How many hours do you have as a manager to train your reps every day? Probably, minus one, right?

Well, as a sales manager, one of the biggest challenges you face is finding the time to train your sales reps. 

Between pipeline reviews, forecasting, and a ton of other responsibilities, taking out hours for sales training seems impossible. Besides, continuous training leads to a 50% increase in net sales per employee. Clearly. the quality of your team's training is directly proportional to their ability to sell effectively.

This is where a sales training software can turn the tables for you and your reps.

In this article, understand everything about sales training software and the integration of AI in such platforms. Plus, we will share a list of the best sales training software for your team to receive consistent, high-quality training without sacrificing your productivity hours.

What is sales training software?

Sales training software are platforms built to strengthen the knowledge, skills, and overall readiness of sales professionals. These software solutions employ various technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), gamification, and interactive simulations, to create engaging and immersive learning experiences.

At its core, sales training software gives capes to your sales teams, empowering them with the necessary product knowledge, sales prospecting and objection handling techniques, and customer engagement skills. All of this allows them to speed up the sales timelines and drive better results for your business. 

Why is sales training important for your organization?

The average ROI of sales training is a whopping 353%, indicating the high returns that can be achieved through focused training efforts. Sales training lays the foundation for building a high-performing sales force.

Here’s how your reps and consequently your business can benefit from it. 

• More closed deals: Effective sales training offers your team the knowledge, skills, and strategies to seize sales opportunities more effectively. Well-trained reps can better overcome objections, negotiate deals, and ultimately close more sales, leading to increased revenue for your business.

• Consistent brand representation: Every rep has a unique selling style. Sales training helps your reps align their approach to your company's value proposition, positioning, and unique selling points. This leads to consistent brand representation and customer experience across all touchpoints.

• Higher CSAT scores: Sales training focuses on developing interpersonal skills and active listening abilities that lead to a better understanding of customer needs. When your sales team knows customer pain points and offers solutions accordingly, it leads to higher customer satisfaction and long-term relationships.

• Better product knowledge: Regular sales training ensures that your team has in-depth knowledge of your product and the industry. This expertise enables them to position your offerings more effectively, foresee customer needs, and provide valuable advice, building trust and credibility with prospects and customers. 

Top 5 sales training software in 2024

As sales are getting more complex, the demand for innovative sales training software has been increasing. Businesses are actively looking for sales training software that go beyond conventional methods, like integrated AI, comprehensive analytics, and more. 

This section explores the top five sales training software of 2024 and how they fare against each other.

1. Happysales

Happysales is one of the most complete AI sales coaching and training software. Its native AI provides real-time guidance and actionable insights to turn conversations into conversions. Features like AI coaching, the Ask Chief feature, sales scripts, prospect personality assessment, and recommendations offer assistance to your reps at every step of sales training. 

Features 

• AI-driven role plays based on prospects’ LinkedIn profile 
• Conversation starters for different buyer personalities.
• Call evaluation for constant improvements 
• Insights and call scripts for practice 
• Real-time feedback with AI coach 
• AI chief for difficult customer conversations 

Pros 

• Different difficulty levels to customize AI role-plays 
• Happysales Chrome extension to access prospect intelligence 

💡Get started with Happysales’ forever free plan and experience the impact of AI-power sales training in your business. 

2. Mindtickle 

MindTickle is a sales training and readiness platform designed to help businesses train, coach, and enable their sales teams more effectively. It offers solutions for onboarding, ongoing skill development, and just-in-time learning for sales reps.

Features 

• Templates and ready-to-deploy training programs
• Bite-sized exercises to engage salespeople
• Leaderboards, live challenges, and quizzes for gamified learning 
• AI to practice pitches, demos, and buyer interactions
• Sales certifications
• Post-interaction insights 

Pros 

• Constant updates based on user feedback
• Role-based access to training content

Cons 

• Courses/classes are not easy to find
• Integrations can be cumbersome 

3. Second Nature

Second Nature offers an AI-based sales coaching software that creates immersive simulations and provides real-time feedback to your reps. It employs gen AI in sales and other functionalities to help managers roll out strategies and influence customer conversations. 

Features 

• Template library for AI simulations 
• Built-in course editor for any role, persona, or purpose 
• Manager dashboard to track participation
• AI-powered role plays 
• AI analytics dashboard for insights 

Pros 

• Easy, fast, and simple to deploy
• Breaks down the feedback for reps 

Cons 

• Training is a bit repetitive 
• Lack of customizations for the role-playing 

4. Saleshood 

Saleshood is an AI-powered conversational sales training platform that helps sales teams practice and improve their skills through realistic simulations with virtual customers or prospects. It is built to bridge the gap between traditional sales training and real-world selling scenarios.

Features 

• AI coach to practice pitches 
• AI-generated feedback on tone, duration, speed, etc
• Sales training content marketplace
• AI assistant for deal reviews and call recaps 

Pros 

• Saleshood app for on-the-go training 
• Powerful search functionality 

Cons 

• Learning curve can be a bit steep 
• Frequent technical glitches and slow loading times

5. Brainshark

Brainshark is a sales training and enablement platform that focuses on delivering video-based learning content. It allows managers to create, share, and track the progress of sales training using content authoring, on-demand learning courses, and video scoring & assessments. 

Features 

• Mobile app for continuous training 
• Post-training certifications and badges 
• Custom library of topics/skills to align with learning activities 
• Create courses for both instructor-led and on-demand training 

Pros 

• Reps can view learning content without the internet
• Links and QR codes make sharing content easy

Cons 

• The integration process can be lengthy and costly 
• Changing and editing training content is not possible on the platform 

Key features to look for in an AI sales training software

We have just learned that different AI sales training software contain a variety of features. However, as you go about choosing software for your team, keep in mind the following must-have features. 

1. Virtual role-playing and simulation

Virtual role-playing and simulation is a must-have feature in an online sales training platform. Its AI should allow sales reps to practice their skills in a risk-free environment and lifelike sales situations. 

By engaging in simulated conversations with virtual customers or prospects, reps can keep refining their approach, learn from mistakes, get support from tech, and find effective ways to close deals without the pressure of a live sales call.

2. Conversational AI

AI has been around for a while now assisting reps to achieve desired sales outcomes. It enables natural language interactions (voice, video, or text) between the sales reps and the virtual customer or prospect. 

The AI of a sales training platform should understand and respond to the salesperson's statements and questions, providing realistic and context-appropriate responses. This feature further helps reps mirror the top performers and develop better listening and communication skills.

3. Talking points/recommendations 

Imagine you have a teleprompter in front of you when you’re on a sales call. Sounds futuristic, right? 

But not anymore as today, the best sales training software will guide your reps in real-time on how to respond to customers. 

Choose a solution that offers AI-backed personalized talking points and recommendations for different sales scenarios including objection-handling techniques, best practices, and more so that your reps know how to handle such conversations in the future. 

4. Progress reports

After all the hard work your reps put into sales training, it is important to measure the progress made. 

Your sales training software must have progress reports and analytics to track and evaluate the rep's performance during training sessions. 

It should provide detailed reports on areas such as language usage, tone, handling objections, and closing techniques. These enable reps to identify their strengths and weaknesses leading to improvements and custom coaching plans. 

5. Script compliance

Your online sales training platform should have script compliance features for virtual training scenarios and live customer calls. To help reps adhere to specific scripts, the software’s AI should be able to track their dialogue in sales conversations and check off key phrases or points as they are spoken by reps over calls. 

This allows sales reps to practice delivering the message accurately and consistently while receiving real-time AI feedback or reminders if they miss essential talking points or deviate from the given script. 

How to choose the best sales training software for your business

Just as no two businesses are exactly alike, neither should their approach to sales training be. Choosing the best sales training software is a 4-step process. Each step requires significant effort but when executed properly aligned with your business needs, it can transform the way your sales team performs.

Step 1: Assess rep training needs 

Begin by evaluating the training needs of your sales team. Identify the areas where they require improvements, such as product knowledge, objection handling, negotiation skills, or closing techniques. Understanding these needs will help you prioritize the features and functionalities you should look for in an online sales training platform.

Step 2: Evaluate functionalities aligned with your needs 

Once you have identified your training needs, assess the functionalities offered by different sales training software. Look for features that align with your requirements, such as virtual role-playing scenarios, conversational AI, and customizable training content. Etc. Also, ensure that the features are scalable to accommodate the training needs of new reps. 

Step 3: Factor in the cost of ownership 

Consider the cost of ownership when choosing sales training software. Review the pricing plans of different software, the inclusions as well as any extra cost for add-ons or priority customer support. 

Different sales training software may offer different pricing models, such as subscription-based or usage-based. Assess the long-term impact on your budget and ensure that the solution you choose offers you maximum ROI. 

Step 4: Shortlist and try out different tools 

Narrow down the sales training software that meet your essential requirements and budget. Take advantage of free trials or demos offered by the vendors to get a hands-on experience with the software. Ask as many questions during your interactions with their team.

Involve your sales team in the evaluation process and gather their feedback on the user experience, ease of use, and overall effectiveness of the training.

Don’t forget to consider factors such as good customer reviews, responsive customer support, and the availability of integration options with your existing tools. 

FAQs

Q. What is AI sales training?

AI sales training involves training reps using machine learning, natural language processing, and predictive analytics. It personalizes the sales training experience through virtual role-playing, real-time feedback, and AI coaching recommendations.

Q. What is the best method for training salespeople?

The best method for training salespeople is to adopt an approach that combines various techniques including virtual role-playing, script compliance, AI talking points, and gamified sessions. 

Q. Can AI replace salesmen?

Short answer– No! AI is not designed to replace salespeople entirely but rather to assist and enhance their productivity and effectiveness through automation, data-driven insights, and personalized coaching.

Q. How are organizations using AI sales tools?

Organizations are using AI sales tools for lead scoring, predictive analytics, conversation intelligence, content personalization, and sales forecasting to enhance the overall sales process.