Onboarding & Ramping New Hires: Train, Develop & Retain Top Talent

Sellfire Coaching Team

December 26, 2024

Onboarding & Ramping New Hires: Train, Develop & Retain Top Talent

One of the major components to scaling any company is hiring and training a sales team to help grow your customer base. Most companies struggle to do this consistently and many don’t invest in the people, process or the technology that is required to do it effectively. 

At Sellfire, we believe a strong onboarding program is key to getting new sales hires off to a fast start. When a sales team feels empowered and confident, they’re more likely to be productive, motivated, and ready to hit the ground running. A strategic onboarding plan not only ensures that new hires understand the ins and outs of their role but also introduces them to the company's culture, values, and expectations.

In this guide, we’ll break down how to structure and execute an effective onboarding program designed specifically for sales teams. Let’s dive in!

How to Structure an Effective Program

Before you begin building an onboarding program, it’s important to ensure you have people and processes in place to execute it. Investing in a dedicated sales trainer with a defined sales process that is proven to work, will ensure your newest hires are set up for early and long-term success at the company. Once you have someone to run the program and a process to train on, it’s time to outline a structure to onboard your newest sellers.

1. Company Overview and Culture

Start with a company overview to set the stage. Introduce new hires to the core principles that drive your company. Share the company's mission, vision, and values to help them understand the bigger picture of what they’re working toward. Sales reps who align with the company’s mission are more likely to be motivated and inspired in their roles.

Take a look at the company history and structure. Providing an overview of the company’s history, key milestones, and leadership structure gives new hires context about where the company has been and where it’s heading. Knowing who’s who in the leadership team also makes it easier for new hires to understand the organization and their place in it.

Beyond the basics, dive into the company culture. Explain what behaviors and attitudes are encouraged, especially within the sales team. When new hires understand cultural norms, they feel more confident interacting with colleagues and aligning with team goals.

2. Sales Team and Role-Specific Orientation

Introduce new hires to the sales team structure. Who are the key players, what are their roles, and how do they collaborate? This information not only clarifies team dynamics but also helps new hires understand who they can turn to for guidance.

Clearly layout goals and be transparent about what is expected. Explain what success looks like in their role, including performance metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs). This clarity around responsibilities and goals will help new hires focus on the right priorities during and after training.

It’s also a great idea to outline potential career paths and growth opportunities early on. Showing new hires that they have a future with the company, with opportunities for growth, can boost motivation and engagement from day one.

3. Product and Market Training

In a sales role, mastering product knowledge is a must. Sales reps need to know the product inside and out to answer customer questions with confidence. At Sellfire, we believe in providing in-depth training on your product by focusing on unique selling points and core benefits that differentiate your offerings in the market. 

Help new hires get up to speed with the market landscape, industry trends, and key customer pain points. Sales reps who understand the target market can position solutions more effectively and tailor their approach to each prospect’s needs.

During product and market training, equip your team with competitive knowledge so they’re ready to address objections and highlight differentiators. Knowing who the competition is and where your company stands can be a game-changer when it comes to winning over prospects.

4. Sales Process Training

After the team is up to speed on the company and product, it’s time to introduce them to your sales process. Teach new hires about the sales theories and defined sales processes used by your team. Having a proven standardized approach helps the team remain consistent in their interactions with prospects and performance.

During this section, outline and explain each stage in the sales cycle and what’s expected at every step. This way, new hires understand how to manage leads, follow up effectively, and guide prospects toward closing. At Sellfire, we emphasize how each stage of the sales process should directly correlate to each stage of the sales cycle. 

If possible, get new hires on the phones early in the training process to put their learnings into practice. Real-time experience will help them better prepare for the role and provide early opportunities for feedback and coaching. 

5. Tools & Technology Training

High-velocity sales requires a powerful CRM to stay organized. During onboarding, provide hands-on training for your CRM platform, so new hires can easily log activities, manage leads, and track opportunities. Familiarity with the CRM is critical to staying organized and managing customer relationships efficiently. 

Beyond the CRM, introduce any additional tools your team uses, to streamline outreach and help reps connect with prospects more effectively. Teach new hires how to use dashboards and reporting to monitor their KPIs and track their goals. Empowering them with data can help them stay on top of their progress and identify key areas for improvement.

6. Developing Core Sales Skills

Last, but certainly not least, provide training on core sales skills during onboarding, such as Communication Skills, Objection Handling and Closing Techniques. 

Review effective communication, tonality and how to deliver compelling presentations. These skills are foundational for any sales rep, helping them connect with prospects and convey the value of your solutions clearly.

Practice objection handling. Teach strategies for addressing common objections, from initial pushback to pricing concerns. Reps who are prepared to handle objections can keep conversations moving forward and turn resistance into interest.

Cover closing and negotiating strategies. Sales reps who can confidently negotiate are better equipped to close deals. Offer tips on closing tactics to help them establish trust, build value and create urgency to ultimately seal the deal.

Ramping Goals & Expectations

After you’ve built the structure for your onboarding program, it’s time to decide on what new hire goals look like during ramp. What is expected of a seasoned sales rep on the floor, will not be realistic for a brand new hire straight out of training. Attainable goals with consistent coaching is key. 

Start with short-term goal setting. Establish clear, achievable goals for the first 30, 60, and 90 days. These initial milestones give new hires something tangible to work toward and help you measure their early progress. This also helps build their confidence and instills belief in their ability to perform in the role for the long-term.

Be consistent with regular checkpoints and actionable feedback. Schedule check-ins to discuss progress and provide coaching. Regular feedback ensures that new hires are on the right track and helps them feel supported.

Celebrate the early wins! Recognize and celebrate early successes during ramp. Positive reinforcement is a powerful motivator, and celebrating small wins helps new hires feel valued and accomplished.

Ongoing Training & Development

Once onboarding is completed, it’s critical to provide the team with continuous learning opportunities. Ongoing training and development for sales teams is commonly overlooked by companies, but can have a major impact on taking your people from good to great and retaining top talent. 

Offering access to additional resources, whether it’s industry knowledge, online sales courses, or skill-building workshops; shows the team that you’re invested in their long-term success. Providing advanced training sessions after ramp can be a game-changer with improving performance and keeping the team motivated. 

Conclusion: Setting Your New Hires Up for Success

Building a successful onboarding program for your sales team is about more than just checking boxes. By thoughtfully designing each part of the onboarding process, you can set up your new hires for a smoother transition and faster success in their roles. A well-rounded onboarding program that includes structured training, defined processes, and consistent feedback can lead to a more motivated, engaged, and high-performing sales team.

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