When training new sales reps, how important is it to showcase the successes of other reps?

In my opinion, telling success stories of other people, specially when they are on same grounds give motivational boost to new hired people. Experience is important & experience with success stories must tell to new ones so that they follow the pace.

Great question Lauren. Probably the reality is that we learn more from our peers than we tend to learn from a trainer. Sales people are always sharing stories, methods, ideas, and approaches. They are learnging from each other. Sometimes the natural competitive spirit kicks in--"If she could do that, I certainly can do better."

Finding a way to institutionalize this, sharing across the organization can be powerful.

I think it's important to be measured about this - by all means sell the benefits by reporting the amazing successes of existing reps, but emphasise that a new sales rep may not see the same benefits immediately. Setting newbies up to believe that they're going to be number 1 in the first month is a recipe for churn in sales organisations. So I'd be careful about how I presented success and the realistic outcomes for someone 1 month in, or 3 months, or 6 months, or more depending on the length of sales cycle.

When I worked at Vodafone I was third person in three months to become number one salesperson overnight (in their first month) - I was also the last. In the next few years nobody who started managed to hit more than mid-table - which was a great result, in the interim we'd trained our salespeople and they were much better than when I'd started. If those new starts had thought they'd be carrying off money in wheelbarrows from the start - they'd have quit I think.

People need targets to aim for, and it's important to make those stretching and clear. But don't confuse the issue by suggesting a tool can help someone achieve the impossible either.

I believe that companies need to have a healthy balance of 'tribal knowledge' vs. Institutionalized learning. When dealing with tribal knowledge; lessons passed verbally from generation to generation, you run the risk of embellishment and/or severe dilution of facts and figures. Any way you slice it the "When I was a new Sales Rep" speech tends to hold about as much merit as the "When I was your age" spiel you've more than likely heard countless times from in-laws. It can steer new recruits in completely wrong directions or set the bar so high that they cut corners to achieve the success of their peers.

New Sales reps must learn the rules of the road first through documentation and process. These are the skill-foundations that will follow you no matter where you work. Once acquired and polished, then let the rep adapt and evolve with the help of a more senior Sales person. Let them share war stories and compare scars. But they have to pass through basic training first before doing that.

Cheers.

Everyone is different. I certainly would have not been interested in how others were doing until I got to grips with my territory and the product. So training first, knowledge and a few calls then get to know your colleagues. There is always information around on how others are doing league tables etc. to see who is doing what and I believe its up to the person to make the contact with the stars as they surely will if they are ambitious. Those that have to be led to the trough may not be the right people for the job?

In training of national sales organizations, I reserve the last morning asking reps to relate a recent significant lost sale. The other reps share their experiences overcoming similar situations, benefiting all reps. They have the opportunity to illustrate how the new technology could have or actually did help them overcome the challenge and close the business.