Gamification in virtual sales training: evidence from a field experiment
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual training for employees has become increasingly popular. Anecdotal evidence indicates that virtual training can lessen learners’ fatigue, strengthen their knowledge absorption, and reduce the direct and indirect costs of training. For field sales reps, virtual training offers especially relevant advantages, such as flexible training hours, location independence, and the opportunity to apply new lessons directly in the field. However, virtual training also suffers from diminished learner motivation and high drop-out rates, prompting sales practitioners and researchers alike to seek ideas for improving sales reps’ training motivation in virtual sales training. Using both a field experimental study and survey of 147 sales reps, the current research establishes evidence that gamification in virtual sales training (i.e. competitive quiz after the training) can improve sales reps’ enjoyment, which increases their training motivation and acquisition of declarative sales knowledge. Notably, gamification does not benefit all sales reps equally; it yields stronger benefits for highly experienced sales reps.
Author: Maximilian Friess
Institution: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Language: English
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4407396166