By: BigMeech
For all those lost and looking for a plan
DungeonsNDemos
Starting a new job can be daunting. With the majority of people now working from home, onboarding will most likely be remotely as well, which adds additional unique challenges. Most employers will provide some sort of onboarding track, or 30-60-90 day plan on a new hire’s first day. While extremely helpful, they are often high level/focused on the product & pitch and do not include unwritten but often expected tasks.
On top of the 30-60-90 plan provided by your employer, here are some tips to help you ramp quickly and effectively.
When onboarding, you will be inundated with new terms (both internally and externally). You will be expected to learn these quickly, so leveraging things like flashcards in your first few weeks will help you quickly ramp up on the language used in the new role.
- Make a Google Drive (or other storage tool you have)
- Start networking on Day 1
- Shadow calls
- Get messaging from the top performers
- Role play
- Break up your day
Make a Google Drive (or other storage tool you have) folder
You will be receiving a flood of information over your first few weeks, and it is difficult to retain it all in the moment. Having a centralized point to be able to go back to and quickly find information as you progress will be extremely helpful. So, in this folder, you will add any and all documents you come across during onboarding that outline internal processes, call decks, messaging, scripts, etc.
Start networking on Day 1
It is never too early to start networking in sales. Some key players to try and meet in your first few weeks are:
- Sales execs
- Top performers (Both AEs and SDRs)
- Your regional marketing lead (if you ever want to take a prospect to an event and need funding, you will want them on your side)
- Regional partner manager
- Your SE and their management
- Your SDR and BDR and their management
Some good questions to ask when meeting the stakeholders internally are:
- How do you (& your team) work with the reps today?
- How can I best engage your team?
- How is your team measured and comped?
- What are some of the best practices you see the top performing reps do in relation to how they engage your team?
- What can I do to make YOUR job easier?
Shadow calls
This may be the most helpful thing you do. Try to aim for 4 calls a week. If people hesitate to add you live, ask them to record the call so you can listen later. This will help you start to internalize what you have learned and apply it. Follow along with the calls and think of the questions you would ask in your head. Write down any questions the rep answers, any sales objections they handle, and any structure they follow. As you progress and start running your own calls, you will have to punt less when asked questions because you will have already practiced the common ones.
Get messaging from the top performers
Get their email templates, tech decks, scripts, etc. There is no point in reinventing the wheel. Oftentimes, these resources will explain things in a way that makes more sense than the corporate decks you will likely be provided in your training.
Pick a few top customer references and learn them inside and out. These will help you not only further internalize your value proposition, but also provide a fallback if you get stuck on calls.
Role play
Role plays are super helpful to make sure you are retaining everything you have learned to date. It is better to make a mistake internally with your team than it is to blow a customer call.
Break up your day
If you spend all day doing online learning, you will fade quickly. Mix it up: shadow some calls, meet with internal stakeholders, spend some time practicing your pitch, etc.
In the end, although you are ultimately responsible for your success and ramping, remember that the company made a significant investment in hiring you. If you are getting stuck or having issues, do not hesitate to ask for help. Too often new sales reps ramp in a “bubble” and don’t want to ask questions to avoid looking “dumb”. Everyone from your immediate team to management wants you to succeed. If you follow your provided training, follow the above tips, and ask questions when you need help, you will be well on your way to another President’s club. Go break some records and enjoy the new role!
