Knowing how to get things done for your advertising customers and building credibility with them and your colleagues (who take care of them) is as critical to your sales success as sales training. It requires solid understanding of your products, pricing options, and capabilities to develop customized products. It also helps to know who to go to and how to work effectively with the people and processes that support you and your customers.
We recommend a very structured on-boarding program that includes sales training aligned to your preferred sales approach and tailored to address gaps in the new account executive’s skill set.
We’ve outlined an “on-boarding” model below, assuming some basic steps are completed.
Assumptions:
- An Account Executive (AE) has been interviewed and you, as the Sales Manager, know what his experience has been, what training he’s received and how he would generally approach sales
- You have identified any skill gaps between her experience and the company’s preferred sales approach
Day 1: Human Resources covers the basics
Element: Standard HR information re: General orientation to the organization, work expectations, benefits, what to expect and what is expected of all employees and how to navigate HR-related services: payroll, tax withholding, vacation, insurance, etc.
Benefit/Purpose: Financial and benefit issues are top of anyone’s mind so having these questions resolved allows the new AE to mentally focus on learning the business and effective selling.
Days 1-2: Sales Manager welcomes new AE to the team
Element: Introduction to the company and products in general:
- Mission, vision, values, strategic direction and initiatives
- Meet leadership – all areas
- Meet colleagues – in interdependent areas: accounting, customer service, creative
- If product specialists, schedule time with them
Benefit/Purpose: Ensure solid knowledge of roles, establish helpful relationships and avoid process errors, establish deep understanding of all products, pricing and packaging options
Days 2 – 3: Sales Manager and AE begin planning and skills assessment
Elements:
Deep dive orientation into current account base and CRM software:
Deep dive into policy, processes, practices expectations
Drill on product information: by product, know the product, targeted demo, appropriate application/benefits for clients, pricing and package options
Benefits/Purpose: Align priorities, Ensure good planning and execution practices, Assess skills and training needs, reinforce previous day’s orientation
Days 3-5: Sales Manager Solidifies product knowledge and assesses sales skills- live environment
Elements:
Observe AE in action:
- Assign AE to develop/describe approach to lower risk customers and prospects
- Observe sales calls to targeted customers (low risk)
- Sales Mgr/AE conduct introduction calls on key customers, Sales Mgr leads; debrief afterward
Daily Drill on product information: by product, the product description, targeted demo, appropriate application/benefits for clients, pricing options
Provide effective tools: for example, a “symptoms and solutions” quick reference guide. (Customer’s need – product solution)
Benefit/Purpose: Reinforce expectations, assess interpersonal sales skills, solidify product knowledge
Days 4-5: Sales Manager Develops training and support program
Elements:
- Identify training needs based on experience gap and observations
- Schedule training- class room and ride-along with Sales Manager and colleagues, targeted to address gaps
- Continue drills on product/pricing as above until new AE is completely immersed
Benefit/Purpose: Develop a tailored training and support program for the AE to optimize the investment and likelihood of success; The plan increases likelihood of follow through at all levels
Ongoing: Sales Manager regularly reviews, observes and provides feedback
Elements: Minimum weekly performance review; Formal 30-60-90 day review:
- Check progress – (“ride-along” weekly)
- Review CRM weekly and provide feedback on plans and quality
- Adjust training/support plan at 30-60 -90 days
- Determine to keep or not (90 days) and continue support plan until meeting goals 90+% of weeks.
Benefit/Purpose: Strong start and constant feedback to build skills and results, reinforce expectations, address gaps; Congratulate on permanent status or help transition out of position by 90 days
This approach to launching new sales people, coupled with the right incentives plan can help a Sales Manager build a consistently high-performing dream team.
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