Develop an effective sales team

New salespeople will need to familiarise themselves with your business - its products or services, its employees and its customers. You should plan an induction process that you can also use for any sales staff you recruit in the future.

Your induction process should cover the following:

• Your industry - give them the basic knowledge they'll need about your business sector, your position in it, and most importantly, who your competitors are.
• Your products - make sure they're completely familiar with the goods or services you supply - and how these might differ from the rest of the marketplace.
• Your customers - provide them with lists or databases of customers so that they know the types of individuals or organisations that you cater for.
• Your business objectives - explain to them where you want the business to go. Are there any new markets into which you aim to move or types of customers you want to attract? How do you intend to get there?

Some salespeople will need a longer induction process than others. If a recruit is new to your business sector, they'll need more coaching than someone who has worked in your industry for several years.

Consider accompanying a new salesperson on their first few visits to current or prospective customers so that you can make introductions and observe how well they are settling in.