I find it interesting to watch companies in high growth mode. They get all jazzed up, beat the bushes for good candidates ("we only want A players man"), put the candidate through an extensive interview process, get them on board and then.....ignore them and let them fend for themselves!
As sales managers, are we too busy to invest in creating a training process for new hires that will help them be successful? If we are, it is no wonder that only 60% of our sales organization makes their number. They are learning on the job!
Here are 5 things you can do to ensure a new hire's success:
- Provide them with a Sales Playbook that contains: your ideal customer profile, your elevator pitch, qualification questions, frequently asked questions, objection handling responses....you know, the basics.
- Have them sit and double jack in with your inside sales team that handles the front end of the sales process. Learning how to effectively qualify an opportunity should come before learning how to close one.
- Let them listen to you cold call. OMG, that actually means you will have to cold call. You remember how right? If you are one of the lucky few that has a full pipeline delivered by marketing then count your blessings but if you are not, then you need to teach your reps how to go get the prospects they want and need!
- Have them call all the customers in their territory. Not to say "Hi I'm your new rep do you want to buy anything?" but to say "Hi I'm your new rep. Can we spend some time together so I can get a better understanding of your business and what you need to accomplish?" This will allow them to immerse themselves in what business issues drive customers to look at your solution.
- Provide them with documentation on how to effectively use your CRM system. This will allow them to be more productive and also provide you with a method to monitor their activity and progress.
These are just a few thoughts off the top of my head. What do you have to add?