Have you ever started a new job and thought to yourself… “well, this is NOT what I sign up for”? Not to worry, we’ve all been there at some point in our career. Our expectations don’t quite match up on what we thought would happen and the reality of what did happen.
Let’s spin the table as the scenario can be just as frustrating for the company as it is for the new employee. Specifically for the hiring manager. Of course, not all hires are a good fit and not everyone is made for a career in sales but sometimes it’s on us if we drop the ball due to wearing too many hats. You know what I’m talking about as you finalize the budget, add in a new promotional opportunity, maintain your top accounts while also talking a few clients off the edge all while trying to on-board your new seller.
In fact, I hate to tell you that according to recent stat, 41% of employees who receive poor training will leave their post within a year. That’s why it’s key to initiate an immediate on-boarding program for your team members.
So how do you combat this issue? One way is ensuring that you are providing expectations of the role and proper training to your new sales hires. Some expectations that hiring managers have of new sales hires include:
They have basic sales skills. Since each person’s definition of what “basic” means may not be the same, this cannot be a realistic expectation. To overcome this we suggest training all new hires with the basics to ensure everyone understands what is expected of them in their role. Don’t have time to do this on your own? We have various training curriculums that can help you.
They have empathy for customers. Authentic empathy for customers is essential to success in sales. However, not everyone may this skill already in their tool belt. Some have to learn this skill. The most successful salespeople are those who have the ability to understand their customers during the entire sales cycle.
They know the products they are selling. It can be easy to assume that your new hire knows the products you have for sale. After all, you talked about them in the interview process. But that doesn’t mean that they really understand the products in a way that will translate to the client.
They are properly trained on sales software. This may not always be the case since companies use a variety of programs. Make sure that you give your new hires a proper session on your CRM system.
They have a proper mentor. A lot of times new hires can get passed around to different members of the team for training. This does not mean that they have a mentor assigned. Before any new hire starts seek out top performers in your team that would be a good fit as a mentor and let them know that you would like to assign the new hire to follow them around and observe what they do for the first few weeks of employment. Knowing they are with a good mentor give you peace of mind that they are getting the guidance they need for their new role.
You are setting realistic expectations upfront. Having your new hire know what is expected of them is key for them to be successful. To do this you need to make sure that they know things such as what is their sales goal, what do they need to do each day/week to ensure these goals are met. How do you as their manager want them to communicate to you and the client. Just to name a few. Want to know more watch our course “What Does Your Boss Want From You? This two part series will walk you through each area of what you need to ensure your new hire is prepared.
They know the lingo. Every company loves to use terms that are industry specific such as CNA or GRP, and PD just to name a few. Keep in mind that just because your new hire might have worked in the industry doesn’t always mean they completely understand the lingo. Take the time to ask them are they getting what you are saying during meetings and make sure their mentor is going over these terms with them. Need more help? We have several courses in radio and television that go over industry lingo to help your new hire feel like part of the team.
Good companies should always be in the mindset of coaching as there is always something to learn and always room for growth and development. This is why having a great on-boarding plan in place and ongoing support for your team is crucial for any company. With the new year just around the corner make 2019 the year you took your company to the next level but providing them with ongoing training and support, we have over 2,000 training videos that can help you. If you are already a P1 member but don’t have this as a standard tool in your on-boarding plan contact us we can help you put together a plan to get your new hires prepared in their role with your company.