Sales teams are busy, skeptical, and allergic to slow, clunky training. If you're supposed to get them certified using Brainshark, you need a process that actually works—one that’s clear, direct, and doesn’t waste anyone’s time. This guide is for sales enablement managers, sales ops, or anyone who got “put in charge of training” and wants to get it right without overcomplicating things.
1. Know What You Actually Need to Certify
Before you even log in to Brainshark, get specific about what “certification” means for your team.
- Is it product knowledge? Compliance? Messaging? Don’t try to cram everything in at once.
- What’s the minimum someone needs to prove? Aim for “good enough to sell,” not “knows every product SKU by heart.”
- How will you measure it? Written quiz, pitch recording, live call review?
Pro Tip: Talk to a couple of top reps first. Ask what they wish new hires actually knew—skip the stuff nobody uses.
2. Set Up Brainshark the Smart Way
Don’t just upload slides and call it a day. Brainshark can do more, but it’s easy to make a mess if you don’t plan.
- Organize your content. Use folders for topics (e.g., “Product A,” “Objection Handling”). If you dump 30 files in one place, nobody will find anything.
- Keep modules short. Five 10-minute videos beat one hour-long snoozefest. Salespeople are busy.
- Mix it up. Use video, screencasts, and only add quizzes where it proves real knowledge.
- Set clear completion rules. Is 80% a pass? Do they need to record a pitch? Spell it out up front.
What works: Using Brainshark’s “learning paths” to guide reps step-by-step.
What doesn’t: Making every module mandatory. Some things just aren’t worth certifying.
3. Build Certification Paths That Make Sense
A “certification path” is just a sequence of stuff you want people to finish. Don’t overthink it.
- Start with the must-haves. Only include what’s essential to sell. Drop the nice-to-haves.
- Sequence matters. Put the basics up front, then build. E.g., Product Overview → Objection Handling → Demo Skills.
- Make it clear what’s required. Use Brainshark’s prerequisites, so folks can’t skip ahead.
Watch out for: Overloading paths with too many steps. If it takes more than a few hours total, you’ll lose people.
4. Create Assessments That Don’t Suck
Quizzes are fine, but real certification should show someone can do the job.
- Mix question types. Multiple choice is easy to cheat. Try short answers or ask for a recorded pitch.
- Use scenario-based questions. “What would you say if a customer objects to price?” is better than “What’s our Q2 pricing?”
- Limit the number of attempts. If reps can take it 10 times, it’s just a memory test.
Pro Tip: Use Brainshark’s video response feature for pitch certification. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than nothing.
5. Automate the Boring Stuff
Once you’ve set up your content and assessments, use Brainshark’s automation tools:
- Auto-assign courses. Group users by team, role, or region so you don’t have to chase everyone manually.
- Set reminders and deadlines. Let the software nag people, not you.
- Track completion. Use the reporting dashboard to see who’s done, who’s stuck, and who’s ignoring it.
What works: Sending a single, clear reminder email.
What doesn’t: Weekly “friendly reminders.” People tune them out.
6. Review Results Honestly
Certification isn’t about ticking boxes. Look at the data.
- Who’s passing? Who isn’t? Dig into where people are struggling. If everyone bombs Module 2, maybe the content is the problem.
- Check the real-world impact. Are newly certified reps actually selling better? If not, your certification might be missing the mark.
- Ask for feedback. Quick survey: “Was this useful? What should we change?” Don’t expect glowing reviews, but look for patterns.
Skip: Overcomplicated analytics. Focus on the basics: completion rates, average scores, sales performance after certification.
7. Keep It Simple and Iterate
Don’t try to build the perfect certification program on day one.
- Start small. Certify one team, one product, or one process. Roll out more as you go.
- Update as needed. If a module’s out of date, fix it. Don’t make people sit through bad info.
- Kill what isn’t working. If nobody uses a resource, archive it. Less clutter, less confusion.
Pro Tip: Schedule a quick check-in every quarter. Ask, “Does this still make sense?” and adjust.
What’s Worth Ignoring
A few things you don’t need to stress about:
- Gamification. Trophies and badges sound fun, but most salespeople don’t care. Focus on real skills.
- Overly fancy video. You don’t need Hollywood production. Clear audio and a decent webcam are fine.
- Mandatory “refresher” courses. Unless it’s compliance, don’t make people re-certify just to check a box.
Summary: Don’t Overcook It
Certifying your sales team with Brainshark doesn’t have to be a massive project. Get clear about what matters, use the software’s core features (without getting lost in the weeds), and focus on real-world skills. If you keep things simple and stay open to feedback, you’ll end up with a program people will actually use—and that’s the whole point.