Step One: Lower Your Expectations… obviously, I’m joking. But seriously, you have been doing this for how many years now?  I’m sure it seems like a really daunting task to have to pass on all of that knowledge and experience to your sales team.  But, the fact is, without setting your sales team up for success and without adequate sales training your team will flounder, you will experience a ton of churn on your sales team, and your overhead door company will fail to grow.

So, how do you pass along that knowledge?  How do you inspire them?  Teach them? Get them to be as great as you?  Well, here are 7 steps, things to keep in mind, to obtain this goal:

1. Lead By Example

I’m sure you are thinking, “Yeah, no shit… that’s the point, right?”  Yes, you want to get them to be as good as you – so, you are the example.  But, it must be said that the more you keep up the habits that made you as successful as you are the more they will be able to see how it is done. 

It’s easy to say that certain habits work, but it is much more impactful for your sales team to see them working.  Things like organization, attention to detail, emotional intelligence and all around swagger will rub off on your team and create a culture of excellence.

2. Write It Down

You want to pass what you know along to your sales team?  Start writing that shit down… all of it.  Start now.  You know a lot so it will take some time.  Probably lots of time.  But I promise you it will be worth it.

Remember what it was like when you were first starting out as a salesperson at a new company? Well, it is a little like drinking through a fire hose. The amount of information that these new team members have to retain to successfully do their job is near impossible.

So, help them out by having a resource center built out of your personal knowledge that includes every part of your sales process: scripts, FAQs, CRM processes, and even trivial things like proper email signature structure and the favorite drinks of your top clients.   

This resource center will empower your sales team and make the process of bestowing your knowledge easier (with much less repeating). Your salespeople will be able to look up anything on their own. When they ask you a question for the second or even third time… refer them to the materials.

3. A Proper Foundation

What is the core of your process?  Your sales team needs to understand who your target audience is, how they think, what their issues are, etc. They also need to have a strong grasp on the buyer’s journey and understand how and when visitors turn into leads, etc.

Also, if you practice smarketing and have a proper alignment of your sales and marketing teams, they need to fully understand that process as well.  When are your potential clients ready for a sales conversion?  What is the content and sales enablement tools that are provided to help close the sales? Taking the time to make sure they understand those basics can pay dividends in the long run.

4. Training – Keep it Simple

Sales training can become too much of a good thing. We know you are anxious to get your sales team up to speed, but the fact of the matter is, they can only retain so much info at a time. That’s not a dig on sales reps… it’s just a fact, cause they’re human.

So, go at a pace that allows them to take in important information and easily grasp it and put it to practical use.  Another idea to help them retain is to allow for time for reflection. That might sound weird to some of you, but I’m not talking about meditating in the mountains here – what I mean is to leave them time to think about what they have done and assess how it worked. What worked well and what didn’t? This time can be super useful to understanding techniques even better as well as helping them retain.

5. Get Them in The Saddle

I’m sure you agree that so much is learned by just getting your hands dirty. So, get your team involved BUT also make sure that you are staying involved with them as well.  The analysis and feedback a salesperson receives after a call can resonate louder than any sales training. So, maybe you get out on sales calls with them so you can easily assess their process and give advice. Or, maybe it just means that you have frequent one-on-ones where they can share their stories and you can bestow your advice then.  It’s just important to remember that timely and specific feedback is always the best.

6. Friendly competition

A fun, competitive incentive program for your sales team can tap into a natural competitive streak in your sales reps and deliver some positive results as they strive to climb to the top of the leader board. The point here is to not only award closed sales, but to also award activities throughout the sales process to enforce the good habits that you have handed down to them.

Maybe you could even join in the fun too.  That is totally up to you.  Otherwise sit in your office like Caesar and watch them tear each other apart… wait, fun.  Yeah, fun competition.

7. Provide Tools

For example, a good, sales-focused CRM system can help your sales force stay organized and focused. Most CRM systems have features such as lead prioritization, automatic reminders, lead nurturing and notes.  These systems can lead to increasing in your sales team's closing ratio and improved productivity.  Maybe you didn’t have some of these new-fangled techniques when you first started out, but we guarantee that they are incredibly helpful.