High-performing sales professionals, with advanced skills and behaviors aligned to organizational competency models, have better business outcomes and a positive impact on the company’s bottom line.


DATA-BASED TRAINING STRATEGY Our Global Commercial Training and Education (GCT+E) team has a simple purpose defined in three words: equip, grow, engage. We equip commercial teams with the knowledge, skills, and behaviors to grow revenue and exceed sales targets. These are certainly worthy goals to pursue, but is it realistic to expect that training is a magic elixir that can deliver these outcomes? The answer is yes. Industry studies have long shown the


relationship between employer-sponsored training and improved engagement, reduced turnover, and better job performance. To understand if these industry findings also applied to Smith+Nephew, GCT+E analyzed data from over 1,200 sales reps and 21 training cohorts over a 2-year period. The team partnered with an outside analytics firm and tested several hypotheses on the levers for improved individual and team performance. We applied these lessons to our commercial training strategy, transforming learning methods based on science, data insights, and a more agile team relentlessly focused on embedding a growth culture within the sales teams.


6 LESSONS FROM SMITH+NEPHEW These lessons may seem obvious, even common sense. However common sense is not always common practice. The discipline required for sustained high performance and world-class results is uncommon, yet predictable and repeatable once you understand it. Here’s what we learned: 1. Know More to Sell More Better performance in training courses leads to better sales performance. Simply said, knowledge is a superpower. Growth-minded sellers want to know more than peers. They don’t just pass the certifications, they ace them. 2. Better Coaching = Better Engagement Manager coaching and reinforcement increases rep satisfaction, engagement and sales performance. Our time and motion data


illustrated that many sales managers were spending too much time with underperformers. Coaching core performers was the #1 activity driving performance. 3. Remediate to Rejuvenate Remediation training leads to exponential return on investment. We often train, and say “good luck.” Continuous learning on product launches and market development initiatives yielded millions in growth and ROI. As we diagnosed gaps in performance or underperforming territories, we learned remediation training is the best medicine to rejuvenate sales. 4. The More You Learn, the More You Earn Higher engagement in training leads to higher sales. The extra discretionary effort of curious sellers leads to increased knowledge, skill, and capacity to sell more than their peers. Many of the best sellers are like high-intensity interval learners. They learn in short bursts and small chunks, and over time, they accumulate a capacity to outsell and out earn their peers. 5. For Learning to Stick, You Must Not Quit Sales performance peaks after training and then declines over time if not reinforced. Retention training is a must and is easily skipped and overlooked. Communities of practice and social groups keep learning alive and knowledge sharp. Embrace testing, quizzing, and re-certification events for maximum ROI on learning. 6. Train to Retain Participation in advanced training courses leads to lower turnover. Sellers who seek out intermediate and advanced curriculum are less likely to leave the business. Companies should advocate for growth, as it’s a fertilizer for hungry, talented sellers. As a bonus, they stay with the business longer, avoiding costly open roles and recruiting expenses.


LEARNING IS A LIFELONG JOURNEY Employees now recognize that learning is a lifelong journey, not an event. Learning is an engine for growth and enables higher performance. Training is a leveraged investment, where every dollar is a positive multiplier to profitability. Know more, sell more, be more. Six transformational words for any seller who wants to grow. 


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