When it comes to choosing the top sales training for your organization, the options are overwhelming. From industry giants like Challenger, Sandler, and GAP to specialized firms like Corporate Visions, and the plethora of online courses, the market is crowded with choices. However, one new player is transforming the landscape: The Sales Collective. In this blog, we’ll compare The Sales Collective to these well-established training programs, highlighting their pros and cons to help you make an informed decision.
Why Sales Training Often Fails
Before diving into the comparisons, it’s important to understand why traditional sales training fails 72% of the time. The main reasons include:
- One-Size-Fits-All Approach: Many sales training programs offer a standardized curriculum that doesn’t cater to individual or organizational needs.
- Methodology-Based Training: Companies often stick rigidly to a single methodology, which may not align with the diverse sales challenges faced by different teams.
- Lack of Alignment with Learner Needs: Training that doesn’t consider the specific competencies, skills, and beliefs of the salespeople it aims to educate often misses the mark.
These are precisely the issues that The Sales Collective aims to address with its innovative approach.
Pros & Cons of The Sales Collective
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Custom Learning Paths: The Sales Collective uses a unique assessment tool that has been taken by 2.4 million salespeople. This tool evaluates sales competencies, leading to personalized learning paths that ensure relevant and impactful training. | Newer Player in the Market: Being a newer sales training company, The Sales Collective lacks the brand recognition and extensive client list that more established firms have. However, their innovative approach is rapidly gaining attention. |
| Ownership of Training Material: Unlike many competitors, The Sales Collective owns all of its training materials. This consistency ensures quality across all sessions, avoiding the diluted content common with franchised models. | Limited Case Studies and Testimonials: Due to their relative newness, there are fewer case studies and testimonials compared to industry leaders. However, their methodology’s effectiveness is evident in their rapid growth and positive feedback. |
| Transformative Approach: The Sales Collective is focused on transforming sales training globally through customization and alignment with individual learner needs, positioning them as industry innovators. | |
| Focus on Individual Needs: By addressing specific needs rather than a one-size-fits-all model, The Sales Collective enhances the long-term success and retention of training outcomes. | |
| Blended Learning Approach: TSC offers eLearning, virtual, and hybrid instructor-led learning, alongside self-paced online courses, allowing flexibility for different learning preferences and organizational needs. |
How Does The Sales Collective Compare to Other Sales Training Companies?
Challenger Sales: Known for its “Challenger” methodology, this program focuses on teaching salespeople how to challenge their customers’ thinking. While effective, it can be rigid, and not all sales teams thrive under this approach.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Strong Research Backed Methodology: Some of the most well researched sales training out there. | One-size-fits-all approach: Challenger’s own research states it is best used in a complex B2B environment, but not every sale is large, complex, or fits into enterprise needs. |
| Good Brand Recognition: Challenger has a great brand and is well-known for its book on complex B2B selling. | Rigid Methodology: The methodology may not suit all salespeople. |
| Simplistic in Nature: The “Teach, Tailor, and Take Control” framework lacks details on how to effectively execute these strategies and misses other key components of selling. | |
| Not Tailored to Where People Need Help: Training may not address the specific areas where individual salespeople struggle. | |
| Most People Have Read the Book and Done the Training: Familiarity with the content can reduce its impact. |
Sandler Training: Sandler offers a methodology that emphasizes relationship-building and communication. While widely respected, the franchise model can lead to inconsistencies in training quality.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Established Reputation: Sandler has over 50 years of experience in the sales training industry, which provides a sense of reliability and trustworthiness. | Inconsistent Quality: Their franchise-based model delivers different results depending on where you get trained and by whom. |
| Legacy Methodology: The Sandler Selling System is a widely recognized sales methodology. | One Size Fits All Learning: Not customized to individual salespeople’s needs. |
| Blended Learning Approach: Sandler offers a variety of training formats, including eLearning, virtual, on-site, and hybrid instructor-led learning, as well as self-paced online courses. This flexibility accommodates different learning preferences and organizational needs. | Learning Curve: New users may experience a learning curve when adapting to the Sandler methodology, which could initially hinder performance. |
| Global Presence: With a presence in over 230 locations in more than 30 countries, Sandler can accommodate organizations with a global footprint and diverse language needs. | Communication Gaps: Some feedback indicates a lack of communication from facilitators, which can lead to confusion and a less effective learning experience. |
| Presentation Quality: Concerns have been raised regarding the quality of presentation materials used in the training, which could detract from the overall learning experience. |
Corporate Visions: This company specializes in large B2B marketing and sales messaging. Their training is highly focused on how to message your product or service but fails to cover the broader spectrum of sales competencies needed for overall sales success.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Science-Backed Approach: Corporate Visions utilizes Decision Science, leveraging social psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral science to tailor sales training. This scientific foundation helps Large Complex B2B sales teams understand and connect with buyers effectively. | Highly Messaging Focus: Biggest focus is on how to message your product or service not all facets of sales. |
| Targeted Training: The program focuses on buyer psychology and how customers make decisions, enabling sales teams to tailor their conversations and pitches to resonate with individual prospects. | Big Company Focus: They are designed for big brands and large complex environments. |
| Diverse Delivery Formats: Corporate Visions offers a range of training formats, including self-paced online courses, instructor-led virtual training, and in-person classroom settings, accommodating different learning preferences. | Very Expensive: Because of their big company focus they are one of the most expensive sales training companies. |
| High-Profile Clientele: Corporate Visions has worked with leading global brands, including Wells Fargo, Cisco, and Starbucks, showcasing its credibility and effectiveness in delivering training. | One Size Fits All: Everyone gets the same training, even though it is tailored to your business, it may not be the skill development everyone needs. |
Random Online Courses: Online sales courses offer convenience and a wide range of topics. However, they often lack depth and the ability to tailor content to individual needs.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Very Low Cost: Most online-only courses are the least expensive option for training. | Lack of depth and personalization: they lack follow through with coaching which solidifies knowledge. |
| Low friction, and turn key: you can subscribe and join the programs very easily. | One size fits all: what you see is what you get and it may not meet the development needs of your team. |
| High Profile Names: Some have high profile names and influencers tied to them which excites people to be trained by them. | Lack of assessment-led learning: doesn’t use science to address the needs of your team. |
| Seen as a novelty with lots of hype: they often sound good on the surface “learn from the best” in all these different spaces. But they lack professionalism and cohesion of purpose-designed training. | |
| Single point of view or too many points of view: some are just a single seller’s success, and others bring in all these people to talk on many different topics, this lacks a science-backed and cohesive foundation. | |
| Niche-Focused: they often lack the applicability for different size companies, selling motions, and industry types. |
Conclusion
When it comes to selecting the best sales training for your organization, it’s crucial to consider the specific needs of your team. The Sales Collective’s custom approach, backed by a robust assessment tool, sets it apart from the more traditional, one-size-fits-all methodologies offered by its competitors. While The Sales Collective is a newer player in the market, its innovative strategies and focus on personalized training paths make it a formidable option in the world of sales training.
As sales training continues to evolve, The Sales Collective is poised to lead the charge in transforming how sales teams are trained and developed, making them a top contender among the best sales training companies today.
