We’ve all experienced it. We’ve attended sales training courses that felt effective at the time, only to forget most of the learning a few weeks later and revert to old habits.
A commonly quoted statistic suggests we forget up to 87% of what we learn on traditional sales training courses within a month.
This is hardly surprising. Once back in our day-to-day roles, new ideas are quickly lost in operational noise and busyness. When trying something new, it rarely works perfectly the first time. Most people become discouraged before the habit forms, retreating into comfort zones and fixed mindsets.
Why do we do that?
The main obstacle is the ‘knowing vs doing’ gap. We understand what to do, but we don’t apply it consistently or effectively enough to see results. This gap is driven by mindset. With the right mindset, we can build the focus, motivation, resilience, confidence and empathy required to develop the mental toughness needed for sales success.
Mindset blocks
The primary barriers to developing the right sales mindset include:
- Distraction: Focusing on comfortable tasks rather than productive ones.
- Motivation: While money is often assumed to be the driver, high-performing salespeople are more commonly motivated by purpose, autonomy and mastery.
- Conversation: Effective communication is often hindered by hierarchy, low confidence and lack of empathy.
- Setbacks: The ability to recover from setbacks is critical to sustained sales performance.
- Confidence: Imposter syndrome is more common than many realise and can significantly limit potential.
Closing the knowing vs doing gap
Advances in neuroscience have shown that mindset attributes such as focus, resilience, motivation, confidence and empathy are not fixed. They can be trained and strengthened, enabling individuals to close the knowing vs doing gap.
Traditional sales training is valuable, but it only delivers lasting impact when paired with the right mindset. With a strong foundation of mental resilience and a growth mindset, sales professionals can thrive.
Mindset Development Group sales training
At Mindset Development Group, sales training is designed to build a positive growth mindset. Programmes are available as in-person workshops and online courses,grounded in evidence-based psychology, behavioural economics and neuroscience.
Feedback from participants highlights increased confidence, job satisfaction and personal development. Managers and directors report stronger pipelines, more accurate forecasting, improved customer qualification, higher close rates and better staff retention.
Testimonial
“I sincerely appreciate the effort, energy and motivation that allowed me to reflect and build the mindset I needed. The techniques provided me with a strong foundation that I will continue to develop throughout my career. This growth extends beyond the professional and into my personal development.”
Omar Abousena, VMware