The Benefits of Physical vs Virtual Sales Training Post-Covid

Written by Ryan Tuckwood

The events of the last year have made many companies reconsider how they offer their products and liaise with clients. There are many benefits to in-person sales training – but you have to look ahead to the future of virtual training, especially in this post-COVID world.

Having offered online sales training previously, we were able to transition to the virtual-only space quite easily. For many other companies, COVID meant they had to project their thinking forward 5-10 years and figure out how to reframe their offerings. 

So, with that in mind, what are the benefits of physical sales training versus virtual sales training?

Physical training

In a post-COVID world, physical training tends to have more risks than benefits. There is the need for social distancing, meaning less attendees in a room, and there is always the risk that your event might be impacted by any snap COVID decisions if new cases arise.

That said, when we’re in a room full of people, it’s easier to read the energy of the room, allowing for a somewhat more tailored presentation. And of course, you can see everyone’s faces, making it easier to encourage participation and engagement. 

From a learning point of view, many people feel like they need that in-person experience to be able to bounce ideas off other attendees and really understand the ideas presented.

Virtual training

While we’ve been offering virtual training for years, it’s only recently that it’s become more of a popular method for connecting with your audience. Not only is it convenient, as attendees can log on from wherever suits them, anywhere in the world, virtual training can encourage those who may still be building their confidence to participate more.

Perhaps the biggest benefit to participants in any of our SWISH virtual training sessions is that online training means that we have the option of providing a recording for attendees to refer back to, increasing the value provided. There is also no limit to the number of attendees, meaning we’ll reach more salespeople with each seminar. 

However, the biggest block to virtual training being successful is accessibility – if your target audience isn’t tech savvy, then it can be more difficult to break down those barriers and get them to a virtual event. 

So what should you do?

In the long term, now that the shift has taken place towards virtual and online learning, it’s not going away. Even if you’re planning to hold an in-person event at some point in the future, having the infrastructure to switch to a virtual platform at any point is only going to benefit your business. 

We go to great lengths to ensure that a virtual SWISH event has the same impact and energy as an in-person one. We do this so that each of our attendees get the same value, whether they’re at home in their pyjamas or in a seminar full of people, and leave with the skills they need to go forward and start making money with ethical selling.

To learn more about how you can benefit from virtual sales training so that you can take your sales efforts to the next level, read about our proven sales training, sales coaching, and sales courses.  No matter if you are located in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast or anywhere in the world, we are able to assist in providing the most innovative ethical sales training.