4 Tips for Faster Sales Onboarding
Sales Management
Onboarding new reps is a big task, and optimizing your process is a great way to get your new people off to a running start.
Every new rep will learn a bit differently, so it’s important to have a diverse onboarding process that presents key information through multiple channels.
Organize Your Sales Wiki
Your sales wiki is a valuable resource, for veterans as well as your new recruits. New reps, however, are sometimes overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information that your wiki contains. Simplify the process for new reps by creating a guide for their first 30 days, using key data from your sales wiki and important notes. Try to put yourself in the shoes of a new rep by considering the most common questions, challenges, and points of confusion a new rep might have in today’s sales environment.
Start with the basics, including key terms and sales concepts, before you cover the more challenging items. With a foundation in place, you can progress to important items like pipeline management, lead generation, and CRM use. Throughout your guide, make sure new reps always know where to turn for assistance and guidance.
Use Video and Screen Recordings to Teach Key Concepts
Teaching through video is the perfect way to cover sales concepts that are difficult to get across in text, and familiarize new reps with the tools of the trade. Use video and screen recordings to show new reps how to complete day-to-day tasks like qualifying leads, prioritizing tasks, and finding prospects. Teaching through video will also boost CRM adoption. Create CRM-centric resources so that your reps will always have an easily accessible quick-reference guide.
Save Recorded Calls and Emails to Teach New Reps
Video and text are powerful teaching tools, but sometimes there’s no substitute for seeing how a real sale works in action. Save calls and emails from won deals, and use them to guide new reps. If your new rep has been doing their homework by studying your sales wiki and videos, listening to real calls is the perfect way to reinforce what they’ve learned and clarify any points of confusion. As you review your team’s sales activities, set aside a bit of time to bookmark calls and emails that fit the various stages of your onboarding process.
Use Assessments to Gauge Knowledge and Progress
Yes, there will be a quiz at the end of this chapter. Use learning assessments to track the progress of new reps, and identify gaps in their knowledge. In addition to their diagnostic benefits, assessments are a great motivator. Your reps will want to demonstrate their knowledge, which often leads to some extra time spent studying the subject matter. Just remember that assessments aren’t meant to be a punishment. Use the results of your assessments to shape your plan for teaching each rep, and get them up to speed in deficient areas.
It’s no accident that these tips share many commonalities with the traditional classroom experience. While the tools may be different, the basic pattern of learn, reinforce, assess, and repeat will serve you well in your onboarding process. If a new rep truly wants to succeed in sales, then they’ll welcome the resources you provide with open arms.
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