{"id":149381,"date":"2026-05-19T08:00:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T12:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trainingindustry.com\/?post_type=articles&#038;p=149381"},"modified":"2026-05-12T10:25:30","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T14:25:30","slug":"new-research-7-sales-training-takeaways-for-ld-leaders","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/trainingindustry.com\/articles\/sales\/new-research-7-sales-training-takeaways-for-ld-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"New Research: 7 Sales Training Takeaways for L&#038;D Leaders"},"author":52,"featured_media":149384,"template":"","tags":[31793,36176,77],"class_list":["post-149381","articles","type-articles","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-ai-in-sales","tag-consultative-selling","tag-sales-training","global_topic_tax-sales"],"acf":{"sponsored":false,"gated":false,"gated_content_type":"","file_attachment":null,"gated_content":"","form_instruction_header":"To access the full article, please fill out the form below:","pardot_html_embed":"","author_override":true,"author_name":"Michelle Richardson","author_image":135682,"author_bio":"Michelle Richardson is the vice president of Sales Performance Research at <a href=\"https:\/\/brooksgroup.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Brooks Group<\/a>, where she spearheads industry research and ROI initiatives.","excerpt":"New research shows AI is amplifying sales skill gaps, pushing L&D teams to prioritize consultative selling, coaching and reinforcement.","main_content":"B2B sales excellence isn\u2019t just about having the right strategy and tools or hitting your numbers. Today it\u2019s about building sales teams that consistently know how to engage customers in the right way.\r\n\r\nThat\u2019s the main takeaway from the 2026 Sales Leader Report from The Brooks Group. The report, \u201c5 Strategies for Consultative Selling in the Age of AI,\u201d summarizes a survey of hundreds of sales leaders about their priorities and challenges.\r\n\r\nFor learning and development (L&amp;D) professionals, this conclusion presents both a challenge and an opportunity. It means moving beyond traditional training and creating programs that shape how sellers think, act and perform on the job.\r\n\r\nHere are the key takeaways \u2014 and what they mean for L&amp;D leaders looking to make a bigger impact with their sales training.\r\n<h2>1. AI Is Amplifying Skills \u2014 Not Replacing Them<\/h2>\r\nWhile 71% of sales teams are already using artificial intelligence (AI) tools \u2014 primarily for training, coaching and reinforcement \u2014 the report emphasizes that AI is an accelerator, not a substitute for core selling skills. In fact, weak foundational skills become more visible when amplified by AI.\r\n\r\n<strong>Implication for L&amp;D: <\/strong>Training programs must prioritize human capabilities: critical thinking, questioning, listening and relationship-building. AI can enhance training delivery and reinforcement, but it cannot compensate for gaps in consultative selling skills.\r\n\r\nL&amp;D leaders should integrate AI into learning ecosystems (e.g., coaching simulations, feedback tools) while doubling down on skill development.\r\n<h2>2. Revenue Success Is Masking Performance Gaps<\/h2>\r\nAn important insight from the report is that, while 93% of organizations expect to meet or exceed revenue targets, many rely heavily on a small group of top performers. Most sellers are underperforming relative to their potential. Over half of respondents indicated fewer than 60% of their individual sellers were on track to hit target.\r\n\r\n<strong>Implication for L&amp;D: <\/strong>Traditional training approaches that focus on top performers or broad, one-size-fits-all programs are insufficient. L&amp;D must shift toward scalable capability building, identifying what top performers do differently and embedding those behaviors into training, coaching and sales processes.\r\n\r\nThis also highlights the importance of behavioral consistency, not just peak performance. Effective training should aim to raise the performance floor across the entire sales team.\r\n<h2>3. Sales Leaders Are Investing in Development, Not Headcount<\/h2>\r\nSales leaders\u2019 priorities for 2026 have shifted toward maximizing the value of existing customers and teams. Instead of expanding headcount, organizations are focused on developing and retaining talent to grow accounts and improve margins.\r\n\r\nEven though a majority of sales teams saw significant turnover last year, only 13% of respondents indicated that reducing sales turnover was a top challenge, ranking it ninth out of 10 on our list. This means most organizations are keeping top performers and are either actively or passively cycling out those they don\u2019t want to retain.\r\n\r\n<strong>Implication for L&amp;D: <\/strong>This trend elevates the strategic importance of L&amp;D. Training is no longer a support function, it\u2019s a primary lever for growth. Programs must align with business priorities such as customer retention, account expansion and margin improvement.\r\n\r\nL&amp;D leaders should ensure that training initiatives are directly tied to these outcomes and demonstrate measurable impact. Measuring KPIs such as new logo growth, average sale amount, conversion rate, sales cycle length and current account expansion before and after sales training connects activity to impact in a real way.\r\n<h2>4. Sales Processes Exist \u2014 But They Don\u2019t Always Drive the Right Behavior<\/h2>\r\nThe report reveals that most organizations have well-defined sales processes, with high levels of adherence and CRM integration. However, many of these processes are seller-centric, focusing on activities and pipeline tracking rather than customer value and decision-making. At the same time, consultative selling remains a top challenge and training priority.\r\n\r\n<strong>Implication for L&amp;D: <\/strong>Training must go beyond teaching \u201cthe process\u201d and focus on how to execute it in a customer-centric way. This includes:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Understanding customer needs and priorities<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Qualifying opportunities effectively<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Navigating buying processes<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Demonstrating differentiated value<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nL&amp;D should partner with sales leadership to ensure training reinforces behaviors that align with a customer-centric sales process, not just compliance with steps or CRM usage. Customer-centric selling sticks when leaders define behaviors clearly, managers coach on them consistently, sellers role-play and practice real situations and incentives reward new habits.\r\n<h2>5. Intentional Selling Is the Missing Skill<\/h2>\r\nOne of the most significant emerging gaps is in pre-call planning, now ranked among the top three skill deficiencies alongside qualifying and differentiating.\r\n\r\nThe report highlights that intentional sellers \u2014 those who plan interactions, define objectives and tailor conversations \u2014 are more effective across the board.\r\n\r\n<strong>Implication for L&amp;D: <\/strong>This is a major opportunity to improve training impact. Pre-call planning is highly teachable, scalable and immediately applicable. L&amp;D programs should incorporate:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Structured planning frameworks<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Practice scenarios and role plays<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Reinforcement tools (including AI-based coaching)<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nEven simple habits such as defining call objectives and preparing key questions can significantly improve sales outcomes. For example, sellers who received training reported a 14% increase in average sale amount, according to The Brooks Group ROI analysis 6-month post training.\r\n<h2>6. Training Priorities Are Misaligned With Customer-Centric Skill Gaps<\/h2>\r\nOne of the most critical insights for L&amp;D is the disconnect between what sales teams need and what organizations prioritize in training.\r\n\r\nWhile qualifying and consultative selling rank highly, other essential skills such as questioning are lower on the priority list. Meanwhile, product knowledge and presentation skills \u2014 areas that emphasize information delivery rather than discovery \u2014 are overemphasized.\r\n\r\n<strong>Implication for L&amp;D: <\/strong>This misalignment is a common reason training fails to deliver results. L&amp;D leaders must take a diagnostic approach.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Use assessments to identify true skill gaps.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Align training content with those gaps.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Focus on developing customer-centric behaviors.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nIn other words, training should be driven by performance needs, not assumptions or legacy priorities.\r\n<h2>7. Reinforcement and Coaching Are Essential for Lasting Impact<\/h2>\r\nFinally, the report underscores that training alone is not enough. Ongoing coaching, practice and reinforcement \u2014 often supported by AI \u2014 are critical for sustained behavior change.\r\n\r\n<strong>Implication for L&amp;D: <\/strong>To improve impact, training programs must extend beyond the classroom. This includes manager-led coaching, continuous practice opportunities and AI-driven feedback and reinforcement. L&amp;D should design programs as ongoing systems, not one-time events.\r\n<h2>From Sales Training to Transformation<\/h2>\r\nFor L&amp;D professionals, the overarching message is clear: The future of sales training lies in building consistent, customer-focused capability across the entire sales force.\r\n\r\nThis requires a shift from delivering training programs to driving performance. By aligning training with real skill gaps, integrating AI thoughtfully and focusing on measurable outcomes, L&amp;D can play a central role in helping sales organizations thrive in the age of AI.","full_width":false,"content_band":[{"acf_fc_layout":"social_callout","blockquote":"The future of sales training lies in building consistent, customer-focused capability across the entire sales force."},{"acf_fc_layout":"content_area","wysiwyg":"[hubspot type=\"form\" portal=\"47185625\" id=\"eb2efb23-6f5d-4b6a-a21f-5facf60c1bfe\" version=\"v4\"]"}],"tice_sponsors":"","custom_dfp_keywords":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.8 (Yoast SEO v27.5) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Consultative Selling in the Age of AI<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sales teams using AI still need consultative selling skills, coaching and customer-focused training to drive performance.\" \/>\n<meta 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