Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Sales Training

Shift from Transactional Selling to Strategic Growth

In today’s hyper-competitive market, CPG sellers face relentless pricing pressure. But price cutting is a race to the bottom, not a strategy for growth. To win, sellers need the skills to shift from commodity-driven conversations to value-driven, consultative dialogue.

Richardson helps CPG sales teams break this pattern. Our sales training empowers professionals to uncover customer needs, build lasting trust, and become strategic partners — not just order-takers.

Why CPG Sellers Need to Shift from Price to Value

The CPG industry is evolving fast. Technology, customer expectations, and global competition have raised the stakes:

• Buyers complete 70–90% of the B2B journey before speaking to sales
• Only 12% of buyers want to meet in person
• 1 million B2B sales roles have been lost to self-service channels

In this environment, sellers can’t rely on access alone. They must show up prepared to deliver insight, relevance, and value from the first conversation.

At the same time, there’s a massive upside for sellers who can rise to the challenge. According to McKinsey, by 2025, over 4.2 billion people will join the consuming class, creating what some call “the biggest opportunity in the history of capitalism.”

To own that future, sales organizations must rethink how they engage and retrain their teams for today’s buyer-led journey.

How Richardson Elevates Sales Performance in the CPG Sector

We equip CPG sellers with the tools and techniques to:

• Build credibility from the first interaction
• Lead discovery conversations that reveal unspoken needs
• Position products and solutions in a way that resonates with strategic priorities
• Deliver insight-driven, not price-driven, messaging

Technology allows buyers to access more data than ever, but it doesn’t replace the seller’s ability to find the "needle in the haystack." With preparation, smart questions, and sharp relevance, sellers can become trusted guides in a noisy, fast-moving market.

What Sets Richardson’s CPG Sales Training Apart

We tailor our training to the realities of CPG selling — fast-moving channels, price-sensitive buyers, and a high expectation for ROI. The following programs are especially impactful for teams in this space:

Consultative Selling

Equip sellers to uncover needs, shape the buyer’s thinking, and move beyond transactional discussions. The Six Critical Skills help sellers ask better questions, listen actively, and deliver tailored recommendations that create real value.

Channel Sales Training

Help your teams influence outcomes through distributors, brokers, and retail partners. This program builds skills to manage indirect relationships, navigate channel complexity, and create pull-through demand with shared messaging and goals.

The Challenger Sale

When differentiation is tough and buyers are self-educated, this program helps sellers teach for differentiation, tailor for resonance, and take control of the sale. It’s especially effective in competitive or mature CPG categories where sellers need to reframe the buyer’s assumptions.

This training supports sellers in:

• Engaging buyers early by doing the homework beforehand
• Asking smarter questions that unlock deeper conversations
• Curating insights to avoid overwhelming the buyer
• Encouraging two-way dialogue that invites the customer to co-create solutions

These capabilities aren’t built overnight — they’re developed through real-world practice, coaching, and program design that reflects your brand, channels, and customer base.

Outcomes You Can Expect

With the right training, CPG sellers can rise above pricing pressure and become trusted, insight-driven advisors. Here’s what that transformation makes possible:

• Reduced dependency on price as the primary differentiator
• Higher close rates through value-based selling
• Stronger customer relationships and increased share of wallet
• Sales conversations that focus on growth, not just cost containment

FAQ: Richardson's CPG Sales Training Solutions

Q. Why is CPG sales training important?

A. The CPG space is highly commoditized. Training helps sellers shift from transactional selling to consultative conversations that uncover strategic needs and drive long-term growth.

Q. How does consultative selling benefit CPG sales teams?

A. It equips sellers to lead insightful discussions, differentiate beyond price, and align solutions to the customer’s unique priorities — increasing deal size and loyalty.

Q. What makes Richardson’s CPG sales training effective?

A. Our programs are tailored to the challenges of selling in the CPG industry. We focus on real-world application, smarter preparation, and collaborative conversation skills that drive measurable performance.