The first couple of weeks – training to telemarketing

For the sake of preparation for giving proper sales training, before jumping into this story, read this:

“Hunters,Gatherers,Communicators,and Collaborators“

and this:

“Lead Generation Post”

Now we can dig into getting a team of lost sales people focused on building the processes for a dynamic telemarketing engine. What do I mean by dynamic? In 18 months, they were delivering 1500+ qualified leads a month. By qualified I mean they were evaluating the product.

Shortly after diving into the “what is going on” part of developing a sales plan at Work Metro, I realized there were three roles in the sales org.

1. Telesales – calling and giving away free trials of our product.
2. Inside sales – Taking those leads and working them through buying job postings.
3. Outside sales – Work the larger opportunities, recruiting firms, and anything that involved a face to face relationship.

The hard part was now having to explain this to the sales team that was having the plug pulled on closing sales, and then building a process they cared about. So what I did was offer those first three reps a promise. Buy in, and excel at helping me build a process for telesales, while I focused on selling. The beauty is that selling was not why I was hired, and by taking this on, I earned respect from the team.

Then I went into making them hunters. I taught them how to attack a phone, how to automate e-mails, and how to log info and use there CRM to their advantage. I held them to high standards, and when I closed a sale the rep that sent me the lead was rewarded with more than a pat on the back.

Speaking of pats on the back, they came often and perhaps as the months toiled on, not often enough. The promise was kept, and we will get to that in a later story, but what mattered was the team bought in.

Why? Because I was accessible and always willing to listen. This was a rookie with an open mind. As my team grew I lost touch with the individuals. This was a huge mistake. Again more on that later. For now, the one on one sales training, combined with the group sessions, after hours beers, this is what built the foundation for a powerful workforce. I will never forget my successes early on and how they came.