How Did Richardson Modernize Sales Training with a Digital Learning Platform?

TL;DR:

• Richardson partnered with BenchPrep to build Richardson Accelerate™, an adaptive digital sales training platform that launched in under 9 months¹
• The platform blends assessments, video, social learning, gamification, and analytics into a blended learning model that pairs with classroom training¹
• Results include a clean, intuitive learner experience, mobile-first omni-channel access, bite-sized microlearning, and the ability to scale training to 10,000+ professionals globally¹

The Problem: A Sales Training Market Stuck in Neutral

By 2014, Richardson — a global leader in sales training — was still relying on instructor-led sessions and outdated e-learning modules.¹ Sales professionals were increasingly demanding digital, adaptive learning experiences, but the market was flooded with one-size-fits-all competitors that didn't fit the bill.¹ When Chris Tiné joined as SVP and Chief Product Officer in 2015, he made it a priority to find a digital learning partner that could close that gap.¹

The challenge wasn't just picking technology — it was cutting through "digital hype" to figure out what sales customers actually needed to succeed.¹ As Tiné put it, the industry lacked "a digital, cloud-based, adaptive tool that blended assessment, learning, gamification, and analytics in an effective manner".¹

The Solution: Richardson Accelerate™

Richardson and BenchPrep partnered to launch Richardson Accelerate™, an online training solution designed to engage sales teams and drive measurable performance.¹ Built on BenchPrep's learner success platform, Accelerate gave Richardson's customers an adaptive system with everything needed to run a full blended learning program without building each component from scratch.¹

The platform equips sales professionals with:

• Assessments and online learning modules¹
• Video and social learning¹
• Reporting and leaderboards¹
• Gamification and other engagement drivers¹

Managers, meanwhile, get real-time visibility into seller performance and confidence levels — sharpening coaching precision and personalization.¹

Blending the Classroom with Digital Learning

Richardson didn't abandon the classroom — it made it more productive. The Accelerate model layers digital learning around instructor-led training in four stages:¹

1. Lessons — Learners get familiar with concepts and terminology before class¹
2. Instructor-led workshop — A live session for coaching and feedback on observed behaviors¹
3. Learning modules — Post-class video scenarios, quizzes, and interactive content to reinforce and validate skills¹
4. Feedback & social learning — Manager dashboards track progress while gamification builds peer-to-peer community and competition¹

This blended structure respects the reality that sales professionals are chasing quotas and have limited time out of the field, while still preserving the interpersonal, soft-skill development that classroom time delivers.¹

The Results: Scale, Speed, and a Better Learner Experience

Richardson's customers reported consistently positive feedback on Accelerate's clean, intuitive interface — a contrast to the traditional LMS platforms many had used before.¹ That usability translated into more focused task completion and greater time-on-platform.¹

Other measurable gains:

• Omni-channel delivery — Mobile-first design lets learners access content from any device, with progress syncing across devices¹
• Bite-sized microlearning — Ten-minute modules let learners fit a video, practice test, or reading into whatever time they have¹
• Global scale — BenchPrep's cloud infrastructure lets Richardson deliver consistent training to anywhere from 20 to 10,000+ professionals across industries, generations, and company sizes¹
• Speed to market — Accelerate went from concept to market-ready launch in under 9 months, jump-starting Richardson's digital transformation¹
• A true collaboration — Richardson credits BenchPrep's willingness to listen and adapt features as the two companies continue building new digital learning programs together¹

As Tiné summarized: "The platform allows us to deliver consistent, measurable value to sales organizations over time, enabling them to benchmark how somebody's skills and confidence levels develop as a result of our training program."¹

Full detail: How Did Richardson Modernize Sales Training with a Digital Learning Platform?

Frequently asked questions

What platform did Richardson build with BenchPrep?

Richardson Accelerate™, an adaptive digital sales training platform combining assessments, video, social learning, reporting, leaderboards, and gamification, built on BenchPrep's learner success platform.¹

How long did it take Richardson to launch its digital training solution?

BenchPrep helped Richardson get Accelerate live and market-ready in less than 9 months.¹

Does Accelerate replace classroom sales training?

No — Richardson uses a blended model combining pre-class lessons, instructor-led workshops, post-class online learning modules, and manager feedback with social learning to make classroom time more productive.¹

Sources

[1] https://benchprep.com/case-studies/richardson