It’s no big secret. Developing a sales training strategy that has a lasting impact on an organization’s success is not an easy task. While most organizations start out to meet specific training objectives, important factors such as a sufficient focus on what an employee needs to do their job effectively are often overlooked.
Below are some valuable tips to help your organization develop lasting sales success through development of a well-planned and robust new hire sales training program.
Take the Right Approach
A clear choice exists for organizations in terms of the sales performance strategy they adopt. They can pick the individual they believe is right for the job and hope that, with a bit of support, it works out. However, this is a rather ‘hit or miss’ approach.
A more effective approach is to engage employees from day one with clear goals, a process, and a development plan. Organizations that have implemented new hire sales training using this approach have found it has brought them a great deal more success.
New Hire Sales Training – The Shallow or Deep End?
Depending on the type of organization or industry, the nature of new hire sales training will vary. Some training programs will require new employees to go out in the field and actively participate in selling from the beginning as part of their overall training. This is done in addition to classroom learning, e-learning, or other forms of training they undertake. In some organizations, however, new hire training may be taken entirely in-house where employees take part in selling scenarios and role play, followed by classroom assessment before engaging in any field-based activity.
The type of role an employee will be working in should dictate the type of training and whether or not they are expected to go out in the field (deep end) or take all training in-house (shallow end).
Make it Real
One of the defining characteristics of a strong new hire sales training program is how closely it correlates to real world selling. The entire training program should get employees as close to the real sales experience as possible. So how do you do this? By combining simulation with real life experience. An example of this is getting employees to deliver a sales pitch to their manager, as they would to a client on the product/service they are selling. This enables them to:
- Prepare for the sales conversation
- Deliver the core message they need to get across
- Obtain feedback from their manger on how they have performed
The Option to Accelerate
Most organizations want their new hire programs to be comprehensive so that employees get a full understanding of what the organization does and what is expected of them in their new roles. Consequently, acceleration or the ability to test out or move through the program at a faster pace if they are capable of doing so is not always possible.
When designing new hire sales training, particularly if it incorporates e-learning, an organization should consider each employee’s level of sales experience, knowledge and ability. Employees who have a lot of experience in the relevant industry may be capable of moving through their training faster. In order to improve their learning experience and to avoid any frustration, they should be able to if they wish to do so.
The Role of the Expert
Experts and leaders within any organization have traditionally been very valuable for training purposes. Having the ability to call on those who have significant industry experience and knowledge to share their expertise can be very useful and beneficial for new sales employees in helping them develop a deeper understanding of their roles.
Organizations today are getting increasingly busier and, unfortunately, experts are often short on time or are simply not available. However, where possible, these people should be utilized to develop a better sales training experience for new hires.
Investing time and sufficient resources in getting new hire sales training right will ultimately develop better sales people and bring your sales organization more long lasting success and ROI.
Would you like to learn more about developing effective new hire sales training?
Interactive Services develops custom learning and training solutions. We have worked with many of the world’s leading organizations and developed training in the area of sales, product, compliance among others.
Contact us today to discuss your new hire training needs and to view some of the work we have done.