What is Onboarding?

Onboarding refers to the process and time dedicated to training new staff members. When hiring, managers need to get new team members up to speed on expectations, product knowledge, effective sales tactics and ensure they have the knowledge and resources necessary to do their job.

Many companies will maintain training documents outlining every onboarding process step. It’s important to keep these updated and make changes as needed. Remember, the world of sales is always evolving, and your training materials should reflect that.

Why is Onboarding Important?

How is a sales rep expected to make sales without being properly trained? While new staff likely have some experience in the world of sales, they won’t be familiar with how your company and specific sales team function.

The onboarding process is necessary and should cover specific information and training materials related to your unique products, sales funnel, processes, and internal expectations regarding customer satisfaction. Onboarding a new sales rep can take upwards of six months, but the investment is well worth the work once they start closing deals and generating revenue.

Without an organized onboarding process, your new sales reps will flounder. It’s essential to give them the training, tools, and knowledge required to ensure they’re confident and comfortable in their role.

Understanding the Onboarding Process

A hiring manager should outline specific milestones a new sales rep is expected to hit throughout their onboarding process and communicate these expectations with them. Effective communication during onboarding is key.

Before a new sales rep even begins, ensure your IT team has everything ready for them: hardware, login credentials, and any other materials they need to get started.

The onboarding process typically has specific milestones for the first 30, 60, and 90 days.

• First 30 days: New staff are introduced to their teams, internal processes, individual and team expectations, and learn about product knowledge. Training should also be provided for any specific tools or software. Plus, sales role-play should enter the fray (AI tools can help with sales role-play scenarios).
• First 60 days: Pair up new sales reps with senior team members so they can shadow sales calls. Allow them to ask questions, observe, and start prospecting and making connections independently.
• First 90 days: By this point, a sales rep should feel comfortable working on their own. They have a prospect pool to pull from, are confident in making connections and setting up sales calls, and understand how to conduct a sale from start to finish.

However, training doesn’t end here. Every sales rep should participate in continuous learning to stay on top of industry trends. A good manager will create and execute ongoing training sessions throughout the year.

Tips for Using Videos to Onboard New Sales Reps

Most managers and sales enablement pros will know how to create a generic onboarding checklist and conduct 30, 60, and 90-day check-ins. But if you want to seriously improve your onboarding process, you need to use videos.

1. Create and keep a library of training videos. If you have multiple training videos, you can keep them all organized in a video library. They’ll be easy to find and utilize as needed. You can also include FAQ videos for common questions that come up during the onboarding process.
2. Screen share on virtual training calls. If you explain an internal tool to a sales rep, share your screen and record the session. They will have a lot of information thrown at them, so keeping records to refer to in the future is important.
3. Make introductions more fun. Have the rest of your team record a short introduction or welcome video to send to your new hire. This is a fun and informal way to have them “meet” their team.

You can incorporate videos into your onboarding process in countless ways–get creative and have fun!