Get Back To The Sales Training Basics...Decrease Ramp-up Time and Improve Consistency with Veterans
A recent study shows that it takes, on average, a minimum of 3-months for a new salesperson to ramp up. And, more than 40% of companies surveyed said it took over 7 months for a new salesperson to produce at the level of their predecessor. While this has improved from years past, it is still a costly situation for the sales managers and marketing teams who support them—not to mention a HUGE frustration to your new employee. Unfortunately, this is a cost we bring on ourselves. We have the best intentions, when we hire someone new. We plan on taking the time to train them and ease them in during their first two weeks. And, then reality hits. The reality of our already overflowing schedule and a pipeline that is drying up. The new hire is lucky to have a log-on to the network by the time they start. And this situation repeats itself until we have an army of sales people organized by ad hoc orientation.
Whether you are a marketing team supporting sales, a sales manager wanting to reduce the ramp-up of new hires, a veteran rep looking to sharpen your game, or the new kid on the block facing little-to-no new hire support, here are two tools (though not the most exciting, the most necessary) to improve the situation:
Sales Orientation Checklist. Start by creating an orientation checklist that details the areas most necessary for a sales person to quickly assimilate into the culture and get started selling (For example HR/IT Details, Team Introductions, Training Plan/Activities, and Planning). Then break this checklist into a schedule (either by the hour, or the day, depending on its length and your projected orientation time). Use the checklist to ensure, in a bustling workplace, that even the most minor detail is covered in new-hire training.
Sales Training Manual (Try our template to get started). Arming your sales team with a training manual is critical to getting new reps ramped up quickly and getting the existing team as a whole on the same page. You'll need to customize the training manual to fit your particular needs, but be sure to cover the following areas thoroughly:
- Company Background
- Products and/or Services Overview
- Product/Service Description
- Target Market
- The Competition
- The Sales Team Structure
- The Sales Process
- Sales Tools
Not only does the sales training manual unify and focus your sales team, it also informs marketing on how to better support your sales efforts. When your sales and marketing teams are working together, magic happens. Especially for your new sales recruit! Feeling supported and armed with the proper tools ensures a smooth and successful ramp-up.
There is a lot more you should do in the area of sales training, but start with the basics! Sales training is often the missing link to achieving the sales edge!
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The Sales and Marketing Toolkits BUNDLED contains:
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Over 60 sales and marketing templates (DOC, XLS, PPT, and PDFs)
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Loads of "how-to" articles and examples
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8 Training sessions (MP3 audio files) for your computer or iPod
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