Whether you’re hiring new sales reps as part of an expansion or to replace a departing employee, time is of the essence. Every single day that you’re not getting a new employee up to speed, you’re losing dollars. According to a survey by DePaul University, you could stand to lose $115,000 — in potential sales, recruiting costs and training — just by replacing one sales rep.
Also, the chances that you’ll be in the position to replace a sales rep is high, with the average turnover rate for the employees in this field nearly 30 percent.
But you already know this. The question is how effective are you at shaving the days off the transition stage for new recruits? By getting them acclimated to their responsibilities, you could significantly cut your costs of bringing new sales people into your business.
Here are 4 ways to more effectively train new sales reps:
1. Get Them Outside of Sales and Marketing
Every company has different degrees of a silo mentality. Be aware of those in your own company as you help transition a new employee into a sales role. While the sales and marketing departments are obvious sources for sales training, make sure your new hire is able to spend a significant amount of time with other employees in different departments. Go beyond the quick meet-and-greet routine. Encourage discussions about the situations clients face and how they are resolved with the company’s products and services. What better way to get a new hire up to speed than first-hand accounts from the people who work with clients?
2. Equip Them With a Cheat Sheet
Take the time to think through the essential components of your sales training. Use that to develop a condensed cheat sheet. It will ensure that your new team can quickly assess the most relevant material. They also will be able to quickly check the material while out on sales calls.
3. Use Digital Sales Tools
If you haven’t already incorporated iPads or other tablets as part of your sales process, it’s time to consider the benefits of this digital tool. Use it to streamline your process, from reviewing sales collateral to getting documents signed. New sales reps can ramp up more quickly if you simplify the process.
4. Give Them the Opportunity to Focus
A sales rep is faced with an array of activities throughout the sales day — with plenty that have nothing to do with direct sales. From answering emails to reviewing customer data, the need to multitask can serve as a distraction from real business of talking to qualified prospects. Find ways to clear the clutter in a sales rep’s day by exploring technology, like sales enablement tools, that can reduce the need to focus on time-consuming tasks. Your new employees will be better able to
MonsterConnect gives sales teams the ability to focus on the essential parts of the sales process. Find out how we can do the same for you with our sales prospecting enablement tool. Contact us to learn more.
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