Do You Need to Increase New Sales Rep Speed to Productivity?

Most sales leaders who need to hire top sales talent to meet growth targets, are anxious to increase new sales rep speed to productivity.  We define productivity as meeting or exceeding sales quota and client expectations as soon as possible. What is the best strategy to get new sales reps prepped and ready to sell? Do you go for speed or steady? Who is ultimately going to win the race?

5 Ways to Increase New Sales Rep Speed to Productivity

We think it takes a smart blend of focusing on the most important sales success factors quickly and then going for a steady approach that supports development of those critical few solution selling skills for your unique sales strategy and sales culture. Here are the 5 steps we recommend to increase new sales rep speed to productivity so that they are fully equipped to succeed.

1. Narrow the focus to the most important and make it simple.
   The firehose approach to feeding new hires information will only overwhelm them. Invest the time to determine what matters most over the first 90 days.  Only teach them the most essential skills and knowledge  required to be high sales performer in the first 90 days in your unique environment.  Leave the rest for later.   Don’t waste their time (or yours) on administrivia that can be handled online or before their first day on the job.  At a minimum, make sure that they understand their sales goals, have a concise and compelling way of describing your unique value proposition, and begin to build relationships with the key internal and external stakeholders they need to work with to succeed.
   
2. Define their target clients clearly.
   Give them as much guidance as possible on where you want them to concentrate their efforts. Define their ideal target clients so they know what characteristics to look for as they prioritize their prospect list. Work together to analyze what specific strengths and contacts they bring to the table…and then a practical plan to capitalize on them. Prioritize a list of potential customers and give them as many “warm” introductions into their sales territory as soon as possible.
   
3. Give them the sales tools they need.
   What have you found that works most effectively in marketing and selling your brand? An introductory email? Testimonials? Referrals? Maybe all three? Make sure your new sales reps have easy access to the sales and marketing tools that will be useful in those early customer calls. Arm them with relevant customer case studies, effective email intros, referrals from your own customer base, and templates that allow efficiency in proposal writing and solution descriptions. The more refined and targeted the sales tool kit, the speedier their route to and success with potential target buyers.
4. Provide a selling “partner” who can show them the ropes, model the way your organization sells most successfully, and coach them through early customer interactions.
   Don’t make them learn everything on their own. They will learn much more quickly on-the-job as they accompany sales team members on their calls. As soon as possible, give them a chance to spread their wings and participate in sales calls and customer meetings. For example, we like to have new sales reps call on low stakes Tier 3 client accounts within the first 30 days to practice our value proposition, get feedback, and refine their approach before calling on Tier 1 and Tier 2 target accounts.  Ensure you assign a sales coach, a sales mentor, and a sales buddy to help them navigate their first 90 days.
5. Keep solution selling training going throughout the full ramp period.
   Sales reps new employee orientation should be ongoing, not just for the first month or two. Think how long it took you to feel confident in your ability to select and serve your clients effectively. Bringing a new sales rep aboard is a long-term commitment for long-term value.  Stay available and encourage their efforts. Most sales leaders create a 6-12 month sales onboarding program to ensure that their new sales reps can effectively sell their solutions to their target customers.

To see where you stand, download this Sales Onboarding Health Check