Best Practices for Onboarding Sales Teams

Properly onboarding your sales team gives your sales all the opportunities to succeed and is the first step to generating more revenue for your company. Developing a structured and repeatable onboarding process is essential for ensuring your sales team has the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to succeed. Here are some best practices for effectively onboarding sales teams.  

TRAINING ON YOUR SALES SOFTWARE 

All great sales teams are equipped with comprehensive and robust sales software. Whether your organization uses HubSpot’s Sales Hub, Salesforce, EngageBay, or other sales software, it still takes proper training for your sales team to leverage your sales tools effectively. Let’s dive into the best ways to turn your sales software into a revenue-generating machine. 

1. Assess Existing Knowledge and Skill Level 

   Begin by evaluating the team members' familiarity with sales software to determine their starting point. Tailor the training program based on the assessment results to address specific needs and gaps. 

2. Break Down Training into Timely Sessions  

   Design the training sessions to cover different aspects of the software, such as lead management, pipeline tracking, reporting, and communication tools. Allocate specific timeframes for each aspect to ensure thorough coverage and understanding. 

3. Incorporate Diverse Instructional Methods 

   To cater to different learning styles, utilize various instructional methods, including live demos, workshops, tutorials, and hands-on exercises. This approach ensures engagement and comprehension among all team members. 

4. Encourage Active Participation 

   Foster active involvement by incorporating interactive activities and discussions during the training sessions. Provide opportunities for practical application and problem-solving exercises to reinforce learning. 

5. Emphasize Alignment with the Sales Process 

   Highlight the alignment between software usage and the daily sales activities of the team. Clarify how the software enhances productivity and efficiency within the sales process. 

6. Offer Ongoing Support Resources

    Provide access to frequently asked questions (FAQs) and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to address post-training queries and challenges. Ensure that support resources are readily available for continuous learning and reference. 

7. Record Training Sessions 

   Record the training sessions for future reference and onboarding purposes. This enables team members to revisit the materials at any time for reinforcement or clarification. 

8. Evaluate Training Effectiveness 

   Gather feedback from participants on the training content and delivery methods to assess effectiveness. Monitor performance metrics to gauge proficiency and identify areas for improvement. 

9. Adjust and Optimize 

   Modify the training program based on the feedback and performance evaluation results. Address any identified pain points post-training to optimize effectiveness and ensure continuous improvement. 
   

ALIGN ON SALES & MARKETING GOALS 

Aligning sales and marketing goals ensures synergy and drives overall business success. This can be done most effectively by implementing SMART goals. Start by setting SPECIFIC goals that clearly outline what needs to be achieved, whether it's increasing lead generation or improving conversion rates. Ensure these goals are MEASURABLE, allowing both teams to track progress and performance using quantifiable metrics based on key point indicators (KPIs). Ensure that goals are ACHIEVABLE by setting realistic targets based on resources, market conditions, and historical performance data. Additionally, goals should be RELEVANT to sales and marketing objectives, ensuring that efforts align with broader business objectives and strategies. Finally, set TIMELY goals with clear deadlines to create a sense of accountability, driving focused efforts from both teams. It’s essential to regularly review and adjust SMART goals as needed. Aligning marketing and sales can act as your dynamic duo for organizational RevOps.  

SELL SALES ON USING SALES ENABLEMENT TOOLS 

Now it's time for the most crucial step of all, which is the process of getting a sales team to embrace and use sales enablement tools. The main idea is to sell your sales team the value of these tools and how they will streamline operations if adequately leveraged. Start by clearly communicating the benefits and advantages of the sales enablement tools, emphasizing how they can streamline workflows, improve productivity, and drive better results. Much like the sales software training, providing breakout sessions that cover all aspects of the tools, including navigation, features, and best practices for utilization, will help show the value of these sales tools. Encourage open communication and feedback to address any pain points the sales team may be experiencing. Be responsive to those needs and suggestions, which helps foster total buy-in. Lastly, establish accountability by setting clear expectations for adoption and regularly monitor usage metrics to identify tools that can be used more. By demonstrating the value, providing thorough training, and fostering a supportive environment, you can sell your sales team on embracing sales enablement tools in their day-to-day activities. 

With proper training, alignment, and implementation, all sales teams will be ready to spread their sales wings. The most important aspect of onboarding sales teams is getting the team to completely buy into the sales software and sales tools. Once the team understands how these tools will enable optimal performance, they win, allowing your business to generate revenue and grow. 

Looking to improve your sales efforts? Our Funnel to Flywheel Workbook will help you continuously attract, engage, and delight your customers!