Inducting new people to your company can be a complex process, regardless of the position in which they work. But if your recruit works in sales, the need to get them up to speed is greater than ever, as every day away from their territory means a day of lost sales. When you’re bringing a new sales person on your team, you’ll likely have one thing on your mind: Sales success. Here’s how to make it happen.

Give them the right tools

From day one, sales people should be equipped with everything they need to perform their jobs with finesse. First comes the phone. Regardless of what level the sales person is coming in at (such as an entry-level prepared to make cold calls or senior sales person looking to revive existing relationships), 92% of all sales interactions occur over the phone. This makes it imperative for all sales staff to have their own company mobile phone – and be prepared to use them.

Other necessary tools include a computer, and often a laptop for those sales people who operate in more flexible environments, email account and company profile all set up and ready for action from day one. New sales staff will also need access to your CRM and all the appropriate training this entails. If your company requires a more in-depth induction process, make sure meetings and training sessions are booked into everyone’s diaries before your new starter’s first day.

Help them understand the business

The first few weeks in any new role can be overwhelming, particularly if you’re trying to get your head around KPIs, targets and clients. A good sales person will be curious, observant and eager to get stuck into calls and client acquisition as soon as possible, so make it easier for them by providing as much company information upfront as you can. Cover off the key information during training and induction processes, but also provide new sales staff with induction and welcome documents that reaffirm everything they learn in these first few days. You should cover the following:

  • Company culture, such as dress code, team events, social activities and other perks
  • Profiles on immediate team members and an overview of other teams within the organisation
  • Key information on the product/services you sell
  • An overview of the sales cycle at your business
  • A guide to how you sell at your business
  • Questions and objections they may hear during the sales process

New staff should also be given time to read through your company website and potentially be given sample sales pitches by experienced members of the staff. Observation of existing sales processes is key to helping new sales people not only understand how the sales cycle works currently, but also what they can do to maximise their own success.

Observe and coach them

Once new sales people have had the opportunity to observe their colleagues at work, it’s time to observe them on their initial sales calls and meetings. Meet and motivate them before and after client interactions and ensure they feel confident and comfortable with all their materials and messaging. Formal and dynamic coaching can help sales people achieve their quota and improve their win rates, according to a 2017 CSO Insights report, and has the ability to bring out your sales team’s full potential.

Depending on their experience within the industry, schedule daily or weekly catch-ups with your new sales person to run through their experiences and provide feedback. This is also a good opportunity to run simulation exercises to help strengthen the learning process.

Provide praise when it’s due and ensure you’re mixing constructive feedback in as well. We recommend creating a positive feedback loop, where praise and reward are used to build confidence in new sales people and help encourage them to continue to gain knowledge and meet objectives. Studies show that positive feedback can make employees up to three times more engaged, happier in their work and less likely to quit. So be sure to highlight positive performances, as this in turn will likely generate more sales.

Set clear objectives to revisit daily

Targets, KPIs and objectives need to be set and made clear from the first few weeks of a new sales person starting. Your team needs to know how their performance will be measured and what is expected of them in order to not only pass probation, but also potentially hit targets and receive commission. Objectives can include call numbers, revenue targets, sales size and new leads generated. Stagger these according to their experience with your organisation – for example, within a new sales person’s first month they should make a certain number of phone calls per day and bring in a realistic target in terms of sales. This should increase as the sales person gains experience within your company.

Have faith

If you follow the above steps and give your new sales person the confidence they need to go forth and sell, you can expect great results. If you are looking to expand your sales team, get in touch with us today to find that perfect match. We can help ensure the on-boarding process goes smoothly.