I just took a talented group of salespeople through three days of training.  Perhaps you've been in a situation just like that at some point.  There are several ways this group can approach integration, application and execution at the end of the training.

1. "This is great!  Starting today, this is exactly what I'm going to do."
2. "That information was overwhelming!  I need to study it, practice it, examine its potential fit and set a goal for applying the part I agree with at some point in the future."
3. "That was very interesting.  I'll begin to apply pieces of it - the pieces I'm most comfortable with - and see what happens."
4. "What a waste of time.  Nothing new. I'm not changing a thing."

Which would you do?

Which would your salespeople do? 

Different people will react in different ways.  So how would you like them to react? Which ones would react the way you want them to and which ones would react the wrong ways?  If you have training in your future and you want the training to be effective, how will you prepare your group so that they are change ready?

While a tremendous part of training effectiveness is the responsibility of the trainer, trainers are only as effective as the group is receptive.  Even with a receptive group, you must prepare them in advance for the 4 possible outcomes above and make it clear that outcomes 2-4 are not acceptable options for you.

[Update] - This article is continued here...