Onboarding New Sales Professionals in 2017: Tips to Ensure a Seamless Start, and Set the Stage for Future Success

By Cole DeCathelineau

With a New Year underway, all sales companies will be counting on the efforts of individual sales reps, in order to attain overall monthly, quarterly, and annual sales goals. Indeed, without the success of your individual sales pros, your company as a whole simply cannot thrive. Clearly, this means that all new hires who are joining your team this year will need to be brought up to speed as soon as possible. Therefore, as the hiring manager or HR manager, the onus is on you to ensure that all new hires are properly welcomed, introduced, and provided with all tools for success that they could possibly need, in effort to begin producing as soon as possible. In other words, you’re going to need a strong onboarding program.

So, what does your onboarding program need to include to ensure that your new hires are successful from the start? Below is a step-by-step checklist of vital components that must be included in your onboarding program, so that your sales professionals have the best chance for success in 2017.

* Map out your new sales rep’s first day

* Disseminate a welcome email/introduction to existing sales team members

* Provide an orientation tour of the office/location

* Familiarize new hires with their workspace and equipment (computer, phone, desk, corporate credit card, etc.)

* Introduce newest member to all team members

* Introduce new sales hires to tools and technology they’ll be using

* Participate in a successful first assignment

* Review expectations/ sales goals (monthly, quarterly, yearly)

* Plan the employee’s next few days (include several shadow days, joint assignments with experienced, successful team members, etc.)

* Schedule ride alongs with Senior Sales Reps

* Continue to meet with your new sales hire daily throughout the week, to promote open communication, and ensure that no questions are going unanswered

* Go over book of business (dormant and active accounts)

* Determine territory and identify areas to capture new business

* Engage in role playing with products

* Review and evaluate the onboarding program with your new hire after one week

There’s no denying the fact that making your new sales reps feel welcomed, but perhaps more importantly, poised for success, will take time and effort on your part. However, the process can be greatly streamlined if you choose to utilize smart onboarding software.

Onboarding software programs are frankly invaluable when it comes to helping you to map out your program. From guiding you through precisely what needs to take place and when, to helping you track your new hire’s progress, to evaluating the success of your onboarding efforts, HR managers, Sales Managers, and Hiring Managers should not go without this valuable assistance. In fact, these programs exist specifically to make sure that you don’t overlook any

critical steps when it comes to ushering in your next top producer. If you don’t currently have onboarding software, a list of ten of the most highly reviewed onboarding software programs can be found here.

With a brand new year laden with opportunities for breaking all previous sales records upon us, there’s no time like the present to take your onboarding program to the next level. By putting forth the effort to position your new sales professionals for success now, you’re sure to see the results you’re looking for in the days, weeks, and months to come.

If you’re looking to recruit outstanding sales reps or an experienced sales manager to join your team in 2017, contact us today. Grapevine Targeted Sales Recruiting is a top sales recruiting company, with a proven track record for success, in helping businesses of all sizes and across all industries to take their sales success to new heights through the recruitment of top sales reps and sales managers.

Cole DeCathelineau is a professional sales recruiter at Grapevine – Targeted Sales Recruiting.

Visit www.grapevinerecruiting.com , call 952.856.2194 or email cole@grapevinerecruiting.com