In recruiting we often bump into the following situation: a sales candidate was found through recommendation by business acquaintances and hired with high expectations. He’ll be the man! In the first week of work the new sales person is hailed with great enthusiasm. A car, smartphone, laptop and or tablet are provided and off he or she goes into the highly competitive and turbulent market. All the luck is wished to this enthusiastic person with a wonderful job.
Then during the course of the next 6 to 12 months something odd happens: sales don’t develop like they are supposed to do. The pipeline is half empty or less and questions about delivered proposals are answered with “we are close to closing”. The sales cycle starts to stretch and success is further away than ever. Then this sales person who started off with so many expectations ends up leaving the company silently through the backdoor. The organization has lost € 100.000,00 to € 300.000,00 or more in costs of the sales person and unrealised sales, as well as all the time, energy and effort spent in recruiting this person.
The reason of this mishap is often found in the way sales people are prepared for the job: none what so ever! Management initially understood that the new candidate was a champion in sales and the person is now treated like a “fire-and-forget sales missile”. No guidance or coaching is provided because the sales person is experienced enough. They will find their targets without help. Just like the above mentioned missile. This is a recipe for disaster.
In practice this means that management relies on the fact that successes of the past are a guarantee for the future. This is the biggest mistake that a manager can make. A costly mistake!
So how do you avoid this?
- Right on the first or second day of work, have a meeting with the new sales person and discuss the following:
- What you expect from the sales person regarding performance, behaviour and attitude
- What you appreciate of sales people in general and this person in particular (like taking initiative, finding creative solutions, etc)
- What you do not appreciate (e.g. negative behaviour, coming with problems instead of solutions)
- Share your goals. The sales person is part of your team and is also part of your success
- Discuss and set goals for the first 6 months which should be monitored monthly. Goals should be set from the first weeks
- Ask for a plan with a timeline and review this together
By executing this approach you achieve a rapid ramp-up with quick and sustainable results. Why? Your new sales person knows what is expected from them, they have a plan which is known to you and which gives you insight in their approach to the market. This in turn makes it easier for you to assist and coach. By operating this way you avoid costly mistakes and increase the success rate for your newly appointed sales person dramatically
Contact me if you want to know more.