Practice

We’ve already addressed the fact that just handing a learner information doesn’t make them proficient. A salesperson could have all the features of a product memorized, but that’s only a tiny part of what makes them competent or skilled at their job.

Learners need to practice with the relevant skills and information before they can develop proficiency, but all too often, they just get a single dose of training on a topic or skill. For example, a salesperson might attend a 2-hour lecture on product features, with the expectation that that will be enough for salespeople to sell that product proficiently.

The truth is that anything that gets “learned” this way still gets put into long-term memory through practice. It just gets practiced on the job.