Sales Mentoring
Following the initial sales training program, sales organizations can significantly improve ramp-up time by providing new sales hires with ongoing sales coaching and mentoring.
Sales Coaching
A best practice for frontline sales managers is that they spend 25% - 40% of their time coaching their teams. Sales coaching should consist of both strategic coaching and tactical coaching. Strategic coaching focuses on helping a sales person make progress with specific prospects and customers.
By discussing account strategies with their sales managers, new sales hires will learn how to prepare for sales calls, create account plans, develop proposals, and prepare presentations. Tactical coaching focuses on helping the sales person improve his or her selling skills and is based on direct observation by the manager.
One common challenge sales managers face when coaching new sales people is what to do when they are failing during a call. Although sales managers are often tempted to take over the call and “rescue” the new sales person, it is essential that they focus on their role as a coach and allow the sales person to learn from his or her mistakes.
Mentoring
Another way to shorten the ramp-up period is to pair up new hires with experienced sales people as part of a structured mentoring program. In contrast to sales coaching, in a mentoring program the new sales person learns by observing an experienced sales person sell and interact with customers. A mentoring program helps take learning out of the classroom and into a real sales environment, shortens the learning curve, and provides an effective mechanism for sharing best sales practices.
In developing a mentoring program, it is important to consider the following:
· Confidentiality. Both parties in the program need to know that discussions between them will not be immediately relayed to a supervisor or manager
· Time Limits. The mentor must expect to give the new sales person adequate time to learn, but this is not a 24/7 time commitment. To keep things in perspective, a balance needs to be established. This can be accomplished by setting an agreed upon schedule at the beginning of the mentorship process.
· Right Mentor. Probably the key driver of success is selecting the right mentor. Does the experienced sales person have any attitude issues? Do they have excellent sales skills? Do they have the ability to teach these sales skills? Do they consistently engage in the right sales activities?
· Professional Relationship. The mentor relationship is professional, not personal. It must remain in the realm of being “just business”. In the mentorship program, the mentor’s role is to teach and advise the new employee.
The new hire is not bound to take the advice being offered by the mentor, and the mentor should not interfere with any decisions made by the new employee’s supervisor or manager.
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