How to Provide an Exceptional Onboarding Experience - the simple, unofficial guide from an agency owner
Some business don't need a dedicated sales team to be successful, but if you don't happen to be in the business of providing ice cold water on hot days, you may want to make sure that your new hire is up-to-speed as rapidly as possible. Here are some tips on how to provide an exceptional onboarding experience for your new sales professional.
Step #1: Have Things Ready on Day One
The first step in providing an exceptional onboarding experience is making sure that everything is ready for your new hire on their first day. This includes having their workspace set up, any paperwork or contracts ready to go, access to the software they'll need in their role, access to any training materials they may require, and introducing them to the team they will be working with. The goal here is not just to make sure you are setting them up for success from day one, but also to give your new employee the impression that they joined a well oiled machine. If you know from experience that it takes 3 days to get an email address created, order it ahead of time.
Step #2: Create A Repeatable, Documented Onboarding Process
Translation: Don't wing it! All it takes is Google Docs or MS Word to write down a step-by-step process to make sure your sales rep shows up ready to lean instead chasing down access to software. At SalesFirst Recruiting we just use a check-off list, and multiple people have access to it. 5 days before someone starts, we get to work on provisioning them in our systems.
Step #3: Focus on Relationships
We had a client that hired a really strong sales rep from us. He was going to be the sales rep for their Portland branch, and the manager that hired him was based out of the Midwest. The office was quiet- filled with people quietly coding away, creating digital art, immersed in their creations and deadlines. Nobody said hello. Nobody took him to lunch. They did a good job getting him in the systems, but they really never assimilated him into the team. He left by the end of the week.
Take your new employee out to lunch. Ask someone else to give the new person a tour. Or even put the new person on a scavenger hunt to go meet 3 new people in the office. Be creative. Focus on relationships.
Providing an exceptional onboarding experience doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming - just keep these simple steps in mind: Be ready on day one. Use a checklist. Focus on Relationships. These steps will help ensure that each new hire gets off on the right foot with your company!
Adam Morris is the Founder and CEO of SalesFirst Recruiting.
For more information about hiring sales professionals, visit www.salesfirstrecruiting.com.
