Onboarding entry level sales reps in the IT sector has been a hot topic in the industry for as long as I can remember. Devoting the time and energy to help indoctrinate a new rep is something that most companies would agree is important, yet a large percentage of them fail at the execution and follow-through. We’ve all seen the statistics. According to the Sales Management Association (SMA), 62% of companies acknowledge that they fall short when onboarding entry level sales talent. As a result, 45% of new hires last less than 18 months according to industry averages. That type of churn is expensive, not to mention the impact it has on the mood and psyche of your entire sales team.
We launched our FastStartGO Sales Enablement Program in 2021 to help our clients improve their onboarding efforts when it came to entry level IT sales reps. We’ve learned a great deal over the past three years, which has become the foundation for this ever-expanding program.
Here’s an outline of the top five steps we’ve established to greatly improve sales onboarding success:
Step 1: Aptitude testing for applicant screening. We have found that skilled observational interview techniques and gut instinct are not enough when it comes to evaluating a candidate’s natural adaptability to a successful sales career. We have incorporated aptitude tests that measure specific personality traits, such as emotional intelligence, empathy, analytical ability, and so forth. The results are rarely the deciding factor when it comes to accepting or rejecting a candidate, but they do play an important part in the decision-making process.
Step 2: Management participation and coaching. Despite what social media may lead you to believe, new employees generally look up to their managers and seek opportunities to interact with them. We have found that building in direct contact and coaching with the management team – even if it’s only one or two hours each week – goes a long way toward motivating entry level reps. More seasoned peers can teach them “the ropes” but the value you can impart by discussing the nuances of sales (which you have learned over the course of your career) is immeasurable. In FastStartGO, we have seasoned sales professionals with 20 – 30 years of experience who meet with new trainees once a day for the first month. From there, there are coaching sessions that take place three times a week for three to four months. It’s a large investment of time, but the end result is overwhelmingly positive.
Step 3: Creating opportunities for early success to build confidence. Technology has a long and complex sales cycle, so it is natural for young reps to get disillusioned when they don’t see immediate results. Providing them with the opportunity for small but meaningful “wins” can give them the fuel to keep moving forward. Example: Assign a “re-engage” project to inactive accounts where the prospects are not completely cold and more likely to take a meeting based on prior experience with your company. Small wins like reactivating a dormant account for a simple licensing renewal will establish a pattern of confidence that can be built upon.
Step 4: Immerse the rep in your team culture and environment. We feel strongly – and experience has proven this position – that a hybrid work environment does not work for entry level sales reps. To become part of the culture you must participate in it; to really understand the business, you must be there to absorb it. Consider assigning an internal “buddy” outside of the sales team to encourage their involvement in company-related extracurricular activities and outings, and learn the many benefits and advantages of working there. Once the rep is into their position 12 – 18 months later, a hybrid work schedule can be considered.
Step 5: Provide the proper tools for success. Modern sales techniques require access to modern sales tools. A phone and a prospect list won’t cut it. Advanced technologies and applications – such as a marketing automation or CRM platform, intent data, and even AI-powered prospecting tools, etc. – have become the norm particularly in the technology sector. A subscription to LinkedIn Sales Navigator should be considered a company expense, not something you’d expect a young professional starting out to finance. These applications also provide your management team with the ability to track and measure activity, which is essential for performance training.
Measuring Success
We have employed each of these steps in our FastStartGO program and our results speak for themselves. Of the many sales reps we have recruited and trained over the past three years, we have a 70% retention rate (compared to an industry turnover average of 34.5% each year), with 60% of our graduates being among the top revenue generators for their companies.
Organizations that simply don’t have the bandwidth to take on a successful onboarding process would be wise to outsource it to an organization like TSRM rather than suffer the consequences of a revolving door in their sales team.
To learn more about the FastStartGO Sales Enablement Program, contact us today.
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