Becoming a sales manager for the first time can be a daunting experience, even for the most talented professionals. That’s why it’s crucial you effectively onboard new managers so they have all the tools and skills needed to succeed. In the fast-paced world of sales, it’s all the more important that you manage expectations and create a road map for your new manager, so they can successfully build relationships with their new team. Too often, businesses focus heavily on technical training for their managers, rather than looking at the big picture and creating strategies and plans. So, how do you make sure the onboard process goes smoothly? Read on to discover how you can create an effective onboarding process for your new sales manager.

MANAGEMENT TRAINING

To ensure your sales manager is successful, you should consider providing sales management training during the onboarding process to support learning and development. This will help ease the new manager into their position, creating a collaborative partnership. When you provide hands-on training, they will learn their management job more quickly and integrate them into the culture. For example, the training should focus on how to successfully delegate, set winning strategies and inspire a team of sales executives through clear and concise communication. In this way, your new sales manager will feel more confident in their abilities and is more likely to succeed.

SET CLEAR GOALS

Setting clear and achievable goals doesn’t just help managers, it benefits their entire team. Giving your sales managers goals and expectations is critical for keeping them motivated. During the onboard, you should outline the overarching goals and what needs to be done to improve the performance of their sales executives. Sales managers need to focus on improving productivity and working to get the best out of their team. Much like when onboarding a regular employee, the experience shouldn’t be transactional but treated as a process that builds a stronger relationship with the new manager and the team. That’s why establishing goals is a great way to align focus and boost performance.

INTEGRATION PROCESS

When you onboard a new manager, it’s important that you conduct a proper integration process. This can be a great way for a team to get to know their new sales manager. So, make sure you have a member of HR or a trainer to conduct this process, which could include the sales manager meeting individual members of their team to discuss expectations. This might also include the sales manager meeting with executive members of the company to review targets and goals. Every sales manager needs an integration process to build trust and establish mutual expectations.

IMPLEMENT FEEDBACK SESSIONS

Regular feedback sessions are essential for helping your sales manager improve and find ways to solve problems. Sales managers have targets to reach as well as managing their teams, so these professionals need to be nurtured and developed carefully. That’s why giving feedback is so important, as it will show your sales manager that they are a valued member of the leadership team, and you’ll be able to support them in any areas they might be struggling with. Constant communication is the key to developing and onboarding leaders while ensuring they’re on the path to success.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR YOUR NEXT SALES MANAGER?

If you’re looking to recruit your next sales manager, BMS is here to help. We have a committed team of specialist consultants with years of experience in recruiting the best salespeople. We’re passionate about providing great opportunities for our clients and candidates, and we consistently build excellent relationships with those we work with. Contact us today if you would like to find out more about how we can assist with your recruitment.