Professional Development in Sales

Research Focus: Professional Development in Sales
Posted by Jaime Davis-Thomas


What does our research indicate about Professional Development?

Despite the fact that 91% of the sales managers believed that their ability to provide resources toward Professional Development and to coach their team members on individual career goals would greatly impact their team's ability to produce... only 37% felt they were up to the challenge of providing a coherent Professional Development program.

According to a research study lead by the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD, 2009) Sales proficiency begins with foundational competencies in 4 key categories:

Foundational Sales Competencies
Partnering - Aligning to customers; building relationships; communicating effectively; negotiating position; setting expectations; and spanning boundaries.
Insight - analyzing capacity; building a business case; evaluating customer experiences; gathering intelligence; identifying options; prioritizing stakeholder needs; and understanding business context.
Solution - articulating value; facilitating change; formalizing commitment; leveraging success; managing projects; and resolving issues.
Effectiveness - accelerating learning; aligning to sales processes; building business skill; embracing diversity; executing plans; solving problems; making ethical decisions; managing knowledge; maximixing personal time; and using technology.

Does your sales rep training program include these research-based foundational sales competencies?



Article Reference:

Salopek, J. (2009, March). The Power of the Pyramid: ASTD Reveals World-Class Sales Competency Model. T+D, pp. 70-5.


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