When it comes to business investment, most leaders don’t hesitate to purchase a new machine, upgrade software, or modernize equipment. The ROI is easy to calculate: faster processes, fewer breakdowns, higher output. But when the conversation shifts to investing in people — leadership development, training, or coaching — the decision becomes murky.
The truth? Your employees are the real machinery of your business. And just like equipment, they need regular upgrades to stay productive, reliable, and aligned with your company’s growth.
The Grant Temptation
In Manitoba, the Canada-Manitoba Job Grant offers up to $10,000 per employee to help develop skills, improve productivity, and train people for a new generation. Sales and leadership development qualify. That sounds great — wait for the grant, apply, get funding, and problem solved. Right?
Maybe not.
I often hear from business owners who want their people to be more self-driven, more efficient, and less wasteful. Developing employees is always a smart idea — especially if government funding covers part of the cost. That makes for an easy ROI calculation.
But here’s the problem: that mindset is holding your company and your people back.
The Problems with Waiting on Grants
There are three fundamental issues with doing development in your business — for your people, your leaders, or even yourself — only if a grant covers it:
If you don’t get the grant, you don’t develop your people.
This leaves your business stagnant. Status quo may feel “good enough,” but inefficiencies and wasted potential keep piling up in sales and leadership.You don’t value what you don’t pay for.
Grants often reward only first-come, first-served applicants. If you’re only training when it’s subsidized, you risk undervaluing both the time and the financial investment that true development requires.Grants force you to choose individuals, not teams.
Most grants apply to specific employees. But if your goal is to develop the team, training only a few while leaving others out limits growth and undermines results.
Why Machinery ROI Feels Clear — But People ROI Feels Fuzzy
When you spend $50,000 on a piece of equipment, the ROI is immediate and measurable: less downtime, faster output, fewer errors.
With employee development, the ROI isn’t always tracked in units or hours — but it’s no less powerful:
Reduced turnover and lower recruitment costs
Increased sales performance
Higher customer retention and satisfaction
A stronger leadership pipeline
The rule is simple: what you measure grows. If you only track machinery, you’ll miss the hidden ROI your people generate.
To measure ROI in people, start with turnover and team performance. Calculate the direct and indirect costs of “business as usual,” then compare them against outcomes you can measure:
Sales conversion rates
Margins per deal
Close percentages
Efficiency gains
Define what success looks like up front, then track those metrics as development programs roll out. That’s how you prove payback on time, resources, and dollars.
The Cost of Ignoring the Upgrade
Skipping employee investment is like running machinery without maintenance. It works — until it doesn’t. The costs eventually show up as:
Burnout and disengagement
Lost deals from undertrained sales teams
Innovation stalls because leadership can’t adapt
A culture of “good enough” that drives away top talent
Machines depreciate the moment you buy them. People appreciate when you invest in them.
What an “Upgrade” Looks Like for Employees
Upgrading your workforce isn’t about perks, one-time workshops, or cherry-picking one or two individuals. It’s about building capability across the team:
Sales Development: A repeatable process that drives consistent revenue.
Leadership Development: Managers who can lead, coach, and retain high performers.
Communication Skills: Employees who represent your brand with clarity and confidence.
Coaching Culture: Accountability, feedback, and growth embedded into daily business.
When employees grow, the business grows.
The Real Question Leaders Should Ask
Smart leaders don’t ask, “What if I invest in them and they leave?”
They ask, “What if I don’t, and they stay?”
If you treat employee development as optional, you’re undervaluing your greatest asset. Machines will always need replacing. But when you upgrade people, the returns multiply year after year.
Your employees are the gears, engines, and systems that keep your company running. You wouldn’t ignore a machine that’s breaking down or skip upgrading equipment to stay competitive. Why treat your people any differently? Why choose to train one person but not another? Why keep waiting for free training that comes with hidden costs?
The choice is simple: upgrade your team, and you upgrade your business.
Be Our Guest
Curious what upgrading your team could look like in action?
We invite you to be our guest in an upcoming Sandler class. Sit in with other business leaders, sales professionals, and managers who are learning how to sell more effectively, lead more confidently, and drive lasting results.
What you’ll experience:
Practical, repeatable strategies you can apply right away
A supportive, no-pressure environment
Real conversations about the challenges you face in sales and leadership
Your first class is on us — no obligation, just insight.
👉 Reserve Your Guest Seat Here
Because the best way to understand the ROI of investing in people… is to see it for yourself.
