John Barrows' Advice After Training 100k+ Sales Reps

sales team is struggling. Reps are missing quota, deals are stalling, and that new hire still isn't ramping fast enough. Sound familiar? If you're looking for a better way to train your sales team — one that actually works with how modern buyers want to buy — you're in the right place.

After training over 100,000 sales reps and spending 25+ years in the trenches himself, John Barrows has seen what works and what doesn't. He's watched traditional sales tactics fail as buyers have gotten smarter, and he's developed a radically different approach to building high-performing sales teams.

I’m Karli Stone and in this issue of Meet the World's Best Sellers I’m bringing you the distilled wisdom of the founder and CEO of Sell Better by JB — one of the most admired names in the game.

In this article, we'll cover the fundamentals of effective sales training, why traditional approaches are failing, and John's blueprint for creating full-cycle reps who can handle the entire sales process. You'll learn exactly what topics to cover, which training methods deliver results, and how to implement a program that drives real revenue — not just attendance certificates.

What is sales training and why does it matter?

Sales training isn't just about teaching reps how to close. It's a strategic process for developing the skills, knowledge, and mindset your team needs to consistently win deals in a competitive market. Think of it as the blueprint for building a high-performing sales engine.

Why does it matter? Because effective training directly impacts your bottom line. It shortens ramp time for new hires, improves quota attainment for the whole team, and reduces costly rep turnover. In a world where buyers are more informed than ever, a well-trained sales team is your ultimate competitive advantage.

The modern sales training challenge: Why traditional approaches aren't working

After 10 years of coaching, 2 million miles traveled, and 100k reps trained, John understands the state of sales as well as anyone.

From the surge of AI to the increase in self-guided buying cycles, he's watched the world catch on to traditional sales tactics — and he doesn't think sales organizations are prepared.

As the old saying goes, people love to buy, but hate being sold to — and hate having to dig for answers and wait for solutions even more. Studies tell us that 43% of today's buyers want a rep-free experience.

Yet, what we see in modern buying cycles, is a massive shuffling of prospects throughout the buyer journey — from SDR to AE to Sales Engineer to CSM and back again. According to John, the "Predictable Revenue model" of highly segmented sales roles is no longer aligned with what people want from a buying experience.

"No customer wants to be handed off 5x before they actually talk to someone who knows what they are talking about, someone who gives them value."

Don't be fooled, the solution isn't a completely rep-free experience. John shared that buyers who purchase rep-free see a 23% higher purchase regret rate.

Which tells us that sales reps still have a critical role to play — we just need to redefine what it looks like.

Essential sales training topics every rep needs

A great training program goes beyond just sales tactics. It builds well-rounded sellers who can think strategically and connect with buyers on a human level. Your curriculum should cover a few key areas:

• Product knowledge: Reps can't just know what your product does; they need to understand how it solves real-world problems for your specific customers.
• Sales process and methodology: This is your team's playbook. It defines the stages of a deal and the specific actions reps should take at each step to move it forward.
• Core sales skills: This includes everything from prospecting and qualification to discovery, objection handling, and closing techniques.
• Business acumen: Reps need to understand your customers' industries, business models, and challenges to have credible, value-driven conversations.

John Barrows' approach: Creating the full-cycle sales rep

So, what's John Barrows' definition of a progressive and responsive sales organization?

John describes a team of full-cycle sales reps, empowered with the technology and skills to be the single point of contact for customers through all stages of the sales cycle.

The ultimate customer-centric approach.

The sales rep of the future is, in many ways, a return to the past.

Back to the tradition of all-encompassing sales expertise, where every salesperson builds personal relationships with buyers to manage the entire sales cycle from end to end.

John trains reps to do this in a few ways.

It all starts with getting the rep completely bought into the product and mission on Day 1.

One of John's onboarding strategies is to give reps a blank org chart, have them meet with internal employees for interviews, learn what they know, and come back with a report.

"I want them to find the connective tissue of the product and of the company."

When it comes to movement within the org, John suggests promoting SDRs not to AE, but to account managers or customer success managers, deepening their skills across the entire buying cycle.

"It will help gather use cases and hear first-hand customer stories, while also helping them learn how to close in a safe environment. "

(Note: Avid World's Best Sellers readers might remember Kit Chandra transitioning to a CSM role after failing as an AE then coming back to sales better than ever.)

Sales development should center on teaching reps how to be genuinely curious, creatively solve problems, improve business acumen, and heighten emotional intelligence.

And for the rest, empower your reps to do it with world-class tools.

Automated lead generation and list building, sales sequencing and email outreach, CRM enrichment and gap analysis — the right tech stack offloads these tasks and allows full-cycle reps to be everywhere all at once.

"Allow tech to do all the heavy lifting," John says, "Let the sales rep be 'the last mile' to humanize the interaction with the client."

Modern sales training methods that actually work

Forget boring lectures and outdated manuals. Today's best training is interactive, ongoing, and integrated into the daily workflow. Here are a few methods that deliver results:

• Role-playing and simulations: Give reps a safe space to practice handling tough objections, navigating difficult conversations, and perfecting their pitch.
• On-demand learning: Provide a library of bite-sized content—like videos, guides, and call recordings—that reps can access whenever they need a quick refresher.
• Peer-to-peer coaching: Encourage your top performers to share what's working with the rest of the team. This builds a culture of continuous improvement.
• Technology-driven training: Use tools like conversation intelligence to analyze real sales calls and provide data-backed feedback.

How to implement effective sales training in your organization

John's never stopped learning.

He's spent the last 25 years in sales with his ear to the ground. Listening for upcoming trends. Identifying modern buying behaviors. Experimenting with new solutions.

It's how you successfully train, lead, and inspire a team of winning sellers.

"The #1 competitive differentiator that anybody can have in today's market is to be agile," says John, "If you're stuck in the ways of what you used to do to be successful – you're already dead."

In the early years of Sell Better, he trained using the "Why You, Why Now?" email framework (an email personalization strategy that scored John personal email responses from the CEOs of Salesforce and HP).

"At the time, it was worth spending 15 or 20 minutes writing these emails because you were getting a 30-40% response rate."

But, after a few years, open rates started to drop, responses became less frequent, and more emails were getting marked as SPAM. Buyers were catching on.

Like any sales leader worth their salt, John pivoted.

But how do you know which direction to go?

John says it starts with your customers.

"If I were a sales leader right now, I would talk to as many customers as I could to try and understand the real value of our product or service — what they liked about the sales process, what they didn't, where we win, what language they use."

With real-world insights from your customers, you can create messaging and then dive into experimentation. A/B test subject lines and email intros, try out different call scripts and opening lines.

"Sales is far more a science than an art, so treat everything as an experiment. There's no longer a set strategy. What worked 6 months ago is just not working anymore. You have to be agile"

Some of your sales efforts may fail, some may work, but John has a single mantra when it comes to testing: There is no failure. It's only a failure if you don't learn.

Don't tell people what to do — show them

"I don't like trainers," said John Barrows, straight-faced.

I blinked.

John Barrows, world-class sales trainer and founder of a mega sales training company, doesn't like…trainers?

He went on, "Most sales trainers are either failed salespeople or professional presenters. I never wanted to be that guy."

You see, John was (and has always been) a battle-tested, boots-on-the-ground salesman.

He cut his teeth selling tools out of the back of a Dodge pickup truck for Black and Decker. At Xerox, he sold copiers to the government in a less-than-ideal territory, where closing deals took an enormous amount of building trust. Even as the VP of Sales at ThriveNetworks, a start-up IT services company, John never quit the daily sales grind.

SPIN sales, Miller Heiman, Saylor Academy, targeted account sales (TAS) — any sales tactic he asked his reps to do, he did it, too. Under his hands-on leadership, Thrive reached $12M in revenue and became the #1 fastest-growing business in Massachusetts for two consecutive years.

So, when he started Sell Better by JB, he set out to be more than your run-of-the-mill sales trainer — he was going to lead by example from Day 1.

Building a sales training program that drives real results

Great salespeople aren't just born; they're built through smart, continuous training. As John Barrows' experience shows, the best training is agile, customer-focused, and led by example. It's about creating full-cycle reps who can handle the entire sales process with confidence and skill.

To do that, you need to empower them with the right tools. A platform like Apollo lets your reps offload manual tasks like list building and data entry, so they can focus on what they do best: selling. By combining John's training principles with a powerful sales platform, you can build a team that's ready for anything. Get Started with Apollo and see how our end-to-end platform can support your newly trained, high-performing sales team.

Frequently asked questions about sales training

What training does a salesperson need?

A salesperson needs a mix of hard and soft skills. This includes deep product knowledge, a clear understanding of the sales process, mastery of sales techniques, and strong business acumen. They also need soft skills like active listening, empathy, and genuine curiosity to connect with buyers.

What are the 7 steps of sales training?

While programs vary, a comprehensive training process often follows the seven steps of the sales cycle: prospecting, preparation, approach, presentation, handling objections, closing, and follow-up. Effective training provides skills and strategies for each stage.

What are the five methods of sales training?

Common training methods include instructor-led classroom sessions, interactive role-playing, on-demand e-learning modules, peer-to-peer coaching, and one-on-one mentorship. The best approach often blends several of these methods to keep reps engaged.

How long does sales training typically take?

Initial onboarding can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, but sales training should be an ongoing process. Continuous learning through weekly team meetings, regular coaching, and access to updated resources is key to long-term success.

How do you measure sales training effectiveness?

You can measure effectiveness through key performance indicators (KPIs) like quota attainment, average deal size, sales cycle length, and conversion rates. You can also track leading indicators like the number of meetings booked or demos completed. Before-and-after analysis is a great way to show ROI.