If you’re responsible for the training your new IT sales hires receive; you will be likely to have high hopes for them and want to give them the best training possible so they can reach their potential. However effectively training new IT sales hires can be a challenge, working in IT sales can be fast-paced, and training IT sales hires to deal with the pressures of the job, alongside the pressure of your own job is no easy feat.
The chances are you follow a training structure which is designed to cover every aspect of the job. However, there are a few applications you can make to the fabric of your training to take it from a bland step-by-step blanket approach to an engaging and motivational programme that will impress and inspire your IT sales hires, motivating them to be the best they can be.
This article identifies the three key things to do- or bear in mind- when training new IT sales hires, so you can get the most of your sales team and see your business have an increase in returns. If you want to find out more about what attributes make a great IT salesperson so you can hire the right person, click here.
Training isn’t as straight forward as you think
IT sales hires are integral to the success of many IT businesses. You rely on them to sell your product or service, so your returns are directly linked to their level of success.
However, the Pareto Principle determines that 80% of sales are made by 20% of salespeople. This points to the theory that a fifth of salespeople are much more successful than the rest. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the consistently high-performing few are putting in any extra work, it could mean that they’re more naturally suited to their job, or that quality training alongside a natural flair for sales produces top IT sales hires. But, how do you train your current IT sales hires to perform as well as that top 20%?
The answer is not as straight forward as you would hope for. Stats show that 87% of training is forgotten within the first few weeks, and perhaps; as a result, sales managers spend only 5% of their time providing training. But how do we interpret this?
Integrate training into the job
It’s clear that low levels of knowledge retention needs to be tackled if you’re going to develop top talent after recruiting salespeople. If sales managers allocate more time to ongoing training and development, rather than relying too heavily on the induction period, that level of retention could increase.
One of the benefits of ongoing development is that you don’t need to take a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Once your IT sales hires have completed their induction training and are settled, you can find out what their style of learning is and communicate with them to figure out where their knowledge could be strengthened further.
By creating personalised training plans for new IT sales hires, you’ll make them feel more valued, improving levels of engagement, productivity and attendance, and they’ll be more invested in how they can contribute to the success of your IT company. 93% of employees would stay longer at a business that invests in their careers. Ongoing training and development is an essential aspect of that investment and so should be a priority for any business training new IT sales hires.
Induction training
Of course, the initial training period is still a crucial part of the IT sale hires transition into their new role. Neglecting this step will leave sales recruits undertrained and feeling undervalued, leaving them more likely to look for a new job and perform poorly while in their current one. 69% of employees are more likely to spend three years at a company if they had a positive induction process, so your approach to training your IT sales hires is directly linked to employee retention.
Resultantly, a poor approach to training can be incredibly costly. If your turnover is too high because of inadequate training during onboarding, you’re losing money on two levels. One is the high cost of high turnover and the second is the cost of paying employees to do a job they haven’t been sufficiently trained for.
So, you want to ensure your IT sales hires receive the most efficacious induction training is as possible? Don’t be afraid of communicating too much during this period. Your recruits won’t be aware if they’re missing a piece of information that most people consider to be obvious, so it’s better to go over as much as you possibly, with explanations as to why to help solidify knowledge from the quick-fire information you’re giving.
Conclusion
Implementing the right structure of training for your IT sales hires is always going to be challenging because each employee has their own learning preferences and has a lot of autonomy over how much they learn. This means you have to essentially meet your employee halfway in terms of commitment and effort. The best you can do is to be adaptable, so each recruit gets the most out of training the keeps their preferences and individuality in mind. It’s also worth bearing in mind that behind every successful training period is a successful practice of recruiting salespeople who are suited to the job, the culture, and who ultimately have a positive attitude towards learning.
At GK recruitment, we have over 20 years of IT recruitment experience. If you need help recruiting a successful IT salesperson, we can help you find your perfect match. Contact us on 01257 429 499 or email us at info@gkrecruitment.com.
