Virtual Sales Training vs. In-Person: What’s Best for Your Sales Team?
In the home improvement industry, your sales team’s ability to connect with customers and close deals is everything. You already know the pressure—missed appointments, inconsistent close rates, reps who struggle to handle objections, or just not enough consistency across your sales team. When the results aren’t where they need to be, it’s time to look at the foundation of what's standing between your team and the sale. You need to re-assess your home improvement sales training.
Should you invest your valuable time and resources in virtual sales training or in-person sales training for home improvement companies? The answer isn’t always clear-cut, and you’ll need to carefully evaluate your company’s goals and priorities to choose a training system that fits your needs.
The Link Between Training and Marketing ROI in Home Improvement
Your marketing dollars are only as effective as your sales team. Better training means more leads get converted into appointments, more appointments turn into demos, and more demos turn into closed deals, increasing your home improvement marketing ROI.
When reps are well-trained, your cost per acquisition drops dramatically. You don’t need to buy more leads—you simply convert more of the ones you already have.
Stronger training also improves follow-up, reduces missed opportunities, and increases repeat business and referrals. Every marketing channel becomes more profitable because each lead has a higher chance of turning into revenue.
Great sales training doesn’t just grow the sales team—it boosts the ROI of your entire business.
Common Sales Challenges Facing Home Improvement Reps Today
Home improvement sales reps face a unique set of challenges that can derail even the strongest teams if they aren’t addressed. One of the biggest issues is decision-maker delays. Many homeowners don’t have all parties present during the appointment, which makes it harder for reps to deliver a complete presentation or secure a commitment. When only one decision-maker is present, the conversation often ends with “I need to talk to my spouse,” causing the momentum to disappear.
Price objections are another major hurdle. With rising material costs and economic uncertainty, homeowners are more cautious about spending. Reps who aren’t trained to frame value, explain long-term savings, or guide homeowners through comparison thinking often struggle to overcome pricing concerns.
Financing confusion also slows down sales. Many homeowners don’t fully understand their payment options or feel overwhelmed when discussing rates and terms. If reps aren’t confident and clear when presenting financing, the customer will hesitate, even if they’re interested.
Another challenge is lead quality. Not every lead is created equal, and reps need the skill to quickly identify buying signals, customer intent, and realistic timelines. Without proper training, reps may waste time on cold leads or mishandle warm ones.
Finally, inconsistency across the team can hurt performance. When each rep uses a different script, tone, or approach, your overall results become unpredictable. A lack of standardized training in your call center processes leads to uneven appointment setting, uneven presentations, and uneven close rates across the board.
What Modern Home Improvement Buyers Expect From Sales Reps
Today’s homeowners buy differently than they did even five years ago. They expect a sales process that feels easy, transparent, and respectful of their time. They want clear communication, fast responses, and answers that feel honest—not rehearsed. Any rep who over-promises, dodges questions, or relies on outdated pressure tactics will lose trust quickly.
Modern buyers also expect digital communication. Whether it’s text updates, emailed estimates, or digital brochures, homeowners want information they can review on their own time. Reps who still rely only on paper folders or long in-person explanations risk appearing outdated or unprepared.
Clear pricing is another major expectation. Homeowners want to know what things cost, why they cost that much, and what their options are. If a sales rep can’t break down pricing in a simple way, the buyer will lose confidence and start shopping competitors.
Most importantly, buyers want a consultative—not aggressive—sales experience. They want a rep who listens, understands their goals, and provides solutions instead of applying pressure. A rep who behaves like an advisor, not a “closer,” will win far more trust and far more deals.
Why Most Home Improvement Sales Training Fails
A lot of sales training in the home improvement industry misses the mark because it focuses on theory instead of real-world application. Reps sit through long classroom sessions hearing about concepts but never get the chance to practice them. Without role playing and real-time scenarios, none of the information sticks.
Another common issue is outdated scripts. Many companies still use old-school pitches that don’t match the expectations of modern buyers. Scripts that sound canned, overly pushy, or too generic can actually hurt the rep’s credibility and lose the customer’s trust.
Training often fails because it stops after the first session. Without follow-up, reinforcement, and ongoing coaching, reps quickly forget what they learned. Skills fade fast if they aren’t practiced regularly, especially objection handling and creating urgency.
Finally, some trainers simply don’t understand in-home selling. Selling in the customer’s home requires a very specific skill set—reading body language, building comfort, managing the environment, presenting options clearly, and guiding decision-making. When training doesn’t reflect the realities of in-home sales, reps struggle to apply it in the field.
How Better Training Increases Lead Conversion and Appointment Rates
When sales reps receive proper training, every part of your sales funnel improves. Reps book more appointments because they know how to build urgency and handle early objections. They also complete more demos because homeowners feel confident and stay committed to the appointment.
Trained reps give clearer, more professional presentations that help homeowners understand their options, leading to higher close rates. Better training also reduces cancellations because reps set proper expectations from the start and build trust that lasts through the entire project.
Confidence grows, too. A confident rep communicates better, presents better, and handles objections more smoothly. This confidence increases conversion rates, average ticket size, and overall customer satisfaction.
The Benefits of Virtual Sales Training for Home Remodeling Companies
Over the last few years, virtual sales training has gone from a backup option to a proven, powerful tool. And for good reason—it’s fast, flexible, and scalable.
Sales teams in the home improvement space often span multiple territories. Getting your team together in one place is expensive and disruptive. With remote sales training, your reps can log in from anywhere and start learning immediately—no flights, no hotels, no downtime.
Virtual platforms also make it easy to train large groups all at once. Whether you’ve got five reps or fifty, you can deliver consistent training across every market.
Faster Implementation & Results
Live online training allows for real-time interaction, role play, and feedback—just like in-person sessions. But with virtual home improvement sales coaching, your reps can apply what they learn on the very next appointment. That means fewer delays and faster progress.
When it’s done right, virtual training doesn't just “check a box.” It becomes part of your culture, your rhythm, your way of doing business.
Lower Costs, Higher Home Improvement ROI
Compared to on-site coaching, virtual sales training typically costs less, and that doesn’t need to mean lower quality. You cut travel expenses and eliminate scheduling headaches. The result? More money stays in your business while your team continues to level up.
The Power of In-Person Sales Coaching
There’s a reason in-person sales coaching remains a go-to method for home improvement companies who want deep, transformational change. For some teams, nothing beats the energy and focus that come from face-to-face sales coaching for home improvement brands.
Hands-On Skill Development
Being in the room with a sales coach allows your team to get granular with their technique. This is especially important in the home improvement industry, where reps often sell in the customer’s home, and every detail of the pitch—from tone to timing—matters.
Customized, On-Site Insights
Experienced sales coaches will evaluate every aspect of your operations, including your sales process, call center scripts and practices, customer interactions, and production. This will allow your sales trainer to gain insight into what is and isn’t working with your sales process and help you develop a customized plan.
Is Virtual or In-Person Sales Training Better for Home Improvement Teams?
The truth is, it depends.
If your home improvement sales team needs ongoing reinforcement, easy access, and flexibility, virtual sales training is a smart play. It’s perfect for teams that need to move fast, stay sharp, and keep up with a growing workload.
But if you’re going through major changes—hiring a new team, launching a new product, or just haven’t had consistent sales results—in-person sales coaching may be the jolt your business needs. It allows for deeper collaboration, immediate corrections, and leadership alignment in a way that’s hard to replicate online.
Ultimately, deciding between in-person and virtual sales training for your home improvement sales team depends on you’re a variety of factors, including your budget and growth goals. Additionally, for many teams, starting with in-person sales training to build a solid foundation and reinforcing it with ongoing virtual training can be the most effective strategy.
How to Choose the Right Sales Training Program
Choosing the right home improvement sales training program starts with understanding your team’s needs. Consider the size of your team—larger or multi-location teams may benefit more from virtual training for consistency and speed, while smaller teams might thrive with intensive in-person coaching.
Think about your team’s experience level. New reps may need foundational training on closing, presenting, and handling objections, while seasoned reps may need advanced coaching to improve consistency or break bad habits.
Territory coverage also matters. If your company covers multiple states or markets, training needs to be scalable. You’ll want a program that provides consistent messaging, especially if you want every rep delivering the same pitch and customer experience.
Clarify your training goals. Are you trying to boost appointment conversions? Increase close rates? Improve pricing confidence? Reduce cancellations? Different programs specialize in different parts of the sales process.
Finally, decide whether your company values speed or depth. Do you need a fast rollout to get reps up to speed quickly? Or do you want deeper, hands-on coaching that transforms how your entire team sells? The right training program should match both your operational needs and your long-term growth goals.
How 10 Step Selling Brings the Home Improvement Sales Training All Together
The industry veterans Brian Smith and Matt Nyberg at 10 Step Selling have worked with sales teams across the country—from small startup shops to established home improvement giants. And we know one thing for sure: there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
That’s why we offer virtual sales training and in-person sales coaching, both built around our proven 10 Step system.
With our interactive virtual coaching, your reps get live, two-way training that’s designed to be implemented immediately. They’ll learn how to better implement key strategies in in-home sales, such as creating urgency, simplifying contracts, and handling objections—without stepping out of the field. Our platform tracks participation, promotes accountability, and fosters a culture of shared growth across your team.
Prefer to go deeper? Our in-person coaching starts with a two-day on-site evaluation of your entire sales operation—sales reps, call center, customer service, and install. We provide a customized playbook to improve performance at every step, backed by ongoing coaching to make sure it sticks.
We help your team overcome the real challenges they face: low close rates, inconsistent results, high turnover, and wasted leads. And we do it with strategies that actually work in the home.
Ready to Improve Your Team's Home Improvement Sales Training?
Whether you’re looking for the speed and scalability of remote sales training or the hands-on transformation of in-person coaching, we’ve got you covered. Reach out to the experts at 10 Step Selling today to schedule your free 30-minute consultation.