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Dave Basarab Consulting has elevated the training experience, offering an end-to-end comprehensive approach that includes training strategy, instructional design, development, delivery , post program training transfer, and evaluation (via the unique Predictive Evaluation methodology). Virtual Chief Architect Dave Basarab has combined all of these individual training elements with his user-friendly, comprehensive Learning to Performance approach, which significantly increases companies' training ROI.

Why we are different

  • Innovation: Our primary focus is creating learning programs using a Learning to Performance approach.
  • Expertise: Dave offers the depth and breadth of his experience, including working internally at prestigious companies (Motorola, Ingersoll Rand and Pitney Bowes) as well as his knowledge and expertise as a highly-respected, sought-after consultant.
  • Partnership: Basarab collaborates with companies, serving as their own Chief Learning Officer whenever they need to plan, strategize, or implement training initiatives.

Training Services

Enterprise Learning Strategy

Enterprise Learning Strategy

At Dave Basarab Consulting, we're experts in creating Enterprise Learning Plans. We work with you to develop your company's learning strategy and direction.

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Custom Design, Development, & Delivery

Custom Design, Development, & Delivery

Custom training is an effective way of developing the capability required to execute your strategy. We are a custom design house that creates programs specific to your business.

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Learning Burst Development

Learning Burst Development

We can create and deliver your courses via our unique Learning Burst Method - keeping your employees at their jobs while receiving world-class training.

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Predictive Evaluation

Predictive Evaluation

We predict the ROI for your courses and establish success gates. We then evaluate the course against the success gates to show value realized and continually improve results.

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Leadership Development

Leadership Development

Turn-key virtual custom leadership development program that combines world-class leadership speakers/educators with post-event personalized coaching to provide you with a cadre of highly skilled leaders.

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Predictive Evaluation

Designing a learning burst strategy for busy sales teams

Sales teams rarely need more information. They need timely practice that helps them handle a customer objection, qualify an opportunity, explain value, or advance a stalled deal. A learning burst strategy turns those moments into focused development opportunities that fit the pace of revenue work.

Learning bursts are short, targeted experiences delivered through channels salespeople already use. They may include a two-minute video, a scenario-based quiz, a manager-led practice session, or a job aid embedded in the CRM. The strongest programs connect each activity to a specific behavior and measurable business outcome.

For organizations investing in sales enablement, the goal is consistency without creating another heavy training obligation. A well-designed approach supports employee capability, reinforces coaching, and gives leaders evidence that learning is being applied in the field.

Start with the sales moments that matter

Begin by identifying the situations where performance varies or deals commonly lose momentum. These might include discovery calls, pricing conversations, competitive positioning, renewal discussions, or follow-up after a product demonstration. Interviews with sales managers, call reviews, win-loss data, and pipeline analysis can reveal the highest-value opportunities.

Avoid building a burst around a broad subject such as “consultative selling.” Narrow the focus to an observable action, such as asking three diagnostic questions before presenting a solution. A precise behavior is easier to practice, coach, and measure than a general capability statement.

Each burst should answer three questions: What should the seller do differently? When will that behavior be used? What business signal should change if the behavior improves? This alignment keeps learning connected to sales execution rather than treating completion as the primary result.

Design for attention, application, and reinforcement

A useful learning burst usually has a simple rhythm: introduce one idea, demonstrate it, provide a chance to practice, and prompt application in a live account. Keeping the cognitive load low helps busy sellers engage without feeling that they are leaving their core work for a separate training event.

Content should reflect the language and conditions of actual selling. Use realistic customer statements, account scenarios, product constraints, and competitive pressures. A short branching scenario can be more valuable than several pages of explanation because it requires the learner to make a decision and see the consequences.

Reinforcement matters as much as the initial lesson. Follow a burst with a manager prompt, a peer discussion, a field assignment, or a reminder delivered at the point of need. Spacing these activities over several weeks supports retention and helps convert knowledge into repeatable sales behavior.

Choose the right delivery mix

The delivery channel should match the work context. Mobile content may suit field sellers between meetings, while a manager-led huddle can provide stronger practice for objection handling. CRM prompts, collaboration platforms, email, and sales enablement systems can all support the strategy when each has a clear role.

A learning burst does not have to be digital only. A printed conversation guide, a short team role-play, or a recorded example from a high-performing seller can be highly effective. The design decision should be based on access, urgency, complexity, and the level of interaction required.

Sales need Useful burst format Reinforcement Possible measure
Improve discovery questions Short scenario and quiz Manager call review Discovery quality score
Handle price objections Video example and role-play Peer practice Discount rate or margin
Strengthen follow-up CRM prompt and email template Pipeline inspection Follow-up completion
Explain a new product Interactive demo guide Customer-call assignment Product message usage
Support renewals Account scenario and checklist Renewal huddle Renewal conversion

Connect learning to measurable outcomes

Measurement should be planned before content production begins. Define the leading indicators that show adoption, such as participation, practice completion, manager coaching, or use of a job aid. Then identify lagging indicators, including conversion rate, sales cycle length, margin, retention, or opportunity progression.

A useful resource on measuring training adoption highlights why organizations should forecast adoption before launch rather than discover engagement problems afterward. For sales teams, this means testing whether the burst fits the workflow, whether managers will reinforce it, and whether the target audience sees an immediate reason to use it.

Predictive Evaluation can help connect these assumptions to a practical measurement plan. Instead of waiting for quarterly results, learning leaders can establish expected adoption levels, collect early evidence, and identify where intervention is needed. This creates a stronger link between learning activity and commercial performance.

Equip managers to make the learning stick

Managers are the bridge between a learning burst and real sales behavior. Give them concise coaching instructions, examples of effective performance, and questions that can be used during pipeline reviews or one-to-one conversations. Manager enablement should take minutes, not require a separate course.

Coaching should focus on observable evidence. A manager might listen for the quality of discovery questions, review how a seller framed business value, or ask what the customer said after an objection response. Specific feedback is more useful than a general reminder to “use the training.”

Leaders also need visibility into participation and application. Adoption dashboards can help show whether teams are engaging with the program, practicing the target behavior, and moving toward expected outcomes. The data should support action, not create another reporting exercise.

Build a repeatable operating model

A learning burst strategy works best as a portfolio rather than a series of disconnected campaigns. Create a release calendar tied to sales priorities, product launches, customer trends, and recurring performance gaps. Keep each burst small enough to launch quickly and substantial enough to influence behavior.

Use a common design template that captures the target audience, business problem, behavior, practice activity, manager action, delivery channel, and measures. This makes custom instructional design more efficient while preserving flexibility for different sales roles and markets.

  • Prioritize one high-value sales behavior per burst.
  • Pilot the experience with a small group of sellers and managers.
  • Schedule reinforcement before the initial launch.
  • Track both learner adoption and business indicators.
  • Retire or revise bursts that no longer address a current sales need.

A quarterly review can reveal which topics deserve expansion into a broader curriculum and which are better handled as quick performance support. This balance helps organizations invest in deeper leadership or capability development without overwhelming the sales force with long courses.

The next step is to select one measurable sales moment, interview the people closest to it, and prototype a short burst around the desired behavior. With a clear adoption forecast, manager role, and outcome measure, your organization can turn learning into a practical part of the sales rhythm and begin building a scalable enablement system.

Learning to Performance

Learning to Performance, a complete training approach, gives companies world-class training to drive significant return. This approach includes upfront work (Impact Mapping, design), training (for staff and company executives), and post-training efforts to ensure training transfer. This unique recipe - the key for successful training and adoption - is changing the way companies implement training. This methodology could work with any content for organizations in any industry.

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