Getting a strong performance from employees day in and out can be challenging for any company. Incentive and compensation programs can help businesses meet specific goals, but seeing consistent results often depends on building the right type of environment.

There are various factors that can affect someone's performance on a given day, so a lot of businesses try to remove negative aspects of the work environment. Respect and compassion for coworkers are often promoted as essential to a positive office culture, but Bloomberg Businessweek notes that continual learning may be even more vital.

The source states the best salespeople naturally strive to learn more. They understand that market conditions and consumer behavior is always changing, forcing them to try new approaches to see long-term success. There are a number of things that companies can do to encourage this behavior in their staff.

Incorporating additional training into a sales coaching strategy is not enough to boost engagement and develop an environment where skill development is encouraged. Many employees look at training courses as unnecessary or a waste of time. They sit in a room listening to a lecture for hours and get little insight into how to improve their work.

An alternative approach is to reward those that have successfully implemented new training. This forces the employee to prove they are able to use the tips provided in the class, making them more inclined to use them moving forward. By placing the emphasis on the use of new techniques, companies can keep training session short and focused on one or two tips that can make a difference. Public recognition for completing training and achieving milestones can boost satisfaction among the salespeople and can provide additional motivation if done regularly.

The training courses should always be supported with cultural initiative to reinforce the values of the programs. A study by Bloomberg BNA found that HR budgets are beginning to grow as the economy returns. Larger budgets create additional funds that can be used on training programs. One area that businesses should focus on is the sales on-boarding process. These procedures set the tone for the rest of employees' tenures with the company.

Stressing the need for continual learning and skill development builds the necessary culture needed to boost performance. Workers are encouraged to develop their strengths and overcome weaknesses. The more sales members can learn and understand about their own abilities the better they are able to approach, nurture and generate sales leads.