Sales roles often come with a long learning curve. New reps aren’t just learning products and processes but building hard skills like prospecting, objection handling and negotiating. Just as important, though, are the soft skills. Reps need to learn how to stay motivated and bounce back after rejection.

Insperity’s Michelle Kankousky says you should do everything you can to shorten the employee learning curve. The quicker you ramp up your new promo pros, the sooner they can start closing deals. How do you get them up to speed faster? We share Kankousky’s guidance in this issue of PromoPro Daily.

  1. Assign a buddy. This can help new employees feel part of the group and gain confidence faster. Kankousky says a buddy can be in person or remote and be a resource if you’re not available.

  2. Create an individualized training plan. Consider what your new hire already knows. Maybe they have a solid sales background but they’re new to the promo industry. Kankousky recommends working with the employee to develop an individualized training plan.

  3. Build in communication checkpoints. Determine upfront when you’ll check in and ensure the new staff member is getting the hang of things. This way you’ll know if they need more training or different training, she says.

  4. Follow up and follow through. When you set checkpoints for or receive questions from your new hire, Kankousky says you should always make time to follow up. This is how you build trust with your new team member.

  5. Provide meaningful feedback. This includes providing positive and negative feedback. In other words, let your team member know what they’re doing well and how they might improve.

  6. Encourage two-way communication. It’s not enough to provide feedback, Kankousky says. You must be open to receiving feedback. She recommends bringing your new hire to meetings they might not normally attend to expose them to the business in action. Then, ask what they learned and how it applies to their role.

Every sales role and every person in it is different. While there’s no universal timeline for mastering a new job, you can help your new promo pros by following the tips above. When you check in frequently, provide meaningful feedback and encourage open communication, you create the right environment to learn.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: Michelle Kankousky is an employee experience designer at Insperity. She has nearly two decades of HR experience, focusing on employee engagement, onboarding and more.