. Relevance does. When learning mirrors the real world, people don’t just listen they apply. When they apply, organizations grow. What’s one area in your team where you feel content is high but context is missing? If your organization wants training that delivers real, measurable outcomes let’s talk.

One team I worked with increased their discovery to demo conversion by 40% in just 30 days with consistent role playing. But… Before I started working with them, they used to HATE it! Here’s what their sales leader said: "Marcus, my team hates it. It feels awkward and forced. Plus, my top performers don't need it." Here's the exact framework I implemented that transformed their performance (and changed their minds): 1️⃣ Make it unexpected Don't announce who's going next in your meetings This keeps EVERYONE engaged and prepared Your reps should be slightly uncomfortable (that's where growth happens) 2️⃣ Include your stars: Make sure to also pick your top performers This shows the team that EVERYONE needs practice It creates psychological safety for less experienced reps It prevents the "I'm-too-good-for-this" mentality 3️⃣ Make it specific: Don't use generic scenarios ("sell me this pen") Focus on REAL objections your team faces daily Target specific stages of your sales process Address actual deals they're working on 4️⃣ Keep it brief: 3-5 minutes per role-play Immediate, actionable feedback Recognize what they did well and then.. One or two specific improvements to focus on 5️⃣ Create a feedback culture: Have peers provide feedback too Focus on what could be improved, not what was "wrong" Document common challenges for future training Celebrate improvement openly This worked so well that even their top performer came to me and said: "I honestly thought I was too good for this, but you caught me off guard in that role-play and I realized I was leaving money on the table." The reality is simple: every professional athlete still practices fundamentals daily. Every world class musician still practices scales. Your sales team needs the same discipline. One sales leader told me: "I was shocked at how quickly our conversations improved. My team went from dreading role-plays to actually requesting them before big meetings." — Hey sales leaders… want to top this off with a 3 step blueprint to running the PERFECT sales meeting? Go here: https://lnkd.in/gtkFi9CK

A Lesson from a Birthday Voicemail: The Power of Authentic Connection in Sales Recently, I experienced a moment of pure joy and authenticity, one that resonates deeply with me a sales professional. On my birthday, a couple weeks ago, among the chorus of off-key family renditions in my voicemail, I received an unexpected message from a colleague, Precious L. Williams "Killer Pitch Master". She didn’t just wish me a happy birthday; she sang it! Precious, an outstanding speaker known for her insights into pitching and sales, exhibited a fearless, genuine spirit. This small, personal act encapsulated why she is so successful: she understands the importance of truly “SEEING” people. In an era where AI tools craft our emails and streamline client interactions, it's crucial we don’t lose the human touch. As sales professionals, our challenge is to genuinely connect with our clients, to see them not just as leads, but as individuals with unique values, missions, and stories. Here are three actionable ways to make our clients feel seen and valued: 1️⃣ Personalize Your Approach: Before hitting send on any email or LinkedIn message, take a moment to personalize it. Refer to a recent post or article they’ve written or acknowledge a career milestone. This shows you’ve done your homework and value their contributions. 2️⃣ Celebrate Their Successes: If your client achieves something noteworthy, be it professional or personal, acknowledge it. A simple congratulatory message can go a long way in building a stronger, more personal relationship. 3️⃣ Take a Risk with Creativity: Don’t shy away from doing something out of the ordinary. It could be as simple as sending a handwritten note or sharing a relevant article or book. These small, creative gestures can make a big impact in a digital world. Incorporating these tactics isn’t just about improving sales; it’s about building genuine, empathetic connections. As sales professionals, let’s strive to be more like Precious – fearless, authentic, and always ready to truly see the person behind the client. #SalesStrategy #Sales #AuthenticConnections #PersonalTouch #SalesSuccess

Some of my hardest lessons as a sales leader came when figuring out how to setup and run training (learn from my mistakes!) Me as a new leader: "Great we have 10 topics we want to cover... let's do 1 a week. 2.5 months later we will have covered SO much ground!" 🙃 Training was more of a "box checking" exercise. Someone shared feedback on what they wanted to learn, and it got added to the list Having one 30 or 60 minute training on any topic is never sufficient, and I did the team a disservice So what was missing? And what did I seek to add later? 👉 Focus Instead of 10 topics, we might go into a quarter with 1-2 priority focus areas. The deeper engagement on a narrower topic is not unlike narrowing your focus on a smaller set of ICP accounts This creates room for practice, follow up sessions, different voices delivering the material, and ultimately makes the content stickier 👉 Engagement from other departments Where applicable, involvement from other departments can add incredible value to your training program. For instance, when you are training on a new product category, it is valuable to: - Hear firsthand from Product how it's built - Align your training timeline with Product Marketing so that materials are ready to go as the training commences - Work with Marketing so that messaging aligns to how you can sell it and everyone has the same talking points from day 1 - Work with Rev Ops to identify a market opportunity to apply your learnings - Have Sales Enablement help prepare uses cases in your sales tech stack 👉 A system to encourage accountability Once the trainings are delivered, how do you know that the sales team was paying attention? That can take many forms: - Group activity like pitch practice - Measuring adoption through tools like Gong - Contest/SPIF to encourage initial matching sales activity - Knowledge tests in your LMS (my least favorite) 👉 Repetition There's a reason Sesame Street used to repeat episodes during the week - once wasn't enough to get the message home! While your sales team isn't full of 3 year olds, similar principles apply Bottom line: instead of thinking about any topic as a single "training", think about creating "training programs" for your team 🎓 Tying it all together for a training on "New Product A" Week 1: Product & Product Marketing introduce the new offering Week 2: Outside expert/marketing/leadership deliver the industry POV Week 3: Team gets together to identify prospects and practice the pitch Week 4: Team provides feedback on material and prospecting plans are built incorporating the training Weeks 5-8: Measuring adoption through Gong. Shouting out strong adoption and privately helping laggards identify gaps in understanding Week 6: Short contest to encourage cross/up-sell opportunity creation Week 12: Revisit/Feedback #SalesEnablement #SalesTraining #LeadershipLessons #CorrCompetencies

Transforming Frontline Sales Training: A Digital Leap Forward Excited to share my key learnings in co creating a digital learning platform tailored for frontline sales colleagues. This initiative has given me a bundle of experiences in how we approach sales training, offering a flexible, interactive, and impactful learning experience. Key Learnings: Start with the End in Mind: Aligning the learning objectives with business outcomes ensures that the training is relevant and impactful. Embrace a Blended Learning Approach: Combining digital content with face-to-face interactions enriches the learning experience and caters to different learning styles. Role of AI and Gamifications: Gamifications through Interactive quizzes and activities not only make learning fun but also help in retaining knowledge and applying it in real-world scenarios. Role of AI in simulations and role play scenarios indeed create engagement for learners. Measure and Adapt: Continuously measuring the impact on business metrics and adapting the content ensures that the training remains effective and up to date. Collaborate for Success: The partnership between the training team and business is crucial for creating content that resonates with the learners and addresses their needs. This journey has been a testament to the power of digital transformation in the learning and development space, and I’m proud to be a part of a team that’s pushing the boundaries of traditional sales training. #DigitalLearning #SalesTraining #FrontlineSales #Innovation #LearningAndDevelopment.

This is the most underrated problem I've seen when trying to build or expand partnership GTM: Leadership is initially fully behind a new partnership, excited about its potential, but that enthusiasm never makes its way down to the sales teams who are expected to execute. Without alignment, even the best partnership can stall before it has a chance to succeed. Why does this happen? Sales teams are often focused on their core products, and if a partnership doesn’t clearly benefit them or fit into their day-to-day operations, it becomes an afterthought. To turn things around, you need to make sure your partnership incentives, compensation, and training are in lockstep with the teams that will be selling your product. Here’s how to align incentives and drive results: 1. Ensure your incentives are compelling enough for frontline teams. It’s not enough to excite leadership—sales teams need a clear, tangible reason to sell your product. - Introduce a financial incentive or bonus structure that’s competitive with what reps earn on their core products. This could be a one-time bonus for the first sale, or an ongoing commission that rewards consistent effort. -Tie the incentive to their existing sales goals. If your product helps them hit their targets more easily, they’ll naturally prioritize it. 2. Structure partner compensation to motivate co-selling. If your partner compensation doesn’t align with their core goals, they won’t push your product. - Design a compensation plan that aligns with both the partner’s and your business objectives. For instance, if your partner’s core offering is hardware, incentivize bundling your software as part of the sale to create a win-win situation. - Offer performance-based incentives that reward partners for hitting key milestones—whether that’s a certain number of units sold, a specific revenue target, or even customer engagement metrics. Keep it simple and measurable. 3. Provide consistent training and engagement so your product isn’t just another checkbox. Sales teams won’t advocate for your product if they don’t fully understand its value or how to sell it. - Develop ongoing, bite-sized training sessions that fit into their schedules. Instead of overwhelming them with lengthy sessions, focus on 15-minute, high-impact trainings that teach them how to identify the right opportunities. -Pair training with real-time support. Join sales calls, offer one-pagers, and provide direct assistance during key customer engagements. When they feel supported, they’re more likely to feel confident pushing your product. This kind of alignment can make the difference between a stalled partnership and a thriving one. When sales teams are motivated, equipped, and incentivized to sell your product, the partnership stops being just another checkbox—it becomes a key driver of growth.

A lot of time and money goes into corporate training—but not nearly enough comes out of it. In fact, companies spent $130 billion on training last year, yet only 25% of programs measurably improved business performance. Having run countless training workshops, I’ve seen firsthand what makes the difference. Some teams walk away energized and equipped. Others… not so much. If you’re involved in organizing training—whether for a small team or a large department—here’s how to make sure it actually works: ✅ Do your research. Talk to your team. What skills would genuinely help them day-to-day? A few interviews or a quick survey can reveal exactly where to focus. ✅ Start with a solid brief. Give your trainer as much context as possible: goals, audience, skill levels, examples of past work, what’s worked—and what hasn’t. ✅ Don’t shortchange the time. A 90-minute session might inspire, but it won’t transform. For deeper learning and hands-on practice, give it time—ideally 2+ hours or spaced chunks over a few days. ✅ Share real examples. Generic content doesn’t stick. When the trainer sees your actual slides, templates, and challenges, they can tailor the session to hit home. ✅ Choose the right group size. Smaller groups mean better interaction and more personalized support. If you want engagement, resist the temptation to pack the (virtual) room. ✅ Make it matter. Set expectations. Send reminders. And if it’s virtual, cameras on goes a long way toward focus and connection. ✅ Schedule follow-up support. Reinforcement matters. Book a post-session Q&A, office hours, or refresher so people actually use what they’ve learned. ✅ Follow up. Send a quick survey afterward to measure impact and shape the next session. One-off training rarely moves the needle—but a well-planned series can. Helping teams level up their presentation skills is what I do—structure, storytelling, design, and beyond. If that’s on your radar, I’d love to help. DM me to get the conversation started.

“We want more role play” ~ That was feedback I got on a recent post training survey from a few participants. Why would any sales person ask for role play? Sounds contrary to what any typical person would request. Most people hate being put on the spot and asking to practice their skills in front of all their colleagues. But, the way I do role play in my training not only makes it fun, but impactful. So impactful they want more. The key to making a role play effective is to live coach as the person is practicing. Don’t just let them fall of the cliff. Here is how I do that: When you hear the person make a misstep, stop them and ask the group what the person missed. This forces the other participants to apply what they have just learned. I reinforce what the participants say by providing feedback immediately. Allow that person to reframe what they have said based on the feedback they have heard. At some point the brave soul that volunteers gets stuck, so one of their colleague taps them out. We do this round robin role playing continuously with sales people tapping each other in and out until we reach the point where I feel that the group has sufficiently learned the key concepts. When I wrap my training up, I remind all the salespeople to not practice their new skills on their prospects. Practice at “home” because your colleagues are so much kinder than your prospects will be. ***** Hi! My name is Wesleyne. I am a mindset and skill-set sales trainer. What does that mean? I work with leaders and their teams together to build the mental fortitude they need to succeed in sales while equipping them with the tactical skills they need to crush their quota monthly. Sound intriguing? Let’s chat #wesleynewisdom #salestips #salestraining