Sales on-boarding can be a daunting process for trainers and new representatives. During training, managers have to spend time away from their regular responsibilities while they teach recently hired employees how to complete basic tasks. The amount of information being taught can overwhelm agents and lead to burnout if not handled properly.
To simplify on-boarding, managers should divide it into different segments. The Sales 2.0 Conference recommends splitting training into five unique categories – cold calling, negotiations, lead generation, follow ups and leaving voicemails. Dividing on-boarding procedures into small segments allows managers to bolster productivity and make the process collaborative.
The right trainers
A team approach should be used with segmented on-boarding. The Sales 2.0 Conference writes that managers should carefully monitor their staff members to learn who is best suited to teach certain skills. While observations can be helpful, supervisors should analyze hard data when choosing the best trainers.
Sales performance management software from developers like Xactly show corporate leaders who are the top salespeople. The applications can track metrics for every category to eliminate guesswork. Managers should refer to this data when choosing their on-boarding leaders. Supervisors can find the representatives who are most qualified to teach every segment of training.
Offer rewards
Sales incentives are effective tools for on-boarding, and enhance motivation during segmented training. When employees have to complete multiple courses, they grow discouraged with their perceived lack of progress. New representatives are essentially restarting the entire learning process every time they begin a new category, so managers must ensure no one grows frustrated.
Rewards should be offered for completing different on-boarding segments. Managers can set realistic goals for courses like lead generation so new agents understand that positive behavior is financially worthwhile. The incentive system also demonstrates the different compensation solutions that the business offers.
Growing teams
Segmented on-boarding also allows managers to gradually integrate new workers into existing sales teams. Because there are different leaders for every aspect of the training, recently hired agents can work alongside every member of the staff before becoming full-time workers.
This approach strengthens cohesion within a team. During on-boarding, new employees can learn about group dynamics and how they will eventually fit into their new roles. Instead of slowly becoming accepted as member of the team, recently hired agents will already have experience working with their associates.
