Onboarding a Sales Manager With Sales Management Training

Hiring and onboarding an external candidate as your new sales manager to drive results for your business will always come with challenges. Integrating them into the company’s culture, gelling with people and generally getting up to speed on how things work will be just a few of the hurdles you and your new sales manager must clear together. Thankfully, there are solutions to help make the onboarding process more seamless, which comes in sales management training.

A great way to help your new sales manager up to speed is by investing in their development through effective training sessions and courses. Sales management training can offer a fast-track solution to help your new sales leaders become the star employees you’ve been waiting for, kick-starting their time with your company and reducing the impact of change on your business.

In this blog, we will delve into the benefits of sales leadership and management training courses and provide you with some top tips on how to choose a sales management training course that’s right for your business and your new hire. Before we dive into that, let’s answer the question of who should attend sales management courses.

Who should attend sales management courses?

The first people you should consider sending out for sales management training are your new sales managers, as it’s a great way to help them get up to speed in their role. They will undoubtedly already have a good level of experience and plenty of transferrable skills, but training can help them understand and meet any specific expectations from your business.

It’s especially important to develop sales management skills for people who have come to your industry from something completely different, as walking into uncharted territory can require some adjustments. Or for those who do come from a sales background and have worked within your market, sales management training can give them all the tools they need to become an impactful mentor and leader of your successful sales team.

However, that doesn’t mean you can’t offer training to existing sales managers or team members too. Constant development is vital, and it’s a great way to help further develop their careers, especially for your salespeople who you see has the potential to grow and realise their potential as sales managers.

5 benefits of sales management training?

Sales management training delivers a wealth of benefits for both the new sales managers you’re onboarding into your organisation and your business as a whole. For example, it can help boost your company's sales performance, reduce staff turnover, and more. In this section, we’ll explore five benefits of sales management training.

1. Boosts sales performance

One significant benefit of sales management training is that it can help sales managers to improve their team's sales skills and techniques, which can lead to boosting the sales performance of your business. For example, training can help sales managers to develop better sales pitches, overcome objections, and close deals, all of which will positively impact your business's sales performance.

Additionally, thanks to the sales knowledge, skills and techniques the training arms your sales manager with, your other salespeople will also benefit. Not only will your new sales manager have the ability to help get the best out of the sales team, but the skills and tools your sales manager gains through the training can also be passed down to the broader sales team, making them well-prepared to drive success and boost the sales performance for your business.

2. Reduces staff turnover

Sales management training can help to reduce turnover among your salespeople. This training can help sales managers to create a more positive work environment, provide opportunities for professional development, and recognise and reward top performers.

If your sales managers feel like their employer cares about their growth and development, they will also be more likely to remain loyal. Likewise, if your sales reps enjoy working under your sales manager and feel supported in their sales careers, they will be more likely to stay loyal to your business.

So, not only does sales manager training demonstrate to new hires that you’re a business that cares and invests in its staff, but it also reminds loyal employees how much you value them. Effective training can help current employees close any skills gaps and develop new ones, enabling them to progress in their careers with your company rather than heading to new pastures.

3. Positively impacts customer service experience

Another benefit of sales management training is that it can also help to improve your organisation's customer service experience and client satisfaction. For example, the leadership and management training your sales manager enrols in can help your leaders to develop better communication skills, build stronger relationships with customers, and resolve customer complaints more efficiently.

4. Enhances the productivity levels of your sales team

Sales management training can also help to enhance productivity levels among your salespeople. For example, training can help sales managers develop better time management skills, set realistic goals, and track the sales team's progress. Here, your new sales manager can support their salespeople better and create strategies to get the best out of each individual and the overall sales team.

Motivation plays a significant part in enhancing the productivity levels of your sales team, and your sales managers should be capable of motivating their team members to achieve their goals. Sales management training can help sales managers to develop their motivational skills, such as setting clear expectations, providing positive reinforcement, and resolving performance issues within the sales team.

5. Improves decision-making and problem-solving

Finally, sales management training can also be beneficial by helping sales managers to make better decisions and solve problems.

For example, training can help sales managers gather and analyse data, develop and evaluate strategies, and make informed decisions about allocating resources and driving progression for the sales team and your business.

Sales managers also need to be able to identify and solve problems that arise within the business, be it internal or external. Leadership and management training can help sales managers to develop their problem-solving skills, such as brainstorming, creating action plans, and making decisions under pressure.

Another core skill needed to improve decision-making and problem-solving is communication skills. Sales managers must communicate effectively with their team members, customers, and other stakeholders when making key decisions. Sales management training can help sales managers to develop their communication skills, such as active listening, public speaking, and conflict resolution, to improve their decision-making skills.

How to choose a sales management course

Once you’ve decided to offer sales management training to your new hire as part of your onboarding process, you need to find the course most suited to your business and your sales manager. From knowing what you need, finding a sales training provider and other considerations, let’s explore five things to consider when choosing a sales management course.

1. Know what you need

When choosing a sales management course for your sales manager, the first thing to consider is to determine what you need. When narrowing down the sales training options, you should consider any skill gaps that may need to be addressed or any upskilling and reskilling opportunities that may benefit your new sales manager, your sales team and your business.

These gaps could include learning how to make a successful cold call or understanding the buying process steps. Once you know what your business and new sales manager need, you can find the perfect course easily.

2. Research the various sales management training courses

Once you know what you need to support the development of your sales manager and the areas of sales you want them to focus on, you should research the sales management training courses which concentrate on these areas, such as sales excellence or sales prospecting.

When you've found some of the courses that meet your needs, read the reviews from the businesses and sales managers who completed them, as this can give you a good sense of what the course is like and whether it's worth your time and money. Additionally, consider the costs involved. Sales management courses can range in price, so it's essential to factor in the cost when making your decision.

Ensure you get your new sales manager involved in the research and decision-making process, too, as they may already have a course in mind that they would like to enrol on. Ask them which skills they feel could be strengthened or refined with the help of training to help you both decide which programme is worth investing in.

3. Face-to-face or online sales training

As everyone learns differently, you should also consider the format of your sales management training. You should consider whether to offer face-to-face sales training or online sales training or to take a blended approach and combine virtual learning with in-person support. From here, you should consider whether you have the resources to conduct this training in-house or to outsource your sales training to an external provider.

4. Bespoke sales training

Alternatively, your organisation may benefit from bespoke sales management training courses. A bespoke sales training course is a customised training programme designed specifically for your company's needs and the needs of your sales manager. Taking the bespoke sales training approach can be worth the investment as it ensures your sales manager receives the tailored training they need to grow within the role.

Bespoke sales training courses are typically developed by a team of experts who work with you to understand your company's sales goals, challenges, and culture. Once they have a good understanding of your needs, they will help you build a bespoke sales training course that is tailored to your specific requirements.

5. Find a sales training provider

There are many different providers of sales management courses, both online and in person, and they are highly beneficial to supporting the progression of your sales managers, especially if you don’t have the time, finances or resources to conduct the training in-house.

Similarly to researching the various sales management training courses available to you, if you plan on outsourcing your sales training, you should also research different sales training providers until you find the one that best suits your needs.

Do some research with your sales manager to compare the different providers and find one that's a good fit for you. Read reviews or contact businesses who have used the provider to see if they would be worth the investment, and make sure to weigh up the costs involved and find out what exactly you’re investing in.

Sales training providers are located all around the world, catering to in-person and remote training needs. When looking for a sales training provider, consider whether it makes sense logistically to be closer to the provider's HQ or whether you’re equipped to partner with them remotely.

After taking into account the benefits and considerations of which sales management training course would be most suitable to help onboard your new sales manager, you’ll need to ensure the smooth integration of your new hire into the wider team and help them understand the culture of your workplace that keeps the business ticking over.

Additionally, your new sales manager will need to be provided with and absorb all the information about the products or services your business delivers and how sales work for you. This will ensure they can start motivating the team, making key decisions and ensuring a strategy is in place to bring results as soon as possible.

Ultimately, training is a fantastic way to help onboard new sales managers into their roles and the business.

So whether it’s a fresh start, a promotion or migration from another firm to yours, your sales manager and your business can thrive with the help of sales management training courses.

Realise the potential of your new sales manager

At Pareto, we have a diverse range of sales training courses that will add tangible value to your business. Our renowned training process can help you secure a strong ROI, and with a wide range of courses to choose from that focus on different areas of expert skill, you can find the course that is right for your business and your new sales manager.

Discover more about our sales leadership and management training courses, or get in touch with a member of our team to realise the potential of your sales manager today.