When companies start looking for outside help to improve sales performance, they often go right to one conclusion, “We need sales training.”
But the term “sales training” means different things to different people. At InnerView, we talk about the difference between sales training and “sales consulting.” Both approaches will introduce your team to new ideas and work to change behavior, but they start from different places and lead to different outcomes.
What sales trainers do
Sales trainers typically bring a defined methodology to the table. It’s a system they’ve developed, refined across many clients, and proven over time. When you hire a sales trainer, you’re paying to learn their way of selling.
There are real advantages to this model. If the curriculum is already built, your team can start a program quickly. Engagements tend to be structured and time-bound: a seminar, a workshop series, a set of modules delivered over a few weeks. For companies that need to move fast or want foundational skills development, this can be a good fit.
The trade-off is that the content isn’t built around your business. It’s built around a methodology that your business is expected to adopt.
What sales consultants do
A sales consulting firm takes a different approach. The work is designed around your go-to-market strategy, not a pre-packaged curriculum.
At InnerView, we work from a set of proven selling principles grounded in how modern consumers actually buy. But those principles don’t get applied in every single scenario. We take the time to understand what a company is trying to accomplish, what their value proposition is, and what their specific sales environment looks like. Then we tailor a program that brings in the right selling principles and applies them to the right conversations.
The goal isn’t just to teach reps how to sell, it’s to teach them how to execute your company’s strategy. Sales methodology can improve individual technique. But if the behaviors being trained don’t connect to your brand, your customer experience goals, or your leadership structure, they tend to fade quickly.
Which one is right for you?
If you’re looking for a defined, skills-based training that can be rolled out to a team quickly, a sales trainer may be the right call.
If you’re trying to build a consistent sales culture, align your team around a clear customer experience, and get leadership invested in the change, that’s the work of a sales consulting engagement. The tradeoff is this approach can take longer and requires your leadership team to plan an active role.
Both offer a valuable outside perspective for your team and the best of both categories deliver proven results.
