Having grown up playing UNO/ Monopoly and Scrabbles, I have always appreciated the influence of those games on me and my siblings. Games have always been effective in simplifying complex learning concepts like money management, language training etc. What fun right? Learning with games. However, corporate trainings are different. While training should be engaging, it cannot always be fun and games. Can it?
Mobile Apps like Memrise, Clozemaster, Geography Drive USA have proved otherwise and there are various other learning games that ensure that games can be utilized as training facilitators too. As discussed in a post, there is a lot that Game-based Learning offers to Sales Training.
However, when games cannot be a part of the training strategy, gamification takes over bringing with it the elements of engagement. What is it? We have discussed roughly in a post titled- Gamification for Safety Training, and according to Interactive Design Foundation, “Gamification is a technique where designers insert gameplay elements in non-gaming settings so as to enhance user engagement with a product or service. By weaving suitably fun features such as leaderboards and badges into an existing system, designers tap users’ intrinsic motivations so they enjoy using it.”
What makes it the next big thing in Sales Training?
The first thing to understand here is that gamification of training is different from gamification of the sales process. While many organizations have been utilizing the virtues of teamwork, competitiveness, point system etc. to power the sales process, its application differssignificantly from gamification of sales training.
Simple aspects like leaderboard are where gamification of sales training begins. Sales and competitiveness go hand in hand and having a common ground for comparing learning achievements not only drives sales training but also provides the arena for self-improvement based on the position on the leaderboard.
Next come the intrinsic factors like points, levels are factors that can motivate the learners to take up learning on their own. To do so gamification of sales training usually employs the power of a strong premise or a backstory, otherwise known as a learning scenario. Once the learners are interested, the achievement of badges points etc. then drives the learning further also indicates progress.
What makes gamification of sales training an interesting prospect is that it fits well with the training agenda, i.e. personal development of skills, product training and techniques for sales improvement. All of which can easily be gamified by adding the right elements.
Gamification of sales training offers a new format for training in a competitive yet self-paced environment. It provides not just the scope for explorative learning but also allows tracking and analysis in a non-conspicuous manner.
While games have already been accepted as a part of the training strategy, gamification is still at its budding stage and holds great potential.
Wish to understand more about gamification. Drop us a message and we will get back to you for a one-on-one discussion.