How to Train a Sales Team in Australia: The Complete Playbook for Startup Founders

As a founder, I know the pressure of making sales land on your shoulders. But if you want real growth, you can’t be the only one selling—you need a sales team. Training them properly is what transforms a group of reps into a revenue engine.

Sales training isn’t about scripts or cheesy role-play. It’s about equipping your team with the right mindset, skills, and systems to consistently win customers. Without it, you’ll burn leads, miss targets, and frustrate your team.

When I hired my first two sales reps, I threw them into calls with a product demo and some coaching. It was a disaster. One froze up when asked about pricing; the other oversold and nearly lost us a client with unrealistic promises. I realised I’d skipped training, assuming they’d “figure it out.” After building a structured onboarding and training process—product knowledge, objection handling, role-plays, and weekly coaching—the same team doubled conversions in three months.

The difference was night and day.

Founders who scale don’t just sell—they teach others how to sell.

What Exactly Is Sales Team Training?

Sales team training is the structured process of teaching your reps the knowledge, skills, and behaviours they need to sell effectively. It combines:

• Product training: Understanding your offer inside out.

• Process training: Following a consistent sales journey from lead to close.

• Skills development: Building confidence in discovery, pitching, and handling objections.

• Mindset training: Encouraging resilience, persistence, and a customer-first approach.

Examples:

• Canva (AU) trains sales hires on storytelling around their mission and product usability.

• HubSpot (global SaaS) uses a playbook model, where reps follow proven sales processes.

• Many local SMEs undertrain—relying on “natural” sales talent—which leads to inconsistent results.

In short: it’s not a one-off induction, but an ongoing investment in performance.

Why This Could Make or Break Your Business

A sales team without training is like a football team without a playbook—they’ll run, but in different directions. Proper training matters because it:

• Drives revenue consistency with repeatable processes.

• Reduces customer churn by preventing overselling.

• Improves morale and retention by building rep confidence.

• Saves founder time by removing you from day-to-day selling.

• Increases valuation by showing investors scalable systems.

Skipping training isn’t just a risk—it’s a revenue leak.

Before You Start

Before training your sales team, get these in place:

• A documented sales process (stages, steps, tools).

• Clear target customer and buyer persona.

• A CRM (HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho).

• Product/service documentation and FAQs.

• A founder commitment to coach regularly.

With this prep, training becomes practical and repeatable.

How to Train a Sales Team:

Step by Step

Step 1: Build Your Sales Playbook

• Map the sales process (lead → discovery → demo → proposal → close).

• Include scripts, objection responses, and email templates.

• Add qualification criteria for good leads.

Result: Every rep follows the same playbook, reducing randomness.

Step 2: Teach Product and Market Knowledge

• Train on features and benefits.

• Share competitor comparisons.

• Explain customer pain points.

• Have reps use the product themselves.

Result: Your team speaks with authority and confidence.

Step 3: Develop Core Sales Skills

• Discovery: ask open-ended questions.

• Pitching: link features to benefits.

• Objection handling: prepare responses to top 5 objections.

• Closing: agree clear next steps.

Result: Reps can handle real conversations with confidence.

Step 4: Role-Play and Practice

• Run mock calls or demos.

• Rotate roles (rep vs customer).

• Give structured feedback.

Result: Confidence grows before they face real prospects.

Step 5: Train on Tools and CRM

• Teach call logging and pipeline updates.

• Automate repetitive admin.

• Monitor dashboards.

Result: Your sales data is accurate and useful.

Step 6: Shadowing and Live Calls

• Pair new reps with experienced ones.

• Shadow discovery calls and demos.

• Debrief after each.

Result: Reps learn faster from live exposure.

Step 7: Continuous Coaching

• Weekly one-on-ones.

• Monthly skill workshops.

• Celebrate wins and share learnings.

Result: Sales performance compounds over time.

Mistakes to Avoid

Overloading with theory → fix: keep training practical.

Skipping role-play → fix: practice before live calls.

Assuming “natural sellers” don’t need training → fix: train everyone.

Neglecting coaching → fix: schedule regular sessions.

Real-World Examples

• A Brisbane SaaS startup created a 10-page playbook + weekly practice. Result: 25% improvement in close rate.

• A Melbourne service firm skipped structured training. Result: inconsistent messaging and high turnover.

The difference? Training systems, not just talent.

What It Costs and How Long It Takes

Direct Costs (2025/2026):

• DIY training: $0–$500.

• External workshops: $1,000–$5,000.

• Online platforms: $50–$200 per user/month.

Timeline:

• Onboarding: 2–4 weeks.

• Ongoing coaching: 1–2 hrs weekly.

• Playbook updates: quarterly.

Hidden Costs: lost deals, wasted ad spend, founder burnout.

Money-Saving Tip: Record your best sales calls and reuse them as training assets.

Bottom line: training costs less than one lost contract.

What to Do Next

✅ Download the FREE Sales Training Playbook from ProDesk’s library that is built so you can edit and add your business's process and system for training your sales team [ProDeck.com].

✅ Want it built for you ? Partner with Noize—experts in scaling foundations for founders [Noize.com.au]

✅ Grab The StartupDeck—200+ strategies to accelerate growth [theStartUpDeck.com].

Act now, and you’ll turn training into your next growth lever.

The Bottom Line

Sales teams don’t succeed by luck—they succeed by training. With structured onboarding, practical skills, and ongoing coaching, average reps become consistent performers.

Neglect training, and you’ll burn leads and stall revenue. Invest in it, and you’ll free yourself from being the only closer.

Founders who scale don’t just sell—they teach others how to sell.

FAQs

How long should sales training take? 

Onboarding runs 2–4 weeks, with weekly ongoing coaching.

Do I need a formal playbook? 

Yes—even a 5-page document gives structure and consistency.

What if I only have one sales rep? 

Train them anyway—you’re building the foundation for scaling.

Should I hire an external trainer? Not early. Use your own expertise and recordings first; outsource later for advanced skills.

How do I keep training engaging?

Mix formats—role-play, calls, videos, group sessions—and connect lessons to real deals.