The topic of training salespeople is a tough nut to crack. Sales reps understand how essential it is to train continually and, at the same time, get bored or frustrated by mandatory dull traning materials.  

Gamification has proven itself in different areas of training. Many trainers blame the learners when they need to hold themselves accountable. A good sales team leader will not penalize an employee but will try to find another way to motivate them. Why not try turning training into a game?

The revenue generated by the gamification market in education is expected to garner over $24 million by 2024.

Let's break it down in more detail. In this article, we'll talk about the benefits of the gamification approach and show you how you can incorporate it into your sales team training with examples.

Well, let the game begin!

What is Sales Training Gamification?

Gamification of sales training is the process of adding interactive elements to sales rep training. For example, by adding rewards for completing the training steps.

Properly used gamification techniques can help grow a top-notch salesperson in your company. Divide large blocks of data into small sections, and accompany each section with a quiz or a game to check how well the salesperson has absorbed the material.

Like any tool, gamification is only be helpful in some instances. You should notice those team members who are less motivated and weren't meeting their quotas for some time. These are the perfect candidates for a gamification process. An already-motivated sales rep does not need additional motivation and is probably constantly learning on their own.

“Gamification works in case a user is already interested in a subject. They understand the goal of studying, how to implement new skills, and what profits they’ll get. Gamification protects learners against procrastination. Small entertainment elements at the end of the set can provide a brief dopamine rush and regain interest.” – Dmitry Baraishuk, CTO at Belitsoft.

Onboarding becomes more manageable if you turn it into something like a quest. For example, apply gamification to new salespeople. Explain the intricacies of your product in an interactive format, assign points, and test your new employees to make training fun.

See how well this might work for your sales team!

The Benefits of Gamification in Sales Training

Still not sure gamification will work for your sales reps?  Check out these reasons to finally try interactive elements in training your salespeople.

Interactivity

You require the right tools and training to build a high-quality sales team. An unmotivated rep may be surprised by how gamification can turn the learning process into an engaging pastime. Elements of gamification should not be mistaken for game-based learning. Game-based learning is suitable for children and not for adult sales reps.

Rewards become a crucial motivating factor. For passing each training module, you can assign a new role to a rep and move them up in the leaderboard of trainees. Interactive training will appeal to your sales team members and make it more interesting.

Preserving Knowledge

A harsh truth about training is that most reps forget 60% of the training the next day.  

Experienced training professionals will confirm that the primary purpose of training is not only to gain knowledge, but also to retain it. Gamification of sales training does just that, retaining both the knowledge and the fun of learning.

“Training should encourage sales reps to be hungry and to have the confidence to show their true colors.” – Ed Calnan, Seismic.

Gamification makes training a fun experience and evokes positive emotions in the employee. Ultimately, this helps employees remember new information better and stay positive about further training.

Practicality

This point has everything to do with onboarding new sales reps. Thanks to gamification, you can attract more experienced top salespeople and set them up as mentors for newcomers. Allow new sales reps to immerse themselves in the specifics of your company and dive into the sales process as soon as possible.

Gamification helps you apply what you've learned about your company's product to your business. You don’t want to burden a new sales representative with too much archival information about your company. You're giving them an interactive course with rewards and extra features.

You'll be able to check in on how well the employee picked up the information. A built-in rating system allows you to track performance, which helps you make onboarding more effective.

Enforcing Gamification in Sales Training Program

According to ATD's 2019 State of Sales Training Report, organizations spend an average of $2,326 per salesperson per year on training.

With a gamification approach, you can use your existing resources and employee training systems to train your sales team. You can save not only money on salesforce development, but also time.

With Gradual’s sales training platform, you can turn sales team training and onboarding into a fun process. Add interactive files, check how well your team is learning through quizzes, and get access to the Progress Rating.

Want to learn more? Book a demo, and our rep will contact you.