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Your sales onboarding experience matters—maybe more than you know. ���ϳԹ��� found that 52% of top-performing sales professionals have left a job due to poor onboarding. Top performers who did stick around after onboarding are three times more likely to describe their onboarding experience as “good” or “excellent” compared to poor performers.

Sales onboarding is a valuable part of your overall sales training, as it can set the tone for how you plan to continue to upskill and reskill your sales team throughout their time with your business. But sales onboarding and training require a well-planned strategy, especially if you want that training to stick. B2B sales reps they learn within just one week of training. 

In this article, we’ll explore sales onboarding, from what it means to how to put an effective sales onboarding plan into action.

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What is Sales Onboarding?

Sales onboarding is the traditional way sales reps are trained to do their jobs and a vital part of your sales enablement efforts. It typically involves new reps shadowing more experienced reps, studying customer analytics, listening to sales calls, and being trained to close deals. Onboarding is routinely conducted through traditional teaching methods, such as presentations, webinars, and classroom training.

Despite the valuable information embedded within it, sales onboarding also evokes the dreaded .

We learn from information, but it can become a burden, not a benefit, unless it’s organized and available to the right people in a format where they can make decisions. Sadly, this frustration can become part of a company’s culture, holding back sales teams and impacting the entire organization.

“Learning experiences are like journeys. The journey starts where the learning is now, and ends when the learner is successful. The end of the journey isn’t knowing more, it’s doing more.” - JULIE DIRKSEN, LEARNING STRATEGY AND DESIGN CONSULTANT.

Sales onboarding processes vary across and within industries, but whatever business your organization may be in, avoiding lengthy learning curves and sales disruptions will be key. An effective sales onboarding process that minimizes disruptions while continually reevaluating training and sales methodologies will ultimately provide ongoing business value.

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Benefits of an Effective Sales Onboarding Process

In today’s highly dynamic sales environment, we can no longer approach the sales onboarding process as something for new hires.

Instead, we need to think of it as a central and continuous GPS tool that helps sales reps navigate their time and functions within a company. Once new reps know their jobs inside-out, there is an enhanced opportunity for improved sales performance and overall effectiveness and productivity. 

Companies with well-structured sales onboarding processes see:

Shorter ramp times (improved time-to-productivity)

Sales reps become productive faster, allowing their companies to hit revenue targets faster and more consistently.

Higher percentage of reps hitting quota

A great sales onboarding process can give reps the tools and just-in-time knowledge they need to do their jobs effectively and efficiently.

Less turnover and improved recruitment 

Reps with positive onboarding experiences are less likely to leave for other companies.

Greater rep satisfaction and engagement 

Reps that start on the right foot, with the skills and knowledge to do their jobs, will be happier and more invested.

Learning should be fun, easy, and provide multiple opportunities to retain information.

“To me, gamification is finding the way to invent the behaviors that you want your team to have.” - DAVE MCDERMOTT, DIRECTOR OF SALES ENABLEMENT, KELLY SERVICES

Sales reps need training reinforcement, with reminders and digestible pieces of content at their fingertips. If you’re looking to create a better sales onboarding process, today to get started on your journey!

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What Does the Sales Onboarding Process Include? 

While every onboarding process looks different depending on the product, team size, industry, and other factors, here’s a look at the general structure of a sales onboarding process:

Pre-boarding

A common misconception is that onboarding starts on the first day of a sales rep’s new job. In reality, the best sales onboarding processes start before a new sales professional begins their official duties. 

Pre-boarding refers to the time after a new employee signs their job offer and before their employment technically starts. Pre-boarding can help an employee feel more prepared before they have to begin their role–which is essential when you consider that of workers say that they struggle with anxiety before starting a new job.

Pre-boarding helps take some of the stress off of their first day. During the pre-boarding process, you might want to have new sales professionals get started on admin tasks that would take up a part of their first day of work, like filling out payroll details or signing necessary forms. 

It’s also a good time to have them start exploring independently. You might want to give them access to tools they’ll use every day so that they can become familiar with the platforms. This is also an ideal time to send welcome gifts and provide other ways to get your new hire excited about what comes next and mak