Recreating the Sales Floor for Remote Teams, According to Ryan Reisert

In a recent LinkedIn post, Ryan Reisert discusses the critical role of “learning by proximity” in sales training and how its loss in remote environments hinders new representative development. Reisert, a prominent voice in sales enablement, highlights a significant challenge faced by modern sales teams: the difficulty in replicating the organic learning that occurs on a traditional, in-person sales floor.

The Power of Proximity in Sales Training

Reisert argues that the most effective sales training doesn’t come from formal courses or scripts, but from the environment of a bustling sales floor. He emphasizes the value of osmosis, where newer team members learn by listening to experienced colleagues’ calls and observing their interactions. This method, he suggests, is far more potent than recorded materials.

“The best rep on your team learned by listening to someone else’s call. Not by taking a course. Not by reading a script.”

This learning dynamic, often referred to as “learning by proximity,” is a cornerstone of how sales floors traditionally operate. As Reisert points out, this method fosters rapid skill development and adaptation through direct, real-time exposure to real-world sales scenarios.

The Impact of Remote Work on Sales Learning

The shift to remote work, Reisert contends, has disrupted this effective learning model. Without the physical presence of peers, new remote representatives are often isolated, missing out on the ambient learning opportunities that a shared office space provides. This isolation can lead to a slower ramp-up time and a less effective feedback loop.

Reisert elaborates on the deficiencies introduced by remote setups:

“When the world went remote, we lost that. Now your new rep dials alone. Hears zero peer calls. Gets feedback from a Slack message 48 hours later.”

He characterizes the resulting feedback mechanism as inadequate, stating, “The feedback loop sucks.” This sentiment underscores the gap between traditional in-person training benefits and the current realities of many remote sales teams.

Recreating the Digital Sales Floor

Despite these challenges, Reisert offers a solution for teams struggling with remote onboarding. He observes that the most successful teams in terms of rapid representative ramp-up have actively worked to digitally recreate the sales floor environment. This involves facilitating opportunities for reps to “dial alongside each other” and engage in real-time feedback exchanges.

According to Reisert, this digital proximity is key to reintroducing the powerful learning dynamics of the past.

“They recreated the floor digitally. Reps dial alongside each other. Get real-time feedback. Learning by proximity is back.”

By implementing strategies that foster virtual collaboration and immediate peer-to-peer learning, Reisert believes organizations can overcome the hurdles of remote training and accelerate the development of their sales talent. He concludes his post by directing readers to a resource for setting up their remote sales floor.