sales onboardingtwice as good in half the time

:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results ::

sales onboarding best practices

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 2

• selection

• data

• definitions

• in the beginning…

• what to avoid

• milestones

• content

• curriculum

• execution.

agenda

“advice about how to figure out

what’s right for you, is better than

advice about what to do.”

~ mike kunkle

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 3

hey, that’s me!

selection

develop sales analytics

align compensation

fine-tune sales support

hire the right reps

train the sales management levers

what & how to train

how to coach

how to diagnose gaps

how to manage performance

train the sales position levers

note: these performance levers are just examples and may not be right for your organization.

remove policy & sop barriers

competenciesbehaviors

traitssales planning

territory management

consultativeselling

account selection

technology & tool use

pipelinemanagement

account development

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 5

hiring right is the first step of effective onboarding

track success metrics

align compensation

fine-tune sales support

hire the right reps

train the sales management levers

what & how to train

how to coach

how to diagnose gaps

how to manage performance

train the sales position levers

note: these hiring methods are just examples and may not be right for your organization

remove policy & sop barriers

competenciesbehaviors

traitssales planning

territory management

consultativeselling

account selection

technology & tool use

pipelinemanagement

account development

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 6

• competency mapping

• top-producer analysis

• psychometric assessments

• behavioral interviewing

• top-grading

• simulations.

hiring right is the first step of effective onboarding

see appendix

data

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 8

compiled internet search from sources that referred to CSO Insights’ annual surveys.

there’s other data in the links and reports in the appendix

new sales rep ramp-up times

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 9

64% of reps: 7 months to >1 year to ramp-up!

~ 44%

~ 20%

results, post implementation

• decreased ramp-up time by: 23%, 34%, 47%, 52% (3-18 months)

• at 120 days, new reps outperformed a control group of 5-year reps by 21% (6 months)

• increased sales/rep in the 90 days after training by 2.3/month –avg. increase of $183k/class or $36.6mm/year (9 months)

• improved average profitability/new reps by 11% (4 months)

• improved new rep win-rate by 16% (6 months)

• $398mm yoy revenue increase, $9.96mm net profit increase, and a 400% roi (12 months).

results achieved with this onboarding method

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 10

definitions

some definitions

• orientation- introductory activities, meetings and training that introduce the employee to the

company, policies, culture, local facility, and key personnel with whom they will be working

• onboarding- job-related training to enable the employee for sales success

- should occur in phases, based on performance milestones

• start dates: acceptance, employee, orientation, and onboarding- the date the employee acceptance is cleared, the employee starts, the orientation

starts, and the onboarding training starts

- the employee start date and orientation start should be the same, whenever possible.

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 12

“the beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms”~ Socrates

some definitions

• pre-start logistics- things that can be done in advance of the employee start date, to ensure the

employee moves as quickly as possible through the phases

• offer-to-start date windows- the time frames from offer acceptance until the employee starts, until orientation

starts, and onboarding starts

- depending on company policies, these windows provide a critical timeframe in which to complete as many pre-start logistic activities as possible

• performance-ready date- the date at which the employee completes onboarding and is fully ready to perform.

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 13

“the beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms”~ Socrates

some definitions

our focus today will primarily be…

sales onboarding

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 14

job-related training to enable the employee for sales success

“the beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms”~ Socrates

while these are important, our focus today is not:• planning, managing, or accelerating pre-start logistics• orientation activities• metrics, measures, reporting for non-onboarding elements• will offer brief thoughts in the next section• see appendix for some resources for these topics.

in the beginning…

in the beginning…

• applies to hr, it, telecom, facilities, logins, other logistics

• remove obstacles and distractions for new employees

• do as much as possible in the pre-start logistic phases- coordinate | simplify | use lean principles

- be transparent with tracking | hold people accountable

- have everything ready or completed when employees start

- provide job aids, good single-source documentation (don’t make them search everywhere), and “buddies” who can help speed through any remaining logistics issues

- consider one of many technology / sales enablement options that enable onboarding (see appendix).

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 16

what to avoid

• biggest challenges− no plan

− logistics derail learning

− too much content…

…delivered too soon…

… and too quickly

− combining logistics, orientation & onboarding

− uncoordinated effort

− no checkpoints, gating, or assessments

what to avoid

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 18

− no sustainment, transfer or coaching to mastery (stc2m)

− and…

• biggest challenges

what to avoid

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 19

“go get ‘em, tiger!”

• resolving these challenges is necessary, but not enough

shifting gears (stop + start)

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 20

no plantoo much content…

logistics derail

go get ‘em, tiger!

no stc2mno checkpoints or assessments

…too soon

…too quickly…mashing elements

uncoordinated efforts

stop

• so avoid the challenges, but also include…

shifting gears (stop + start)

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 21

no plantoo much content…

logistics derail

go get ‘em, tiger!

no stc2m

…too soon

…too quickly…mashing elements

uncoordinated efforts

performance milestonescontent that matters

need to know, by milestonechunk, sequence, layer

effective learning systems.

no checkpoints or assessments

start

stop

performancemilestones

1 2 3

3 successive quota months

milestone 3first month

at quota

milestone 2metrics that matter

pe

rfo

rman

ce

• determine 2-3 major milestones• benchmark them• build everything around them• measure, report, analyze, adjust• focus on “need to know” for

each milestonedisclaimer: this is just an example. these are my preferred outcome measures in companies where quotas occur monthly. this nuance may vary by industry, company, product and/or service, sales cycle and quota structure. you need to determine the most reasonable and effective milestones for your company.

first sale

milestone 1

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 23

time

??????

metrics that matter

pe

rfo

rman

ce

What if your sales cycle is:• 9 months?• 12 months?• 18 months?

???

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 24

time

milestone 2 milestone 3

milestone 1

metrics that matter (sales performance)

pe

rfo

rman

ce

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 25

time

lag indicators - short sales cycle -

lead Indicators - long sales cycles -

wins / losses calls / contacts / campaigns

revenue / quota appointments set *

velocity opportunities entered

negotiated pricing / profitability presentations / proposals

sales process metrics (post-decision conversion analysis)

sales process metrics (pre-decision conversion rates)

and more… and more…

how can you apply milestones/metrics to learning?

pe

rfo

rman

ce

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 26

time

lag indicators lead indicators courses completed (on-time, late) courses started (on-time, late)

assessment scores (pass/fail) assessments taken (on-time, late)

assignment grades pre-work completion

role play scoring assignment completion

final certification vilt attendance for ilt prep

and more… and more…

content

determine which apply for your sales reps• industry: domain expertise | insights

• market: challenges | opportunities | risks | implications

• customers: buyer personas | buyer’s journey

• territory: accounts | contacts | current state | goals

• solutions: products | services | capabilities | differentiators | value proposition

• sales process: stages, tasks, how they align to the buying process

• sales methodology: training and top-producer practices for lead gen, opportunity management, account management, and more

• tools: crm | sales enablement tools | analytics | organization | collaboration| collateral | performance support | other systems

• other? what else does your sales force need?

content buckets

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 28

top producer analysis

• conduct task analyses for content buckets

- what, why, how (when, where)

- difficulty, importance, frequency

• define sales process | sales methodology

• identify performance levers (80/20)

• compare top & middle – differentiators

• build continue | start | stop lists

• build content around replicable skills.

content buckets

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 29

Top 4%

Bottom 20%

Top 4%

Rest of Top 20% (16%)

Middle 60%

Above Average

Below Average

Average

Bottom 20%

curriculum

chunk | sequence | layer• well-known instructional design strategy – should be maximized for

onboarding- chunk like topics together

- teach in smaller chunks with reinforcement and assessments to increase retention

- order chunks in a logical sequence that will make sense for the learner and be easier to absorb

- layer additional related chunks or new chunks on top of already-well-learned information and skills

• involve a good instructional designer with firm “need to know”filters, as discussed on the following slides

• see http://bit.ly/BasicISD for more (although basic) instructional design information.

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 31

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 32

chunk | sequence | layer

content everything the rep needs to know

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 33

chunk | sequence | layer

what happens when we cram

milestone 1

content everything the rep needs to know

oops! takes too long!

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 34

chunk | sequence | layer

still not good enough

what happens when we cram

milestone 1

content everything the rep needs to know

now chunked & sequenced

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 35

chunk | sequence | layer

content everything the rep needs to know

let’s reset and try again

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 36

chunk | sequence | layer

see the difference?

need to knowjust what’s needed

to get to the first milestone!

milestone 1

content everything the rep needs to know

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 37

chunk | sequence | layer

now even better!

chunked & sequenced!

need to knowmilestone 1

just what’s neededto get to the

first milestone!

content everything the rep needs to know

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 38

chunk | sequence | layer

need to know

chunked & sequenced

content everything the rep needs to know

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 39

chunk | sequence | layer

need to know

chunked & sequenced

need to knowchunked,

sequenced & layered

repeat, layering just what’s needed

to get to the second milestone!

content everything the rep needs to know

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 40

chunk | sequence | layer

need to know

chunked & sequenced

need to knowchunked,

sequenced & layered

need to knowchunked,

sequenced & layered

one more time for the

third milestone!

content everything the rep needs to know

everything here has now been taught, at the right time

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 41

chunk | sequence | layer

content milestone 1 milestone 2 milestone 3

process • first 2 stages only + • remaining 4 stages + • account management

tasks• account selection• sales research +

• diagnostics/solutions• cpq/proposal dev + • territory management

method• prospecting • leading sales meetings +

• presentations• negotiation +

• uptiering• referrals

crm• log leads• link research• log contacts | actions

+• opportunity mgt.• exit criteria logging +

• account analytics• industry trends• alerts

solutions• free assessment tool• general services info + • xyz services/solutions +

• xyz add-ons• full solution set for abc

collateral• vertical research data• case studies +

• xyz documentation set• xyz outcomes study + • abc documentation set.

note: this is a partial, oversimplified example for demonstration purposes and may not apply to your business

example

• map out the entire customer lifecycle- sales process = stages a sales progresses through to a decision

- sales methodology = what a rep does in each stage

- map lead-gen through account management

- only teach the process & methods needed to achieve each milestone

• teach business process and workflow- word processing analogy: don’t teach menus; teach how to build a document

- simulate the real-world activities in the training, following the sales process stages

- teach the best practice methodology in each stage

- use as much roleplay and simulation as possible with feedback, coaching, and learning/practice loops.

chunk/sequence/layer by sales process & methodology

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 42

chunk | sequence | layer

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/align-sales-performance-ecosystem-your-customer-lifecycle-mike-kunklehttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140914192639-834966-how-to-build-a-blended-sales-training-curriculum

• separate teaching knowledge (prerequisite) and skill (using the knowledge)- use progressive blended learning (elearning, vilt and ilt) and flipped classroom

- again, incorporate feedback/coaching with learning loops/repeated practice

- use simulations: teach them the job by doing the job

• assess frequently – create checkpoints or stage gates

• supplement with structured ojt – must be well-planned, well-executed, and consistent

• use social learning concepts and communities to engage mentors and support the learners.

final thoughts on curriculum and learning effectiveness

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 43

chunk | sequence | layer

this is the same as everything else – stop over-training product

• what do reps need to know and do, to get to each level?

• chunk, sequence and layer that and teach appropriately

• with highly-complex products, plan how you will support reps (sales engineers, a buddy system, mentors, managers, a deal desk, performance support, great collateral, etc.)

• get off “fact training” quickly and onto product “scenario training”

a word about product training

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 44

chunk | sequence | layer

execution

effective learning systems

the framework

content

design

managers

transfer

coaching

measures

perf. mgt.

integration alignment

change

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 46

effective learning systems

the framework

• most common training focus

content

design

managers

transfer

coaching

measures

perf. mgt.

integration alignment

change

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 47

effective learning systems

the framework

• the difference

content

design

managers

transfer

coaching

measures

perf. mgt.

integration alignment

change

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 48

effective learning systems

the framework (combined)

• powerful

• rare

• competitive differentiation content

design

managers

transfer

coaching

measures

perf. mgt.

integration alignment

change

“our people are

our greatest

asset!”

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 49

effective learning systems

• ensure content matters

• design great learning

• engage managers

• sustain/transfer

• coach to mastery

• measure for success

• manage performance

• lead & manage change.

content

design

managers

transfer

coaching

measures

perf. mgt.

integration alignment

change

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 50

one hour atd webcast recording: http://webcasts.td.org/webinar/1312

sales onboardingtwice as good in half the time

appendix

:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results ::

about mike

mike is a training and organization effectiveness leader with special expertise in sales force transformation.

• after his initial years on the frontline in sales and sales management, he spent the next 21 years as a corporate manager or consultant, leading departments and projects with one purpose – improve sales results.

• today, in his role as commercial training & development leader for a Fortune 10 corporation, mike uses his in expertise in best-in-class learning strategies, methods, processes, and change leadership to develop the capabilities of sales representatives and sales managers to drive business results.

• mike freely shares his own sales transformation methodology, speaking at conferences and writing online (see http://bit.ly/PerfLevers082011and http://bit.ly/EffectiveSalesLearningSystems as examples) and can be reached at <mike at mikekunkle dotcom>, through his blog at http://www.mikekunkle.com, or on various social media sites.- linkedin- twitter- google+- slideshare

let’s get connected!

http://www.mikekunkle.com/about-me

the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 52

appendix

some hiring | selection methods (multiple approaches)• http://davestein.biz/2012/03/07/psychometric-testing-in-the-sales-hiring-process/

• http://www.mikekunkle.com/2011/04/18/should-you-use-psychometric-assessments-to-hire/

• http://uniformguidelines.com/testassess.pdf

• http://www.shrm.org/about/foundation/research/Documents/assessment_methods.pdf

• http://pages.uoregon.edu/sanjay/bigfive.html

• http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/

• http://www.ddiworld.com/DDIWorld/media/white-papers/targetedselection_mg_ddi.pdf?ext=.pdf

• http://www.ddiworld.com/product-guide/selection-and-assessment/job-simulations/assessing-talent-sales-

professional

• http://www.slideshare.net/salesbenchmarkindex/talent-management-the-topgrading-interview-process

• https://topgrading.com/products/topgrading-for-sales/

• http://chally.com/by-functional-area/sales-force-expertise/

• http://www.sibson.com/publications/perspectives/Volume_21_Issue_2/sales-competencies.html

• https://www.luminalearning.com/luminaproducts/sales/en-us

• http://www.profilesinternational.com/employee-assessment-products-overview/profiles-sales-assessment/

• https://www.brooksgroup.com/sales-hiring-assessments/hiring-assessments-depth/

• http://ceb.shl.com/us/solutions/talent-acquisition/volume-recruiting/

• http://www.selfmgmt.com/en/products/selection/sales_recruiting_and_selection/salespro.aspx

• http://www.salesmomentum.com/products-view/sales-simulation/

• http://processspecialist.com/talent-assessment.htm

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 53

appendix

new employee orientation• http://www.shrm.org/about/foundation/products/documents/onboarding%20epg-%20final.pdf• http://humanresources.about.com/od/retention/a/keepnewemployee.htm• https://www.td.org/Education/Programs/New-Employee-Onboarding• https://www.td.org/Publications/Books/New-Employee-Orientation-Training• https://www.td.org/Publications/Magazines/TD/TD-Archive/2012/09/New-Hire-Onboarding-Common-

Mistakes-to-Avoid• http://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1081&context=ojwed• http://v1.aberdeen.com/launch/report/benchmark/8383-RA-strategic-onboarding-talent.asp• http://v1.aberdeen.com/launch/report/research_report/9865-RR-twentyfirst-century-onboarding.asp• http://www.skilldirector.com/sdle.html (for competency assessments with custom learning plans)

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 54

appendix

measurement – lead and lag indicators• http://kpilibrary.com/topics/lagging-and-leading-indicators• http://www.slideshare.net/ianjseath/understanding-lead-and-lag-indicators• http://blogs.salesforce.com/company/2012/11/the-power-of-key-performance-indicators.html• http://www.insightsquared.com/2013/06/leading-vs-lagging-sales-performance-analytics/• https://www.richardson.com/PageFiles/3300/verifiable_outcomes_download.html

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 55

appendix

some companies that support onboarding• http://www.savogroup.com/solutions/smarter-execution/#fastonboard• https://www.therevenueaccelerator.com/home• http://www.salesbenchmarkindex.com/onboarding-new-sales-reps• http://www.mindtickle.com/ (click “for sales teams”)• http://learncore.com/sales-lms/• http://www.commercialtribe.com/onboarding• http://www.qvidian.com/solutions/sales-ramp-up• http://www.brainshark.com/solutions/sales-accelerator• http://calliduscloud.com/products/employee-onboarding/• http://mobilepaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/mobilepaks-brief-better-sales-onboarding-with-

guided-selling-final.pdf• http://bloomfire.com/bloomfire-uses#solution-tab-3• http://www.peoplefluent.com/onboarding• http://www.silkroad.com/hr-solutions/talent-acquisition/silkroad-onboarding/• http://www.successfactors.com/en_us/solutions/talent/onboarding.html• http://fatstax.com/sales-training/

appendix

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 56

effective learning systems support and learning enablement• http://bit.ly/MKLI-StopSalesTraining• http://bit.ly/SalesLearningSystems• http://bit.ly/RedesigningSalesTraining• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/align-sales-performance-ecosystem-your-customer-lifecycle-mike-

kunkle• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140914192639-834966-how-to-build-a-blended-sales-training-

curriculum• http://qstream.com/• http://www.axonify.com/• http://www.count5.com/Q_MINDshare_Knowledge_Retention_Module.aspx• http://www.mindsetter.com/en/home.html• http://www.mindmarker.com/• http://go.gosalestrain.com/• http://www.roleplaypro.com• http://www.videoroleplay.com/• http://www.commercialtribe.com/• http://learncore.com/• http://www.mxskillmaster.com/• http://www.etu.ie/• https://www.trainingcloud.com/how-it-works

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 57

appendix

general sales onboarding• http://appnetic.com/6-must-read-articles-sales-rep-onboarding-pitfalls-solutions/• http://www.tableau.com/learn/webinars/new-hire-sales-onboarding-and-enablement-best-practices• http://www.peaksalesrecruiting.com/six-onboarding-tools-to-train-new-sales-hires/• https://www.savogroup.com/resources/checklists/8-tips-for-onboarding-new-sales-hires/• https://www.therevenueaccelerator.com/whitepaperdet?aid=40• http://salesmanagement.org/webcasts/single-article/research-update-on-sales-onboarding-practices• http://salesmanagement.org/search-results/webcast?search=onboarding• http://info.qvidian.com/AcceleratingRepRamp-Up.html• http://www.salesbenchmarkindex.com/4-step-fast-ramp-guide-sbi• http://www.mindtickle.com/?s=onboard• http://success.learncore.com/onboarding-best-practices• http://www.slideshare.net/SAVO_Group/07-sirius-decisions-sales-enablement-market-and-trends-

survey-revealedsiriusdecisions (see slides 20-23)• http://www.slideshare.net/GPStrategies/challengesandopportunitiesinsalesnewhireonboardingtraining• http://blog.saleshood.com/blog/2013/02/sales-new-hire-onboarding-learning-pillars.html

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 58

appendix

some sales enablement tool reading• http://smartsellingtools.com/sales-solutions/• http://smartsellingtools.com/buyer-resources/• http://www.fillthefunnel.com/• http://cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/253739/file-736894728-pdf/Sales_Enablement_Guide.pdf• http://www.docurated.com/all-things-productivity/top-54-sales-enablement-tools• http://www.gleanster.com/topic_area/sales-enablement• http://www.lsaglobal.com/toolkit-download/sales-toolkit/• https://salesenablement.wordpress.com/2011/07/03/work-in-progress-list-of-sales-enablement-

vendors/

sales onboarding:: @mike_kunkle :: transforming sales results :: 59

appendix