Sales Force Training Evaluation

Abstract

An important indicator of an effective sales force training program is the evaluation of whether or not the training has directly impacted professional selling in retail organizations as defined by sales volume, sales personnel performance as well as other bottom line metrics. Despite spending thousands of dollars training their sales force every year, retail organizations often fail to follow through in evaluating the effectiveness of their training programs, thereby not allowing corrective actions for improvements to take root. This article investigates the importance of sales training evaluations and provides insights into the challenges and impediments faced by retailers in conducting sales training evaluation. This study essentially propose utilizing Kirkpatrick's Four-Level Training Evaluation Model (Donald Kirkpatrick, 1994) to examine the interrelationships among its four levels of training evaluation (reaction, learning, behavior change, and organizational outcomes) and how they can be applied in determining sales training effectiveness in retail organizations. Future research emphasis and implications are then discussed that may help retailers better evaluate their sales training provisions while developing effective and accountable sales training efforts that will increase overall sales force productivity.