Sales Leadership and Performance Management Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Sales Managers, Regional Sales Managers and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-S-062

Before you join: Participants should have experience selling, managing accounts, supporting sales operations or supervising commercial staff.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Sales results rarely improve through pressure alone. Sales leaders need a clear operating model that connects commercial strategy, territory coverage, pipeline quality, coaching, performance standards and fair intervention. Without this discipline, managers can mistake weak CRM data for poor selling, reward activity that does not produce margin, or react too late to forecast slippage. The result is unreliable revenue, uneven team performance and avoidable employee relations risk.

This course develops the management methods used to lead a sales team against revenue, margin, retention and customer-growth objectives. Participants build metric trees, define leading and lagging indicators, set territory potential and quotas, review pipeline health, challenge forecasts and conduct evidence-based performance evaluations. They also practise structured coaching, diagnose performance gaps, create performance improvement plans and assess how incentives, discount controls and recognition affect sales behaviour.

Instruction combines short briefings, sales cases, dashboard analysis, group work, coaching simulations and application planning. Cases reflect common B2B and institutional sales situations, including complex account portfolios, public-sector procurement cycles, channel sales and long deal cycles. Participants leave with a practical sales leadership toolkit: a scorecard, performance review framework, coaching plan, metric dictionary and 90-day implementation plan that can be adapted to their team.

The course suits managers responsible for front-line sales teams, regional performance, key accounts or sales operations. It is especially relevant where leaders need more reliable forecasts, consistent manager routines and a fair, documented approach to performance management.

What you will be able to do

  • Design a sales operating cadence linking pipeline reviews, forecasts, coaching and management decisions
  • Build a sales metric tree connecting activity, conversion, revenue, margin and retention measures
  • Set territory potential, capacity-based quotas and account coverage priorities using commercial data
  • Evaluate pipeline health and forecast accuracy through stage evidence, coverage ratios and variance analysis
  • Conduct evidence-based performance reviews using scorecards, rating anchors and calibration methods
  • Apply GROW coaching conversations and call observation scorecards to improve sales behaviours
  • Create performance improvement plans with measurable standards, milestones, support and consequences
  • Produce a 90-day sales leadership plan with accountable actions, review routines and success measures

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Greater confidence challenging pipeline quality and forecast assumptions
  • A defensible method for setting goals and evaluating sales performance
  • Practical coaching routines for improving discovery, qualification and next-step discipline
  • Clearer diagnosis of whether poor results stem from skill, motivation, territory or process
  • A structured 90-day plan for establishing stronger sales management routines

For your organisation

  • More reliable forecasts through common stage definitions and evidence-based pipeline reviews
  • Earlier intervention on underperformance through leading indicators and documented action plans
  • Improved quota fairness through territory potential, capacity and account coverage analysis
  • More consistent manager coaching through common observation and feedback standards
  • Better commercial control through CRM data governance, discount discipline and metric ownership

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can define the leadership accountabilities, decision rights and management routines required for a sales team.

  • Sales leadership charter defining revenue, margin, retention and capability accountabilities
  • Role clarity through RACI for sales managers, representatives and support teams
  • Span-of-control decisions based on territory complexity, deal cycles and coaching capacity
  • Sales operating cadence linking pipeline reviews, forecasts and one-to-ones
  • Decision rights for pricing exceptions, discounts, credit terms and account escalation
  • Manager standards translated into observable behaviours and weekly management routines

Participants can translate commercial objectives into territories, account priorities, capacity assumptions and fair quotas.

  • Revenue architecture connecting corporate objectives, segments, channels and sales motions
  • Coverage model choices: geographic, vertical, named-account, product and hybrid designs
  • Territory potential calculated from addressable accounts, spend estimates and conversion assumptions
  • Quota allocation using historical attainment, market potential and capacity constraints
  • Account tiering with ABC criteria, service levels and contact frequencies
  • Headcount capacity model based on selling time, workload and ramp periods

Participants can establish a disciplined sales process and assess opportunity quality using common criteria.

  • Stage definitions anchored in customer commitments, evidence and exit criteria
  • Sales process maps distinguishing lead qualification, discovery, proposal, negotiation and close
  • MEDDICC qualification tests for metrics, economic buyer, decision process and competition
  • Opportunity hygiene rules for next steps, close dates, value and probability
  • Pipeline coverage ratios calibrated by sales cycle, win rate and quota
  • Forecast categories separating commit, best case, pipeline and excluded opportunities

Participants can select, calculate and govern performance measures that support sales management decisions.

  • Metric tree connecting activity, conversion, pipeline, revenue, margin and retention
  • Leading indicators selected through controllability, predictive value and data availability tests
  • Funnel conversion analysis locating stage leakage, velocity constraints and qualification failures
  • Sales velocity calculation using opportunities, average value, win rate and cycle length
  • Balanced Scorecard measures balancing financial results, customer outcomes, process and capability
  • Metric definitions documented with owner, source, formula, frequency and threshold

Participants can use CRM information to produce reliable reports, identify trends and improve data quality.

  • CRM data governance covering mandatory fields, validation rules, ownership and audit trails
  • Dashboard design applying audience, decision, metric hierarchy and exception principles
  • Trend analysis separating seasonality, territory mix, rep tenure and product effects
  • Variance analysis comparing actuals, budget, forecast, prior period and target
  • Data-quality scorecards tracking completeness, timeliness, accuracy, consistency and duplicate records
  • Reporting calendar aligning daily alerts, weekly reviews and monthly performance meetings

Participants can conduct fair, evidence-based sales performance evaluations and document agreed actions.

  • Performance scorecards combining results, leading indicators, competencies and behavioural evidence
  • SMART objectives written with measurable outcomes, deadlines, standards and agreed ownership
  • Rating anchors defining below, meets and exceeds expectations using observable evidence
  • Calibration meetings testing rating consistency, evidence quality, bias and quota context
  • Performance review conversations structured around results, causes, commitments and support
  • Documentation standards for objective notes, agreed actions, dates and follow-through

Participants can diagnose development needs and coach salespeople towards measurable behavioural improvement.

  • Coaching diagnosis separating skill gaps, knowledge gaps, motivation and resource barriers
  • GROW conversations establishing goals, reality, options and committed actions
  • Call observation scorecards assessing discovery, value articulation, objections and next steps
  • Field coaching plans using pre-brief, observation, feedback and follow-up checkpoints
  • Feedback delivered through SBI: situation, behaviour, impact and requested change
  • Deliberate practice plans targeting one sales behaviour with measurable repetitions

Participants can distinguish causes of poor performance and implement proportionate, documented interventions.

  • Root-cause analysis using five whys, fishbone categories and evidence checks
  • Performance improvement plans specifying gap, standard, milestones, support and consequences
  • Coaching versus corrective action decisions based on capability, conduct and evidence
  • Fairness safeguards for territory changes, account reassignment and quota adjustments
  • Early-warning triggers for pipeline deterioration, activity decline and forecast slippage
  • Escalation protocols documenting support provided, review dates and decision authority

Participants can assess how reward structures and commercial controls shape sales behaviour and results.

  • Compensation plan components: base pay, variable pay, accelerators, caps and thresholds
  • Commission mechanics tested against quota attainment, margin protection and payout affordability
  • SPIF design limited by purpose, duration, eligibility, measurement and unintended effects
  • Discount approval controls protecting price discipline, contribution margin and customer value
  • Sales ethics scenarios addressing misrepresentation, conflicts, data privacy and channel conflict
  • Recognition practices reinforcing customer outcomes, teamwork, process discipline and learning

Participants can implement a practical leadership rhythm with clear priorities, ownership and review points.

  • Weekly performance rhythm integrating dashboard review, forecast challenge, coaching and actions
  • Monthly business review agenda covering results, drivers, risks, decisions and owners
  • 90-day sales leadership plan prioritising metrics, coaching, data quality and interventions
  • Stakeholder communication plan for executives, finance, marketing and customer success
  • Action registers tracking commitment, owner, due date, status and evidence
  • Personal leadership commitments translated into calendar blocks, routines and review points

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Sales leadership operating cadence template
  2. Sales metric tree and metric dictionary
  3. Territory potential and quota allocation model
  4. Pipeline health and forecast review checklist
  5. Sales performance scorecard and review form
  6. 90-day sales leadership implementation plan

Who should attend

  • Sales Managers — need consistent methods for coaching, forecasting and evaluating representatives
  • Regional Sales Managers — need comparable performance controls across territories and teams
  • Head of Sales — need a management system that links strategy to revenue execution
  • Key Account Managers — need stronger account prioritisation, pipeline discipline and commercial planning
  • Sales Operations Managers — need meaningful metrics, clean CRM data and usable reporting routines
  • Commercial Directors — need reliable performance evidence for resource, target and incentive decisions

Skills and tools covered

Sales performance measurementPipeline forecastingTerritory quota planningPerformance evaluationSales coachingCRM data governance

Tools and standards

RACI matrix, MEDDICC, Balanced Scorecard, GROW model

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce sales leadership methods, followed by case work using realistic pipeline, territory, dashboard and performance-review data. Group exercises apply metric trees, quota methods, forecast reviews and coaching frameworks to commercial scenarios. Participants conduct structured simulations of one-to-ones, coaching conversations and performance discussions, receiving peer and instructor feedback. Application planning converts the methods into a sales operating cadence and 90-day implementation plan for each participant's role.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have experience selling, managing accounts, supporting sales operations or supervising commercial staff. They should be familiar with common sales terms such as quota, pipeline, forecast, conversion rate and CRM. Experience with performance conversations is useful but not essential. The course assumes participants can interpret basic tables, percentages and sales reports. No formal sales qualification, advanced analytics capability, compensation-design experience or prior study of management theory is required. Participants do not need access to their employer's CRM system during the course.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants should have experience in sales, account management, sales operations or commercial supervision. Familiarity with quotas, pipelines, forecasts and CRM reports is expected, but advanced data analysis or prior people-management training is not required.

Bring examples of the sales reports, scorecards, pipeline stages or performance issues used in your team, where organisational policy permits. These materials are not mandatory, and no access to a live CRM system is needed.

It is designed primarily for front-line sales managers, regional sales managers, commercial leaders and sales operations managers. Key account managers preparing for leadership responsibility will also benefit.

Sales technique courses focus on individual selling behaviours such as discovery, objection handling and negotiation. This course focuses on managing team performance through metrics, forecasting, coaching, evaluation, incentives and operating routines.

Participants can introduce clearer pipeline review standards, revise a team scorecard, structure coaching conversations and identify early-warning indicators. The 90-day implementation plan identifies the first actions, owners and review dates.

The five-day programme contains approximately 32.5 contact hours, normally delivered from 08:30 to 16:30 each day. Time is divided between instructor input, case analysis, group work, simulations, feedback and application planning.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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