We call it onramping because that is truly what occurs with new sales hires. This area is often overlooked or under-served by sales managers. They often hire new salespeople, offer some product/service training and then turn them loose in the field.
It is the sink or swim approach that leads to turnover.
SellingPower.com reports on this fact in On-Boarding: The Most Overlooked Part of Hiring. Here is why this topic is so important:
Unfortunately, great sales on-boarding programs are still the exception, rather than the norm, says Stakenas. He says that most companies are missing an opportunity in the first three to six months of a new hire’s time to set the tone, discipline, and expectations. “To have them understand your desire for them to be successful, you must plan on using process, methodology, coaching, and technology to help them,” says Stakenas.
I don’t know if there is anything more important than setting the tone during that initial honeymoon phase. Much of management resides in the smaller, less obvious pieces. How you treat a new hire, the attention to detail in training, even the sales manager’s understanding of the process…these are all discernable during the onramping period.
The worst option is to ignore these responsibilities. The benefit of this activity:
Stakenas also says that there are intangible benefits to ramping up a salesperson faster. “A guided salesperson that experiences success sooner is typically more loyal and more likely to stay longer than the average two years, reducing your need to hire year after year and bolstering your chances for long-term success,” he says.