New salespeople should work with installers, technicians, other salespeople, and their boss, getting various perspectives. This type of specific onboarding program will accelerate their performance and help to quickly reveal weaknesses that can lead to long-term failure.
2. Measure everything from day one:
The argument to keep poor-performing salespeople is that the sales process can be very long, since most salespeople don’t consistently reach their monthly sales targets for at least a year. While this is valid, numerous other things can be measured.
Of course, there are KPIs like the number of quotes delivered, but there are also assignments like visiting current customers, attending networking events, following up on leads, etc.
Here’s a simple KPI: Measure how frequently a new salesperson is on time to meetings during the first month. This will give you a glimpse of the type of performance you will receive in the future.
3. Have them follow up with friendly accounts during the first three months:
Since they are friendly accounts where you already have an established relationship, it will be easier to learn how they managed communication, how responsive they were, and how hungry they are.
4. Beware of a beautiful CRM:
If a salesperson hasn’t gotten in front of many potential customers during their first six months but their CRM is perfect, look deeper – it is likely they have a reluctance to sell. They will find every excuse to avoid being face-to-face with potential customers.
Beyond the CRM, watch for new salespeople who are doing excessive training classes, spend a lot of time with technology partners, or are using AI tools like a pro. That probably means you have found a very sharp professional who may not be a great salesperson.
