At Sandler, we believe investing in your people is one of the smartest moves you can make as a sales leader. Yet too often, team leaders put off employee development due to time constraints and competing priorities.
If you're a sales manager or business leader looking to build stronger teams and improve retention, here are five high-impact ways to develop your employees—and strengthen your company culture—starting today.
1. Encourage Industry Engagement
Send team members to relevant industry or professional events. Whether it’s a sales leadership conference or a local business expo, these events help employees grow, learn from peers, and bring fresh ideas back to the team. Be sure to set expectations ahead of time so there’s accountability and direction.
2. Promote Peer Learning
Arrange for employees to shadow top performers or visit another department. Peer-to-peer learning is one of the most underused—and powerful—forms of professional development. Encourage them to observe sales best practices or uncover new processes that can boost performance across your team.
3. Assign a Coach
Sales coaching is a cornerstone of Sandler’s philosophy. In El Dorado and across California, we work with companies that want to build leaders, not just manage activity. Assigning a coach (internal or external) helps team members create a roadmap toward long-term success and accelerates growth through accountability and support.
4. Invest in Sales Training
Sending your team to tailored sales training programs—like those offered by Sandler El Dorado—pays dividends. Don’t settle for one-size-fits-all workshops. Opt for ongoing reinforcement programs designed for real-world results in your specific sales environment. Training combined with coaching leads to lasting behavior change and revenue growth.
5. Share Targeted Learning Resources
Empower employees with books, videos, and online courses that match their goals and learning styles. Whether it’s a Sandler microlearning module or a recommended leadership podcast, self-paced resources are a cost-effective way to encourage continual learning between coaching sessions or workshops.
Set Expectations and Follow Up
Before initiating any of these actions, clarify what success looks like. Align on what outcomes are expected and reconnect afterward to review what was learned. For example:
Looking for expert sales coaching and leadership development in El Dorado or the greater California region?
Contact Matt Saia and the team at Sandler El Dorado today to learn how our proven programs can help your people grow—and your business thrive.
Adapted from Original blog by Dave Mattson, Sandler CEO
