Completing administrative tasks in advance of a new employee’s start date is a smart way to get them producing as quickly as possible. But it takes more than business cards and an email account. It also takes careful planning of their first week on the job, making sure they are properly trained and prepared to meet expectations.
Don’t wait to get them into orientation programs and training on the CRM and other mission-critical systems. Delays in training just impede their ability to get out and sell. If your company holds these programs on a set schedule, time start dates to coincide with it so the new sales reps can get them done in the first week.
Define responsibilities and set expectations on day one. The first thing you need to do is sit down with the new hire to go over sales territories, agree to quotas and calibrate the employee’s expectations with those of leadership. Also, review the do’s and don’ts of the sales process and any important company policies and procedures.
Use this first meeting to convey the organization’s philosophy, mission and vision. This helps the employee connect with the products or services they are selling and their customer or client base.
Finally, putting a new employee together with someone to guide them through the organizational culture and structure can help increase productivity.
It doesn’t have to be a formal mentoring program. In fact, I’ve found that an informal “buddy system” is a very effective approach. Just team new reps up with established top performers who are available to answer questions, offer advice on best practices, etc.
The buddy system, coupled with proper week-one training, orientation and goal-setting, will influence new employee behavior and prepare them to achieve success in the most expedient way possible.