International staffing and professional services company Insight Global designed its Sharpen the Saw program to deepen Sales leaders and account managers’ understanding of the company’s Professional Services offerings and how they add value for customers.
The advanced sales program trained 54 percent of the company’s sales force, 100 percent of its Sales managers, and 95 percent of its regional Sales managers.
Program Details
Crafted with and delivered in part by leaders across divisions, the Sharpen the Saw program was delivered through virtual primers, eLearning modules, and a three-day in-person experience. Technical subject matter experts (SMEs) and delivery leads co-authored and facilitated trainings to ensure the highest quality of education.
The in-person training included education on all services provided by Insight Global’s Professional Services division. In addition to knowledge transfer via breakout sessions, the program emphasized skill-building via scenario-based role-plays and cross-functional collaboration. More than 900 people went to Global Insight’s headquarters over the course of a seven-week period to work with the company’s Professional Services team to elevate the value it provides its customers.
Reinforcement included questions baked into quarterly reviews and five additional virtual sessions that allowed participants to share with their peers what they were discovering as they elevated their conversations with customers. Monthly reporting on participants’ progress was provided to all Sales leadership. Leaders also had access to dashboards in real time. Awards were given out during the 2025 Sharpen the Saw program for performance in the 2024 training sessions.
Results
Insight Global surpassed all of its goals for the program, including achieving a 21 percent increase in services intakes, a 24 percent increase in opportunities pursued (meaning the Professional Services team deemed it good business that the company would want to pursue), and a 7.75 percent increase in services won by the program participants as tracked in the 12 months leading up to training and 12 months post-training.
