Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Sales Training Manager
💰 $95,000 - $140,000
🎯 Role Definition
As our Sales Training Manager, you will be the architect of our sales team's success and the driving force behind their professional development. You are a strategic partner to sales leadership, responsible for creating and executing a world-class training curriculum that shortens ramp time, boosts productivity, and ultimately fuels revenue growth. This role requires a blend of instructional design expertise, a deep understanding of the sales process, and a passion for coaching and developing talent. You will own the entire training lifecycle, from needs analysis and content creation to delivery and impact measurement, ensuring our global sales force is the most knowledgeable and effective in the industry.
📈 Career Progression
Typical Career Path
Entry Point From:
- Senior Account Executive or Top-Performing Sales Representative
- Sales Enablement Specialist or Coordinator
- Corporate Trainer with a focus on sales
- Sales Team Lead or Manager
Advancement To:
- Director of Sales Enablement
- Senior Manager, Global Sales Training
- Head of Revenue Enablement
- Director of Sales Operations
Lateral Moves:
- Product Marketing Manager
- Sales Operations Manager
- People & Culture Business Partner (Sales)
Core Responsibilities
Primary Functions
- Design, develop, and deliver comprehensive and engaging sales training programs, including new hire onboarding, continuous education, product training, and leadership development.
- Partner with sales leadership and front-line managers to conduct thorough needs analyses to identify knowledge and skill gaps across the sales organization.
- Create and maintain a robust curriculum of training content, including e-learning modules, facilitator guides, sales playbooks, case studies, role-play scenarios, and certification exams.
- Facilitate dynamic and interactive training sessions, both in-person and virtually, for a global sales audience, ensuring high levels of engagement and knowledge retention.
- Manage and administer the company's Learning Management System (LMS), including uploading content, tracking course completion, and reporting on training activity.
- Establish and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness and business impact of all training initiatives, such as ramp time, quota attainment, and win rates.
- Act as a dedicated coach and mentor for sales representatives, providing one-on-one feedback and guidance to reinforce training concepts and improve performance.
- Collaborate closely with Product Marketing and Product Management to develop and deliver compelling product training that equips the sales team to articulate our value proposition effectively.
- Spearhead the training and content strategy for major events, including the annual Sales Kick-Off (SKO), mid-year meetings, and new product launches.
- Develop and implement scalable certification programs to validate and recognize sales team members' expertise in product knowledge, sales methodology, and process.
- Continuously evaluate and evolve our core sales methodology (e.g., MEDDICC, Challenger Sale), ensuring its effective integration into all training and coaching activities.
- Stay at the forefront of industry trends, training technologies, and adult learning principles to continuously innovate and improve our sales enablement function.
- Manage the sales training budget, including vendor selection and relationship management for external training resources and platforms.
Secondary Functions
- Develop and maintain a comprehensive library of sales enablement assets and collateral within our content management platform (e.g., Highspot, Seismic).
- Partner with the Revenue Operations team to ensure training aligns with our CRM (Salesforce) processes, sales stages, and reporting standards.
- Create specialized training tracks for different sales roles, including Sales Development Representatives (SDRs), Account Executives (AEs), and Account Managers (AMs).
- Support the successful rollout of new sales technologies and tools by designing and delivering effective user adoption training.
- Facilitate workshops and team-building sessions to foster a culture of continuous learning and collaboration within the sales organization.
- Gather and analyze feedback from the sales team through surveys, interviews, and focus groups to inform future training priorities.
- Assist in the recruitment process for sales roles by helping to define core competencies and participating in interview panels.
- Contribute to the creation of internal communications and updates to ensure the sales team is aware of new training resources and learning opportunities.
Required Skills & Competencies
Hard Skills (Technical)
- Instructional Design & Curriculum Development: Expertise in applying adult learning principles (e.g., ADDIE model) to create effective and scalable training programs.
- LMS Administration: Proficiency in managing and leveraging Learning Management Systems (e.g., Lessonly, Docebo, Litmos) for content delivery and tracking.
- CRM Proficiency: Deep understanding of CRM platforms, particularly Salesforce, and how they support the sales process.
- Content Authoring Tools: Experience with e-learning development software such as Articulate 360, Camtasia, or Adobe Captivate.
- Sales Enablement Platforms: Familiarity with content management and sales enablement tools like Seismic, Highspot, or Showpad.
- Data Analysis & Reporting: Ability to analyze sales performance data and training metrics to measure ROI and identify trends.
- Sales Methodologies: In-depth knowledge of and experience training on various sales frameworks (e.g., MEDDICC, Challenger, Solution Selling, Value Selling).
Soft Skills
- Exceptional Communication & Presentation Skills: Ability to command a room, articulate complex concepts clearly, and engage audiences both virtually and in-person.
- Coaching & Mentoring: A natural ability to develop talent, provide constructive feedback, and inspire others to improve.
- Stakeholder Management: Proven success in collaborating with and influencing senior leadership and cross-functional partners.
- Strategic Thinking: The capacity to align training initiatives with broader business objectives and anticipate future learning needs.
- Project Management: Strong organizational skills to manage multiple complex training projects simultaneously from conception to completion.
- Adaptability: Thrives in a fast-paced, high-growth environment and can pivot strategies as business needs evolve.
- Empathy: A deep understanding of the challenges and motivations of a sales professional.
Education & Experience
Educational Background
Minimum Education:
- Bachelor's Degree or equivalent practical experience.
Preferred Education:
- Master's Degree in Organizational Development, Education, Business, or a related field.
- Certifications in coaching, instructional design, or specific sales methodologies are a plus.
Relevant Fields of Study:
- Business Administration
- Marketing
- Education / Corporate Training
- Human Resources
- Organizational Psychology
Experience Requirements
Typical Experience Range: 5-8+ years of combined experience in sales, sales enablement, or training and development roles.
Preferred:
- At least 3+ years of direct experience in a Sales Training or Sales Enablement Manager role, preferably within a B2B technology or SaaS company.
- A proven track record of measurably improving sales productivity and performance through targeted training programs.
- Direct, quota-carrying sales experience in a previous role is highly advantageous.