We had a class of 6 new sales people start at Argyle last week. In addition to the usual sales, product, company training, we're doing some interesting things to get this class of (very smart, very eager!) noobs up to speed:
1.) Just as I do with all new hires - I spent a couple hours with the new folks sharing the history behind Argyle and our mission/purpose/values. I'm a big believer in mapping the day-to-day to the bigger picture as much as possible, so I like to make sure that new team members get a very clear picture of who we are and what we believe at Argyle.
2.) The reps earn small wins every day based on their performance and level of activity. The first rep to complete an assessment call earned a $50 AMZN gift card. The first rep to complete 5 assessment calls earns a $50 AMZN gift card. And so on. Our Dir of Sales Vimal Patel is great at using games and/or small incentives to encourage the right behavior.
3.) The reps level-up based on performance. We have a few lead sprinklers that assign leads to sales associates. Reps earn access to the "better" sprinklers based on their performance. Reps start out cold calling and dumpster diving in Salesforce. They will eventually (hopefully!) earn their way to the most desirable sprinkler, which allocates the "I'd like a demo of Argyle, please!" leads. These leads close more quickly and more frequently, so the they have a very strong incentive to work up the food chain as quickly as possible. This idea came from Tristan, our Dir of Ops.