The 87% Problem: Why Sales Training Disappears in 30 Days

Your team just finished Sandler training. They're energized. They know the Pain Funnel. They understand Up-Front Contracts. They can recite the submarine. Thirty days later, 87% of it is gone. Not forgotten because they didn't care. Not lost because the training was bad. Gone because that's how memory works. This is the 87% problem. And it's costing you more than you realize. ## The Forgetting Curve Is Brutal In 1885, psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus discovered something uncomfortable: humans forget most of what they learn within days. His research showed: - **After 1 day:** 70% forgotten - **After 1 week:** 80% forgotten - **After 30 days:** 87% forgotten That $15,000-per-rep Sandler investment? Without reinforcement, you're getting $1,950 worth of retention. The math is simple. The implications are devastating. ## Why Training Alone Fails Here's what happens in most organizations: **Week 1:** Reps are excited. They try the new techniques. Results improve. **Week 3:** Old habits creep back. The Pain Funnel feels awkward. They skip steps "just this once." **Week 6:** Back to feature-dumping. Back to rushing demos. Back to hoping instead of qualifying. The training didn't fail. The follow-through did. Training fills the mind. Only reinforcement changes the behavior. Knowledge is not execution. Information is not transformation. ## The Hidden Cost Let's do the math on a 10-rep team: | Investment | Amount | |------------|--------| | Sandler training | $150,000 | | Travel & time | $25,000 | | Lost productivity | $20,000 | | **Total Investment** | **$195,000** | If 87% is forgotten, you've effectively spent $195,000 to get $25,350 in lasting value. But it gets worse. The reps who *partially* remember create a new problem: inconsistent execution. Some use Up-Front Contracts. Some don't. Some qualify budget. Others assume. Your pipeline becomes unpredictable. Your forecasts become fiction. Your methodology becomes optional. ## Why Repetition Isn't the Answer The instinct is to train more. Run a refresher. Schedule a workshop. Bring back the trainer. But repetition without application is just repetition. Reps don't need to hear the Pain Funnel explained again. They need to hear it when they skip it on a call. They need feedback when they rush the qualification. They need coaching when they pitch before understanding. The problem isn't knowledge. The problem is behavior. And behavior only changes through reinforcement—immediate, specific, and consistent. ## What Actually Works The science of retention is clear. Three factors determine whether training sticks: ### 1. Spaced Repetition One training event creates one memory spike. Spaced reinforcement creates lasting neural pathways. When reps hear "you skipped the budget question" after a call—not in a workshop three months later—the connection forms. The behavior starts to change. ### 2. Contextual Application Abstract knowledge fades. Applied knowledge sticks. "Remember to use reversing" means nothing Tuesday morning. But "when she said 'it's too expensive,' try: 'Too expensive? Tell me more about that'" changes the next call. Training happens in classrooms. Learning happens in context. ### 3. Immediate Feedback The gap between action and feedback determines learning speed. Feedback in 2 hours: behavior changes. Feedback in 2 days: behavior might change. Feedback in 2 weeks: behavior stays the same. The forgetting curve doesn't wait for your weekly 1:1. ## The 13% That Survives Not all training knowledge disappears equally. What survives the 30-day purge? - Concepts they used immediately - Techniques that worked in real calls - Scripts they practiced under pressure - Behaviors that got reinforced Notice the pattern: **usage determines retention**. The rep who used the Pain Funnel on three calls in week one remembers it. The rep who "learned" it but never applied it forgot it by week two. This is why coaching matters more than training. Training introduces concepts. Coaching creates usage. Usage creates retention. Retention creates results. ## Breaking the Forgetting Curve The 87% isn't inevitable. Teams that implement systematic reinforcement see dramatically different retention: | Approach | 30-Day Retention | |----------|------------------| | Training only | 13% | | Training + weekly coaching | 45% | | Training + daily reinforcement | 73% | The difference isn't more training. It's more reinforcement. **Every call reviewed.** Not just the ones managers have time for. **Feedback same-day.** Not saved for the next 1:1. **Scripts provided.** Not just "do better next time." **Patterns tracked.** Not anecdotes and impressions. ## The Real ROI Calculation Let's recalculate with reinforcement: | Scenario | Training Retained | Effective Value | |----------|-------------------|-----------------| | Training only | 13% | $25,350 | | With reinforcement | 73% | $142,350 | Same $195,000 investment. 5.6x the return. But the real value isn't in the math. It's in the compounding. Reps who retain methodology close more deals. More deals build more confidence. Confidence enables better execution. Better execution becomes habit. The forgetting curve works against you—until you make retention work for you. ## The Question Worth Asking Your team has been trained. The question isn't whether they know the methodology. The question is: **will they remember it when it matters?** When the prospect objects. When the quarter gets tight. When the deal hangs in the balance. That's when the 87% problem becomes real. And that's when reinforcement makes the difference. Training teaches what to do. Coaching ensures they do it. Reinforcement makes it automatic. You've made the investment. The only question is whether you'll protect it. --- **Want to see how much your team has retained?** [Book a demo](/contact) and we'll analyze real calls against your methodology—showing exactly what's stuck and what's slipping.