These days, you can order lunch, send a gift, schedule a meeting, and catch up on news (2x speed) all in the course of 30 minutes, all online.
Sales has undergone a seismic shift toward virtual in the past two years.
In many industries, sales reps can meet with a dozen prospects in a day, without ever leaving their dining room table. This is a powerful possibility unlocked by technology, but success in virtual (or in person) settings still requires training.
And when it comes to training, online sales courses and programs are a’plenty. But are they any good?
Not always. As with most things, there’s a mix of great and not-so-great resources available online.
If you’re investigating a virtual sales training course or program for your team, how do you tell which will take your team to the next level, and which will just be a waste of your budget?
Selecting the right sales training for your company is no easy task, but it’s one that’s critical for the success of your sales team, and consequently, your business.
Let’s talk about some of the best virtual sales training programs across various categories.
Whether your team is focused on enterprise sales, inbound sales, or anything in between, you can find online options that support the level up.
At ASLAN, it’s our mission to deliver sales training that actually works. Traditional selling methods are outdated and success is driven by your team’s ability to convert unreceptive prospects and customers. Learn more about ASLAN’s instructor-led virtual sales training.
Best Online Sales Training Courses
The past couple of years has seen practically every sales training company pivot to offer an online option for training, including webinars/seminars, self-paced courses, instructor-led courses, and full-blown multi-unit programs.
To navigate this huge selection, narrow down your options to identify the category of sales training course that best fits the needs of your organization.
Below, we’ve split out the top options into a variety of categories, covering everything from B2B sales to crafting an effective pitch.
Highest Rated Sales Training Courses
When you’re on the hunt for a highly rated online sales training course, look at the obvious stuff: ratings, reviews, and testimonials. The best sales training companies will have a solid track record and some raving fans. Ideally, they should have a selection of case studies that you can check out.
Check out reviews on online learning platforms like Coursera and Udemy and source independent reviews online.
Here are some of the top-rated sales training modules, teachings, and courses with happy customers:
The Art of Sales: Mastering the Selling Process Specialization on Coursera
This course, from Northwestern University Professor Craig Wortmann, has an average rating of 4.8 Stars out of 5 on Coursera, with over 1,000 reviews.
It’s an entry-level course, so might not be the best fit for more experienced sellers, but if you’re just getting started in the world of sales, this could be a great option.
You can find The Art of Sales: Mastering the Selling Process Specialization on Coursera.
Sales and Persuasion Skills for Startups on Udemy
This Udemy course is the perfect match for entrepreneurs and those working in sales at startups.
It’s a short course designed for busy business professionals and is very highly rated, with 600+ ratings and an average score of 4.5 stars out of 5. Similar to the first option, it’s really for newbs in a specific area of skill development.
You can find Sales and Persuasion Skills for Startups on Udemy.
For professional or growth-minded reps, you’re going to want to tap some heavier hitting virtual sales training courses. Below we divvy it up by application.
Virtual Training for Enterprise Sales
Enterprise sales demands a different approach and skillset. These deals, which often have long sales cycles and multiple decision-makers to manage, can be extremely profitable, but they’re never easy to reel in. That’s why it’s so crucial to invest in virtual training for your enterprise sales reps. Here are a couple of the top options for gaining some of the skills in a virtual training environment that can be applied to enterprise sales:
The T Shaped Sales Development Program
This program by Sales Labs is tailored towards sales professionals in the enterprise software space. Programs like this one focus on developing the wide variety of skills required to be a successful enterprise sales rep.
The curriculum includes prospecting, networking building, using content, and more. In all, there are over five hours of content spread across 95 different modules.
The SaaS Sales Masterclass
From sales coach Matt Wolach comes this virtual training program tailored to helping enterprise software sales reps close more deals by focusing on four key pillars: Attract, Engage, Close, and Scale.
With a selection of case studies from happy learners, this program looks to be a good match for teams looking to boost their close rates.
Virtual Courses on Inbound Sales
The skills required to be successful in inbound sales can be unique. It’s valuable to find virtual training materials — podcasts, courses, etc. — that train on things like prospecting, early sales conversations, and other components of handling inbound.
Buyers have a lot of power in these contexts and it’s your inbound sales team’s job to earn their trust, guide them through the customer journey, and close the deal.
Here are some of the best virtual courses or training on inbound sales.
Inbound Sales Certification Course – HubSpot
As one of the leading authorities on inbound sales anywhere, this free session or mini-course from HubSpot is an introduction to inbound sales for fresh reps.
The simple course can be completed in just over three hours and has been taken by tens of thousands of participants. Upon successful completion, participants get a certification they can add to their resumes. It’s not deep, but a reasonably solid self-paced intro to inbound sales.
Online B2B Sales Training
Successful B2B sales processes are anchored in bringing actionable product, market, and customer knowledge to every customer touchpoint. Developing those skills is important for B2B sales reps who want to close that next big deal. Investing in virtual training programs is a great route to building this mastery.
Check out these online B2B sales training resources.
Market Research: B2B on LinkedIn Learning
Since launching a few years ago, LinkedIn Learning has added many short online courses in the B2B space.
One sales training course, from best-selling author Sarah Weise, gives B2B sales reps the tools they need to draw up winning B2B sales strategies anchored in market research. Released in early 2022, it’s already been taken by over 6,000 learners, with an average rating of 4.6 stars out of 5.
It’s a good self-serve option for reps who need to brush up on some basic or foundational skills.
Other-Centered™ Selling for Business Development Representatives by ASLAN
Today, B2B prospects are more unreceptive to your sales reps than ever before. Successfully overcoming this demands a radical mindset shift that demands your sales team become Other-Centered.
By embracing an Other-Centered approach to serving customers, your sales reps can break through the noise, engage with prospects, and earn their seat at the decision-making table––all by becoming a trusted advisor, instead of just another sales rep.
Download the program overview now.
Learn How To Create a Successful Sales Pitch
Delivering a great sales pitch is no easy task, demanding a thoughtful approach, impactful delivery, and a well-thought-out value proposition.
Every sales rep needs to know how to pitch effectively.
Here are some of the best virtual presentations that can be used to learn sales pitching:
Seth Godin on Presenting to Persuade
Seth Godin, the best-selling author of many notable sales and marketing books including Purple Cow, hosts an online Udemy course to teach participants how to deliver a truly impactful pitch.
The course focuses on how sales reps can make better use of presentation software to create effective pitch decks that cut through the noise to build genuine engagement with their audiences.
Compelling Sales Presentations by Dale Carnegie
A training program from Dale Carnegie & Associates features live instruction mixed with real-time role-play scenarios to help sales reps learn how they can create more compelling sales presentations.
The course is held live and online every two weeks and primarily focuses on how sales professionals can leverage customer research to create unique, meaningful pitches that are highly relevant to their audiences.
Virtual Sales Training Course Options From ASLAN
At ASLAN, we create award-winning sales training programs for all kinds of sales professionals: from call center salespeople to sales managers and leaders and more.
We work hard to understand the unique nature of an organization and bring a tailored approach to every sales training partnership that delivers meaningful long-term results. Our approach has evolved to include virtual sales training course options, always instructor-led and adapted to the needs of your team.
Interested in learning more about how ASLAN’s virtual sales training courses can help transform your sales organization? Reach out to us today to get things started.