Category: Onboarding & Training

Salesperson Turnover: Is Your Manager Hiring The Wrong People Or Did You Hire The Wrong Manager?

TurnoverUnwanted turnover on a sales team can be a fatal blow to achieving revenue goals.  Unfortunately, many sales managers still have the mindset that turnover or “churn” is to be expected, especially in rookie sales positions.  I couldn’t disagree more.  Not only shouldn’t it be expected, it shouldn’t be tolerated either.  If you are a sales manager with a high turnover ratio (or the manager of someone who does) you need to find out the reasons and quickly.  Not only does this churn cost you thousands of dollars in recruitment and training costs, and untold thousands of dollars in lost opportunities costs, but it also is damaging to morale and makes your company look bad in the eyes of your customers.

So, back to the original question, is the sales manager hiring the wrong people or is the sales manager the problem (or both)?  To find out the answers, here are the questions you need to ask…

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1.  IS THERE ANYTHING HAPPENING IN THE MARKET THAT COULD LEGITIMATELY BE THE CAUSE OF AN INCREASE IN TURNOVER?   Is your turnover significantly higher than your competitors?  Have there been any major changes in the market or your industry?

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Exit Interviews Sign2.  ARE YOU DOING EXIT INTERVIEWS?   YOU MUST!  An exit interview should be done by an HR representative for every salesperson who leaves, whether the person is fired or leaves voluntarily.  Or, you can use an online service to do this.  (Questionpro.com is one that is free and has exit interview templates you can customize.)  You need this information to help diagnose and get to the root of the problem.

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3.  ARE YOU DOING 360 SURVEYS WITH EXISTING SALESPEOPLE?   This is an important tool in revealing many potential problems before it’s too late.  Again this can be done online and anonymous with free tools such as freeonlinesurveys.com.   The following questions are ones that will help you determine whether you have a hiring problem or a management problem, and where the issue(s) may be:

  • Did you receive the initial training and onboarding needed to be successful in the position?360-degree-feedback
  • Do you feel you are getting the on-going managerial coaching and training you need?
  • Do you have the tools and resources to be successful in your sales role?
  • Are you recognized for excellent performance?
  • Is poor performance addressed and confronted quickly?
  • Do you feel you have a career path with the company?
  • Do you feel you are continuing to develop your professional skills and knowledge?
  • Was your compensation package presented to you accurately?  
  • Has the company and your manager lived up to what you expected when hired?
  • Are you proud of what you sell and do you feel the company has a solid reputation in the business community?
  • Do you believe your manager is invested in your success and can help you achieve your goals?
  • Does your sales manager meet with you on a regular basis and communicate information you need to know?

Woman on dollar sign

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4.  ARE YOU PAYING YOUR SALESPEOPLE APPROPRIATELY?  You need to analyze your comp plan and consider the following questions:

  • What is the likely amount a salesperson will make the first year under this plan?
  • Is this competitive with what the salesperson could make with an industry competitor?  What about a sales position with another industry?
  • Are you asking the salesperson to take all the risk?
  • Is the comp plan designed to launch the person successfully or is it full of potential roadblocks?
  • Is the comp plan straightforward and easy to understand?

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5.  ARE YOU SETTING AND MANAGING EXPECTATIONS IN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS?  Starting a new job is fraught with stress coming from all areas of a person’s life.  The last thing you want is for that new salesperson to feel he was misled (whether intentional or not) about the position.  The sales manager must make sure she is 100% transparent about the pros and cons of the job, what the salesperson should expect in the first 30 days, 6 months, one year, and very clear about what expectations the manager has of performance.  This should be continually reiterated in each interview and spelled out in writing in the offer letter.

Guy with checklist

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6.  ARE YOU FOLLOWING A SET HIRING PROCESS DESIGNED TO FIT TALENTS TO TASK?  This means having a set hiring process in place which is specifically designed to identify a person’s talents and skills; then determining if those are a fit for your sales position.  The following is the process I use and have found to be effective:

  • Define the sales position.  What exactly will the salesperson be asked to do?  What are the requirements of the job?  
  • Based on the above information, what talents, skills, and experience does the salesperson need to have on day 1?  What are the skills you are willing to train for?  This doesn’t mean describe your “IDEAL” candidate.  This means list the “deal breakers” those competencies the person MUST have to be considered and those that you would “like” but don’t have to have.
  • Based on those requirements, vet every application you receive against those and only proceed with candidates who meet those requirements.
  • Do preliminary phone interviews FIRST with those candidates whose applications/resumes you have vetted.  The phone interview should be 20-30 minutes and you should use a prepared list of behavioral based interview questions.  (see related article  “My 25 Favorite Salesperson Interview Questions”)  Every person you phone screen should be asked the same questions so that you can fairly assess the answers and stay in EEOC compliance.
  • Do face-to-face interviews with those candidates who have “passed” your screening interview.  These in-person interviews should also be comprised of a set list of behavioral based questions that are the same for each candidate.
  • The candidates should interview with a minimum of two people in the company.  Ideally interviews should include the sales manager, the sales manager’s manager, an existing sales person, and an H.R. or manager from a different department that interacts with sales.  The interviewer should take specific notes on the candidates’ answers.  Then all interviewers should give their evaluation of the candidate to the sales manager or fill out a candidate evaluation form.
  • Use a validated, PREDICTIVE, sales assessment for final candidates.  Sales assessments are key to increasing your successful hires.  Only 14% of sales people hired based on only interview information are successful hires.  A good sales assessment should boost that number to about 80%.
  • Evaluate ALL the information you have on a candidate before offering the position.  This includes interview information, reference checking information, sales assessment results, and of course your “gut instinct.”  This is referred to as the 30%-30%-30%-10% rule.

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7.  DO YOU HAVE AN ONBOARDING PROGRAM IN PLACE?  Even if you’ve done everything right in the hiring process up to this point, if you don’t have a well-designed onboarding program you are setting your new hire up for failure.  Research shows that salespeople get up to speed 51% faster when a company has an onboarding program.  Onboarding includes not just outlining first day or the first week, but the first 30 days and beyond (see related article “Steps For Keeping Your New Sales Hire From Circling The Drain” for onboarding tips).

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8.  DO YOU HAVE AN INDIVIDUALIZED COACHING PLAN FOR EACH SALESPERSON?  It is the sales manager’s responsibility to develop a salesperson’s talents and skills through coaching (see related article “Tips For Coaching Your Salesperson”).  To effectively coach you must first know what those specific talents and skills are (the sales assessment should tell you Sales Coach With Whistle Greenthat) and then have a plan in place for how you will best manage and develop them.  A coaching plan should include at a minimum the following information.

  • Goals we have agreed upon and date to be achieved
  • The salesperson’s expectations of me the sales manager
  • My expectations of the salesperson
  • Top 3 motivators
  • I should remember NOT to do
  • Likes recognition in the form of
  • What salesperson likes best about sales
  • What salesperson like least about sales
  • Long range career goals
  • Key strengths/weaknesses
  • Growth area salesperson would like to develop and how I will assist

All of this information should be discussed in the first days after the new hire begins the job and should be updated every 6 months.

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Related Articles:

How to Successfully Recruit and Hire New Employees When You Don’t Have an H.R. Department

Infographic: What Mis-hired Misfires Cost You

Cost Of Mishired Misfires

What Is A “Realistic Job Preview” And Why Should You Care?

I was recently discussing with a General Manager the unprecedented success the sales team was experiencing, having made 24 revenue budgets in a row. Spectacular results under normal circumstances, but even more so with a turbulent economy. While there isn’t just one reason for this success, it wasn’t lost on me that they had retained all of their talented salespeople over that same period. More than ever, it drove home the point that retention is a critical component in achieving sales goals.

While there are many strategies for retaining your talented people, it all begins with making sure you are hiring the right people in the first place. This is where a Realistic Job Preview (RJP) can play a big part in helping you and your candidate figure out if the job is a good fit. When you hire someone that not only has the right talents, but also the right fit for your company, you increase the likelihood of retaining that person and lowering your turnover costs. (Curious about what the turnover costs are for you, specifically, for just one position? Click here for a Turnover Cost Calculator.)

What is a RJP? A RJP is usually a brief video or PowerPoint presentation that gives a candidate a feel for what it’s like to work at your company, by presenting a balanced overview of the position. It communicates the responsibilities, challenges, expectations and rewards of the job.What Its Like To Work Here

Why do a RJP? Research has shown that having candidates experience a RJP increases retention by as much as 10%. Some experts estimate that RJPs screen out between 15% and 36% of applicants*. Wouldn’t you rather people decide the job isn’t right fit for them BEFORE they go through the job interview process with you?

How the RJP benefits you, the manager. Just as we continually reiterate to salespeople that they must “manage” clients’ expectations, an RJP helps you “manage” a potential new employee’s expectations.

  • Because the RJP gives candidates a specific, realistic picture of the job and the company, they know better what to expect, and if hired, they don’t experience “buyer’s remorse” after they start.
  • Another way in which RJPs can reduce turnover is that employees who are made aware of the challenges of the job in advance, are better able to cope with them when they arise, and less likely to leave.
  • RJPs also communicate an “air of honesty” to applicants. New employees tend to be more committed to their job because they feel the company represented itself honestly.

Different types of RJPs. A RJP can be done as a brochure, or orally presented in an initial interview, or even a detailed email. However, I think the most effective ones are those that are short videos or PowerPoint type presentations. You want the RJP to help a candidate “visualize” what your company’s environment, values, culture, and employees are like, in addition to giving the balanced overview of the specific position. An RJP is NOT a branding or marketing piece.

How to do a RJP. You can be as creative or straightforward as you want to be. The most important component is that it is BALANCED. It needs to convey both the ups and the downs.  Be realistic.  Consider some of these options:

  • A video where several of your salespeople talk about their job; what they like about it, its challenges and rewards, what it’s like working for you and your management style, and what they like about the company.
  • A “Day In The Life” video that shows the candidate an average day on the job with one of your salespeople.
  • A “Meet The Team” video that enables the candidates to see and hear from their potential co-workers. It can also include a tour of your offices and “introductions” to other key department heads.
  • A PowerPoint presentation that uses photographs or video clips along with an audio narration – highlighting key information about the job, your culture, and your company.

* Research studies can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realistic_job_preview

Related articles:

Why Do Job Candidates Do These Things And If They Do, Run! ,

The Dos And Don’ts Of Interviewing, Steve Jobs On Hiring And Managing Talented People,

Steps For Keeping Your New Sales Hire From Circling The Drain

 Here’s an interesting infographic on the costs of turnover…

Costs Of Turnover

Why Every Newly Hired Salesperson Needs A “Sales Pal”

A research study recently done in the UK found that 70% of employees see their “9-5 buddies” as the most important factor in Gilliganenjoying their job.  While the survey was not done only with salespeople, I have to think, given the social nature of most salespeople, that this would be a key factor among them as well.  Additionally the study found that only 55% thought money was the most important thing.  (Ok, that percentage might not be as high among salespeople!)  I think this survey’s findings* on the importance of having a connection with your co-workers, further underscores the need for every newly hired salesperson to have a sales “buddy” or what I like to call a “Sales Pal.”

One of the best ways to create a successful launch of a new hire is to pair him or her with an accomplished salesperson who is interested in helping others succeed by being a mentor. In other words…a Sales Pal.

BatmanNeed more convincing?  87% of the top 100 training programs used a mentoring/buddy system as part of their onboarding for new hires.**  (Tips For Creating A Salesperson Onboarding Program.)

Another study found that 60%  of managers who fail to onboard successfully, cite failure to establish effective co-worker relationships as a primary reason.***  Researchers also found that new employees are more likely to have learned and embraced company values and culture if they have a mentor or buddy.***

So, boil all this down and what does it mean?  Sales Pal = Retention

What is a Sales Pal?

Laverne and ShirleyA Sales Pal is someone who takes on the role of a “player/coach” with your new hire. The Sales Pal is there as a resource and peer adviser.  A Sales Pal should be a superior performer (not necessarily someone who has been there the longest) and have good interpersonal skills and a desire to coach and help others.

The Sales Pal is someone who knows what it takes to be successful in this particular sales role in your organization. He or she can be instrumental in guiding the new hire in the right direction.  The Sales Pale should not be responsible for providing sales training but rather training in how things get done in your company.  Every sales department is different.

Fred and BarneyThe Sales Pal should be someone that the new hire can easily relate to and can trust completely. One of the purposes of this role is to create an informal environment in which the employee can ask and receive information about the ins and outs of how things work in your department and in your company. These may be questions that the new hire would be hesitant to ask you, because you are the boss. Besides, what if it’s a question about how to best handle you?!

The other important purpose of a Sales Pal is that having someone in this role has been shown to significantly speed up the learning curve for the new hire. Additionally, it helps establish a comfort level for the new hire and a feeling that someone at work cares about his or her success and “has my back.” It creates a sense of belonging.  All new hires should have a Sales Pal whether they are a rookie seller or a veteran seller with years of experience.

Lucy EthelProvide the Sales Pal with any tools that might be needed to be effective. Go over with the Sales Pal what your expectations are for how this person will help the new hire and how you envision the person maximizing the relationship. Give pointers on coaching and effective communication skills. You should monitor how things are going periodically. Check in with both the new hire and the Sales Pal to get input from each on the process. If it is not working, or not a good fit, consider a change to someone different. You can always position it as you want to expose the new hire to different types of successful sellers.

You should be sure that the salesperson you select understands that there is no additional pay or compensation for being a Sales Pal. However, if you can provide small tokens of appreciation, that can be a nice, unexpected touch that demonstrates your gratitude.

It is usually not a good idea to have the same person be a Sales Pal for every new hire. You will want to rotate this among several accomplished salespeople.

How To Select The Right Sales Pal

  • Select someone who you are sure will be a positive role model and who WANTS to do it. Not everyone will want to invest the time and effort in doing something like this. Make clear that this is a commitment for more than just a week – it is open ended.
  • Ensure the Sales Pal has time to be accessible to the new hire and that it won’t affect the person’s own selling. Someone who is disorganized or has difficulty with time management is likely not a good selection.
  • Try to match the new hire with a Sales Pal that you think he or she will relate best to and learn the most from.
  • Select someone who is proud of your organization and has demonstrated strong interpersonal and leadership skills. It also should be someone who can teach and communicate procedures and policies well.
  • Select someone who is energized by taking on additional responsibilities and will look at being selected as a reward of recognition not a burden.

Sales Pal Responsibilities

  • Be an accessible resource and coach for the new hire on policies, procedures, work rules, company culture, clients, etc.
  • Don’t try to clone yourself. The new hire may have a different way of selling and that’s fine.
  • Don’t be judgmental or criticize. Be a sounding board or let the new hire vent when needed.
  • Provide insight and positive feedback to the new hire on things that you are observing and offer guidance.
  • Introduce and include the new hire in social interactions in the office to facilitate the person feeling that he or she is a valued part of the team.
  • Assist in training the new hire at the sales manager’s direction.
  • Be patient, invest in the relationship and don’t try to cover everything in a day or a week.
  • Identify additional resources for the new hire.
  • Be discreet. The new hire will only trust you if he or she knows that you will keep things confidential.
  • Be positive. A new hire already is nervous and may have doubts. If you are not a positive influence that will increase a person’s anxiety about this new position.
  • Be proactive. Ask the new hire specific questions about how things are progressing and how you could help.
  • Try to avoid giving your opinions about others in the office and no gossiping.

Take the time to map out a formal Sales Pal program for your sales department.  As Robin would say, “Holy cow Batman, that’s brilliant!”

* Jobsite.co.uk, ** As ranked by Training Magazine, *** “Onboarding New Employees: Maximizing Success” by Talya N. Baver, PhD.

 (Here’s an infographic on research Gallup, Inc. has done on the importance of having a “best friend” at work.  Will a “Sales Pal” become a best friend?  Who knows?  But it couldn’t hurt!)

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Related articles

Steps For Keeping Your New Sales Hire From “Circling The Drain”

46% of new hires fail within 18 months.  Only 19% will achieve unequivocal success.

When I read those scary statistics (courtesy of Profiles International, Inc.) I was shocked.  Sure, I’ve seen more than a few terrific new hires circle the drain quickly, but I never would have guessed those numbers!  So, I started reading up on the topic to find out why such a high percentage of new hires fail – and focused more specifically on salespeople.

What did I find?  Overwhelming evidence that how we handle a newly hired salesperson’s (or any professional new hire for that matter) first 30 days largely determines whether or not that new hire will be in that rare group of 19% who are successful.  If you want that talented new salesperson you’ve hired to be successful in your company, there are definitive steps you need to take to make that happen. Talent and/or experience alone are not enough for a salesperson to succeed.

Before The First Day Checklist:

  • Keep in touch with the new hire at least once a week until the person starts.  Just because you’ve offered the job and the person has accepted doesn’t mean that things can’t change between that point and the person’s first day.
  • Prepare a Schedule/Agenda that outlines exactly what the person will be doing each day during training, who he or she will be meeting with and when.  Email the person a copy of this before the first day and have a copy ready on his or her desk.
  • Offer the new hire a “family tour” of your offices.  Not only does this help the person by showing them where they park, what door to come in, etc., it also builds family buy-in and engenders good feelings.
  • Make sure you have sent out an email to all employees ahead of time announcing the hiring with information about the salesperson, so that employees can extend a warm welcome.  Include the new hire’s email address (with his or her permission) and ask employees to reach out before he or she starts with a welcome email note.
  • Have business cards printed and on the new salesperson’s desk.
  • Give the receptionist the new salesperson’s name and photo if you have it (LinkedIn is a good place to check) so that the new sales person can be recognized and greeted warmly. Post it in your lunchroom too.
  • Make sure the new salesperson’s desk/cubicle is clean – check drawers and files.  Have it stocked with pens, stapler, tape, legal pad, post it notes, scissors, paper clips, staples, file folders, and hanging files – no searching for supplies.
  • Make the desk/cubicle inviting by placing a “welcome” card signed by the sales staff.  Consider a welcome package such as a basket of his or her favorite snacks and company swag (logo tee shirts, coffee mug, etc.)
  • Have a printed list of employees’ names, department, and phone numbers.
  • Make sure the new salesperson’s phone, email, and computer are working and ready to be used on day one including any password access that is needed.
  • If any files are left from the previous person who sat there GO THROUGH THEM and remove anything that does not have to be in the file.  No need for new hires to start their first day wondering why their predecessor is not there!
  • Have all of the forms and HR paperwork that the new salesperson will need to fill out, ready and waiting.  If you are not going through it with the person and HR is, make sure you have scheduled an appointment ahead of time with that department for the new salesperson’s first day.

Being prepared in advance for your new hire sends the message to the person that he or she is important to you.  It says you are invested in making this person a success and sets the right tone for your relationship.

Doing the steps listed above will help ensure your new salespeople get a great launch into your organization on that all important first day.  But to get them into that 19% of successful hires, you have to make sure the next 29 days (or more!) are designed to give them the training, development, and support needed to keep them engaged; and that means having a well thought-out Onboarding Plan.  Click here for  Tips For Developing Your Onboarding Program.

Research has found that it takes a new salesperson in a company without an effective onboarding program 51% longer to generate the same revenue as a new salesperson in a company with an effective onboarding program.

Here’s a great infographic about the soft and hard costs you encounter when a new hire becomes a bad hire.How Much A Wrong Employee Can Cost

My 25 Favorite Salesperson Interview Questions

If you’ve done any interviewing I’m sure you have a few questions that you ask every candidate.  We all have our favorite questions for various reasons.  Because I have interviewed hundreds upon hundreds of salespeople over the years, I now have accumulated quite a few “favorites.”  I’ve found great questions in so many different places….Books, articles, internet, co-workers, and from salespeople themselves.

These are the questions that I have found most effective in helping uncover a candidate’s sales talents and characteristics. What you won’t see in this list are questions that are designed to catch a candidate off guard.  I’m not a big fan of that.  Actually, my experience usually is that the more relaxed candidates are with you, the more likely they are to reveal their true thoughts and show their real characteristics.  So, my interviews tend to be very conversational – not confrontational.  But you do have to be careful not to tip off the candidate as to the answer you are looking for, so watch your body language.  Or, if you are interviewing over the phone, don’t lead the candidate towards a particular answer with your responses and verbal cues.  (see my post “The Dos And Don’ts Of Interviewing).

Interview ScruitinyKeep in mind this is not a comprehensive list of all the questions you need to ask when interviewing a salesperson.  And, not all of these questions may be right for your particular sales position.  These questions are geared to an experienced seller, not a rookie, and not all of them are asked on the first interview.

After I interview a candidate I go back through my notes on their answers.  This helps me evaluate whether or not I want to move forward with a candidate (either to the next round of interviews or take a sales talent assessment).  The great thing about doing this with each candidate is that over time, you are able to see what types of answers correspond with candidates who do well on the sales assessment and are high performers in the job.  Using that information, you can edit your questions accordingly and make your interviews even more effective!  So, without further ado…

My 25 Favorite Salesperson Interview Questions:

  1. What do you say when the prospect says send me some information?
  2. In your work, what feels like a win to you?
  3. What do you like and dislike about your current sales job and why?
  4. What do you do personally for your professional development?
  5. Describe a situation with a client or prospect where you made a mistake. How did you handle the error?
  6. What are your top three open-ended questions for initial sales calls?
  7. What do you see as the key skills in closing?
  8. What are some of the challenges you see that are facing this industry?
  9. How do you find and target new accounts for prospecting?
  10. What kind of problems do you have to solve as a salesperson?
  11. Do you follow a sales system? Please describe.
  12. What kind of sales environment do you thrive in? Why?
  13. What do you want your next job to do for you that your last job didn’t?
  14. Tell me about a buyer or customer you call on. What motivates him/her?  What are his/her personality traits and needs?  How do you sell him/her?
  15. What percentage did your sales increase or decrease last quarter versus the same quarter last year and why?
  16. What are your favorite closing questions?
  17. What motivates you?
  18. What is the toughest goal you ever set for yourself?
  19. Tell me about something specific in your current job that you think you do significantly better than others in the same position. Why is that the case?
  20. Which phase of the sales process do you like most?  Which one the least?  Why?
  21. What concerns do you have about working under a commission pay plan?
  22. Why would we be sorry if we didn’t hire you?
  23. Describe the most challenging objection or rejection you’ve faced in a sale and how you responded.
  24. Tell me about a time when you took a creative approach to getting a sale.
  25. How important is it to you to lead others?

Check out this infographic on strange but true actual interview questions…

Tips For Developing An Onboarding Program

Welcome man and matEVERY NEW HIRE needs to go through an Onboarding Program – even veteran salespeople.  They may not need the basic training in how to sell (sometimes they do!), but the newly hired veteran salesperson still needs to be made to feel welcome, to feel he or she made the right decision to take this job, to establish a relationship with his manager and co-workers, to learn who does what, to be shown how things work, and to have the structure and comfort of knowing there is a plan in place designed to make the transition to this new job a success.

The Aberdeen Group research found that 86% of new hires decide to stay or leave a company within their first six months and new employees are 69% more likely to stay longer than three years if they experience well-structured onboarding.

Not sure how to put together an Onboarding Program?  Follow these steps to get you going and to maximize those new hires’ talents.  To get started you need to decide two things:

Onboarding Agenda Form1.  OBJECTIVES – Your Onboarding Program needs to be developed around the objectives you want the new salesperson to achieve in the first few months of employment.  What is it that you want the new hires to have learned and understood after they have gone through it?  Make a list of all of those objectives.

2.  IMPLEMENTATION – Then you need to outline what steps the person will take to accomplish those objectives.  Next, start assigning timelines for accomplishing each of those objectives.  You then must decide how each objective will be learned and who will oversee that process.

It should not be a “one size fits all.”  For each new hire the Onboarding Program needs to be individualized according to that person’s experience, skills, previous training, and talents.  But you can put together a format and then tweak it for each new hire.

Be sure to include time each morning and at the end of each day for one-on-one time with your new hire, EVERY DAY that first week.  The relationship you establish will likely decide if the person stays and is a success or leaves.  Schedule the time and keep to it.  This is the time you will use to touch base with how the person is doing and feeling about the onboarding process.  Feedback from the new hire to you and you to him or her, is critical.  You are the most important person when it comes to whether or not the new salesperson will succeed.

Gallup GraphOne of the main reasons employees either leave or are a success in an organization is a direct result of their relationship with their manager.  “In the end, turnover is mostly a manager issue,” Gallup wrote in its survey findings.

A great way to jump-start your relationship with the new hire is to do a “Salesperson Questionnaire.”  Salesperson Questionnaire page 1

Solicit feedback early and often.  Feedback is not a one-way street.  It should be flowing in both directions.  You should be proactively asking questions of new hires on how they feel they are doing, how the onboarding process is going, and if there are any issues to address, in order to encourage the new hire to give you feedback.  And you should be giving feedback as well.  Let the new hire know how you think things are going, what you are observing and hearing and any issues or concerns you have.  The most important part of feedback is remembering to ask for it!  In your meetings with the new hire, ask several specific questions (see sample questions below) each time and take notes.

  • Are we delivering on what we promised?
  • What do you like about the job so far?
  • What’s been going well? What are the highlights of your experiences so far?
  • What do you need to learn to improve? What help do you need to become successful in this job?
  • What are the things that you don’t like or feel could be improved?
  • What have you found to be the most rewarding?
  • Compare your job to what we explained it would be like – how is it accurate or different?
  • Whom have you found to be the most helpful when you have questions?
  • Am I being clear in setting expectations and goals for you?
  • Is there anything I am not doing that I could be doing better to help you?
  • Is there anything I am doing that you wish I wouldn’t do?
  • Am I giving you the feedback that you need?  How could I improve upon that?
  • Do you feel that you fit in and are an important part of the team?
  • Have you had any uncomfortable situations or conflicts with co-workers or clients?
  • Do you look forward to coming to work or do you have concerns that are bothering you?
  • Are there any things that you would change about your job if you could?  What are they and why?

Asking these types of specific questions within the first few weeks will also create a culture where your direct reports feel comfortable coming to you with ideas or concerns.  They will see you as a valuable resource in their growth and development as successful salespeople.

Here’s a great Onboarding Infographic from the folks at MindFlash.

Tips For Managing A Remote Salesperson

First let’s get our terms straight.  When I say “remote salesperson” I’m referring to a salesperson who works for your company but is either in a satellite office or working from a home office.  Sometimes they are called telecommuters, teleworkers, e-workers, or virtual workers (which I think makes them sound like they don’t really exist).  My favorite term that I came across was LIPs: Location-Independent Professionals!

Remote salespeople can easily feel isolated, like they’re alone on an island.  At first, working remotely can be exhilarating but after a while it can lead to a very disengaged salesperson.  Here are some of the common issues research on remote sales employees has discovered:

  • Remote salespeople don’t get the training, coaching, and development their in-office counterparts receive
  • The remote salesperson feels isolated from the sales team and doesn’t have a sense of belonging.
  • Lack of communication with the remote salesperson
  • Managers must work harder to understand what motivates a remote salesperson
  • Lack of accountability for ongoing sales activity
  • Not enough visibility with upper management, sales team, and support personnel
  • Managers may under-manage (out of sight, out of mind)
  • Managers may micro-manage (due to a lack of relationship and understanding of salesperson’s capabilities)

Having been a remote worker now for 14 years, I’ve experience all of the above in one fashion or another.  So this is a topic I’ve been interested in for a while and done some research on as well.  Here are some tips for managing a salesperson who is a “Location-Independent Professional”

Tip #1  

Hire the right person.  When hiring for a remote sales position, keep in mind there are certain general characteristics and behaviors that usually apply to successful remote workers:

  • Self-reliance and the ability to make decisions quickly
  • Making effective decisions based on experience and “gut”
  • Being detail oriented, and having excellent follow through
  • Being able to set a plan, work a plan, and have strong work intensity
  • Excellent listening skills
  • Open to coaching and learning new ways to do things
  • Demonstrated evidence of responsibility and dependability
  • Being self-motivated and used to working independently without daily direction
  • Assertiveness as a closer and a sense of urgency
  • Persistence and the ability to not give up even when there isn’t someone to offer motivation

Tip #2

Onboarding and training needs to be done at the office, not virtually.  There are several reasons for this:

  • Developing relationships with coworkers and managers
  • The opportunity to observe and absorb the “company culture”
  • Learning and understanding company procedures and guidelines

Tip #3

Be available.  Just as your on-site salespeople can pop into your office and ask you a quick question, the remote salesperson needs to be able to do this as well.  Make sure he or she knows you are available and what the best way to get in touch with you quickly is…text, email, phone.

Tip #4

Have a set meeting day and time.  While it is important to have a set weekly one-on-one meeting with all salespeople, it is critical for remote sellers.  This is their “face time” with you and without it, you run the risk of the person feeling like she is out on that island.  It’s easier to bump these meetings because the person isn’t right there in your office glaring at you.  Don’t do it.

Tip #5

Beware of the glaze.  You know when you are talking to someone and you realize you’ve lost that person’s attention because his or her eyes start to glaze over?  You don’t have that visual feedback when you are talking with a remote employee.  So, don’t ramble on about things and tell long, drawn, out stories.

Tip #6

Get to know your new employee as a person, not just a salesperson.  Part of what makes any employee feel engaged in a job is that sense of belonging.  This develops through personal interactions with your boss and co-workers.  Remote employees need this too but they don’t see you in the hall and tell you a joke, or drop into your office after a great call to high five you.  To develop the relationship you need to find time to talk about things that aren’t specific to the pressing work items you are talking about on the phone.  Maybe it’s sharing something funny that happened on a call, or something in the news, etc.  Take a couple of minutes to be personal.

Tip #7

Set crystal clear goals.  Sounds obvious but many times remote employees say this is a big problem.  You may know what you want the remote salesperson to achieve, but he or she may not be so clear.  Be clear and go over expectations often so you are confident that you are both on the same page.

Tip #8

Give and get feedback.  Regular feedback is vital to every employee’s success.  Remote salespeople often don’t get enough of this, both positive and critical.   Make sure you are giving feedback regularly on what is going right and what needs to be improved.  And then solicit feedback often.  Ask how you are doing, what could you be doing better, and what could be done to help the remote salesperson be more productive?

Tip #9

Give recognition in all forms.  We know that great salespeople typically thrive on getting recognition.  Some may want it privately and some publically.  Find out how your new hire likes to receive recognition and then DO IT.  OFTEN!  One big fear with many remote salespeople is that because they are not in the office every day their accomplishments will go unnoticed.  Nothing can lead to salespeople becoming demotivated faster than feeling like their work isn’t appreciated.  And what’s worse, with a remote salesperson you likely won’t know he or she is becoming disengaged until it is too late, because you don’t see the person every day.

Tip #10

Assign a buddy.  Just as with any new salesperson, your remote salesperson should be assigned a “sales buddy.”  Peer mentoring is a critical component to successfully onboarding a new employee.  With remote employees they can’t just lean over to the sales person who sits next to them and ask a question.  Having a buddy is someone they can ask a question to, learn the ropes, and talk to about issues with, other than their manager.

Tip #11

Nothing replaces face-to-face.  You must schedule “face time” periodically with your remote employee.  In-field coaching will not only help you understand the talents and weaknesses better of your salesperson, it will help build the relationship.  You should do this at a minimum, once a month for the first 6 months and then agree on a schedule together.

Tip #12

Accountability.  Utilizing some sort of CRM program will help you monitor the remote salesperson and be able to hold the person accountable for agreed upon goals.  Most remote employees say that the lack of accountability is actually one of the drawbacks to the job because without it they feel that their work is going unnoticed.

And finally.  Don’t forget…

Include the remote salesperson to weekly sales meetings and all training sessions.  He or she can attend in person (preferably) or by web conference (Skype, etc.)

  • copy the person on all sales emails that you send out
  • invite the remote salesperson to any events or team get-togethers that are happening
  • this famous Peter Drucker quote:

“So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work.”

“OnBoarding” Buzz Word Or Necessity?

You hear a lot these days about OnBoarding Programs for new employees.  If you are wondering if developing a months-long comprehensive plan of action for your new hire is worth your valuable time and the considerable effort…look at these interesting facts…