Are you looking to boost your mid-year sales numbers to beat that daunting sales quota? A study by CSO Insights shows that over 40 percent of sales people fail to meet their sales quotas, and you don’t want any part of that statistic.

When looking at ways to increase sales performance, it is natural to examine the effectiveness of your sales training and seek out new ways to motivate and engage your team. Science has proven that continual training reinforcement works, aiding in skill adoption and application. According to the Association for Talent Development, continuous training produces 50 percent higher net sales per employee.

The challenge is motivating employees to take the training, then adopt the skill/knowledge and apply it. Active participation and practical practice is one of the best ways to learn, and we know that the more engaged the learners are, the more likely they are to retain and apply what they’ve learned. Science shows us that there is a universal human desire to play.  In children, playing is a natural part of human development. For adults, playing promotes creativity and happiness. Combining training objectives with an activity that taps into natural desires is an ideal situation.

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Games work because they prompt knowledge recall and provide an opportunity for safe practice. By integrating your sales methodology, product knowledge, messaging and process into a game, the motivation to learn becomes internal, rather than external.  

Retention increases when learning is interactive, rather than passive, and games inherently do this by offering challenge, risk, curiosity, and control. Studies show that a key to learning retention is follow-up, which is why games that encourage repeat play are so effective. Games also have built-in “interval reinforcement,” which can drive retention up to 90 percent.

Games are excellent for learning and practicing the following:

• Decision-making

• Risk taking

• Problem solving

• Memorization

• Scenario learning or practical practice

• Step by step tasks and procedures

Normal game play is purely about entertainment, but for learning, look for things that specifically address reinforcement and promote knowledge recall to build memory strength.  We’ve narrowed the list to eight fundamental types that successfully blend gaming with acquiring stills, retaining knowledge and strengthening the team.

1. Multiple choice and true false - A familiar format from school, these types of questions are ideal or reinforcing and testing what people have learned. They are also great for refining since they call for subtle judgments. Show your sales reps the correct answer when they get it wrong. Studies show you getting something wrong and learning the correct answer is often remembered longer.  

2. Puzzle – This can be a fun way to link concepts and show how multiple parts fit for an overall goal. Puzzles are also great for teaching how different functions or departments work together, or how to use different resources to solve a problem (eg, buyer family navigation and decision making)

3. Task and Report – This type includes turn-based games such as the popular Words with Friends. Taking turns can create interaction yet allow play when it is convenient for the player. In a work environment, players can send out tasks to their teammates, and the teammates report the results back to the team. This can connect people within an organization even if they work in remote offices.

4. Matching – Especially in B2B sales, businesses are always trying to create connections in the minds of their sellers. For instance, matching product features and product benefits, or matching customer problems with the right solutions. Matching games play is a good way to link concepts together.

5. Hidden Object – Hunting to find something is a great motivator for overcoming obstacles and acquiring knowledge. The power of a quest is very compelling to play and finish a game.

6. Shooter – This technique can bring a whole new level of excitement and speed to a multiple-choice question. It is also a great strategy to encourage quick decision-making by shooting the right answer before it disappears or accumulating points to unlock or buy knowledge.    

7. Chase or Obstacle Course – The goal can be to complete a course in the shortest amount of time or solve problems in the best possible way. Think navigating the sales process, working through stages of the sales methodology and a number of other applications.

8. Sorting – This sounds basic, but sorting allows employees to compartmentalize information, link concepts, and practice quick recall. Sorting is also the first step in strategic thinking. Great for helping sellers to memorize buyer personas and their associated attributes.

Today’s technology tools often have gamification modules and functions that make implementing game based training even easier. Add gaming to your current programs for reinforcement – onboarding, post-event training, skills training and more. Good luck and happy gaming!

Chanin Ballance is CEO of Veelo, an award winning cloud based marketing and sales performance platform. Chanin is a frequent speaker on the topics of learning and retention, brain science, mobile engagement, and sales enablement solutions.