RAIN Group

Q&A with Andy Springer 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ❓ Some of our sales managers are pushing back on a more structured onboarding program we recently developed and rolled out. Their feedback is that it feels like we may be “hand-holding” new hires too much, and that the best learning experience is for them to get out there and learn by doing. For context, the goal of the program is not to keep new hires out of the role or over-prescribe every step. We’ve taken a lot of institutional knowledge and turned it into scheduled trainings so new hires learn key information more intentionally, instead of relying on chance exposure or picking things up inconsistently over time. There is still a strong learn-by-doing component, but we’re pairing that with structured training to continue building their knowledge, confidence, and consistency. Has anyone encountered similar pushback from sales managers? If so, what helped bring them around to seeing structured onboarding as an accelerator rather than unnecessary hand-holding or unnecessary? 𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐑 💡 This pushback is common, and honestly, it usually comes from a good place. Sales managers value reps who can think on their feet, learn in the field, and build resilience through experience. AND there’s a difference between “learning by doing” and “learning by accident.” The highest-performing onboarding programs don’t replace real-world selling. They accelerate readiness for it. Without structure, new hires often inherit inconsistent habits, random knowledge gaps, and whatever coaching bandwidth happens to exist on a given team. That creates variability, a slower ramp, and avoidable mistakes with customers. Strong onboarding should do three things: - Build confidence faster - Increase consistency across hires - Shorten time-to-impact The goal isn’t hand-holding. It’s reducing unnecessary friction so reps can spend more time applying, practicing, and improving in the field. The analogy + question I’ve used with managers is this = "Elite athletes still train hard and compete, why are your reps any different?” … nobody says structured practice is “too much hand-holding.” The structure is what makes the live reps more effective. The best programs blend both: - Intentional training - Manager reinforcement - Real customer exposure - Coaching in the flow of work When managers see onboarding as a productivity accelerator instead of a training event, the conversation usually shifts pretty quickly.

7 Key Principles of Value-Based Selling — What Experts Have to Say | HubSpot https://hubs.li/Q04hYThf0

5 Ways to Earn Trust and Prevent “No Decision” No. 3. Be Explicit About Risk, Limitations, and Fit One of the fastest ways to build trust is to speak directly to the Evaluator’s question: “What can go wrong and what has to be true for this to work?” That starts with being clear about fit and constraints. For example: “If hitting this result in the next 30 days is non-negotiable, we’re probably not your best option.” “If you’re not willing to change X, Y, and Z internally, we should expect results to be slower and smaller.” “For that scenario, we may not be the best fit.” Most sellers avoid these conversations, which leaves buyers to surface risks on their own. Yes, it may cost you in the short run. But it will also de-risk the deals you do sign, strengthen your reputation with buyers and the market, and align you with what buyers are already thinking. This is Substantiate (Why trust?) in practice: buyers won’t risk moving forward if they can’t see the constraints, tradeoffs, and success conditions clearly.

For dozens of ideas on what you can cover in this section, download 68 Ideas for Sales Meetings [PDF]. Access the checklist and get additional resources to guide your discussion and give direction to your meetings. https://hubs.li/Q04fvvGx0

Executive buyers can spot a generic vendor fast. Same opening slide ✔️ Same discovery questions ✔️ Same claims about being client-centric ✔️ Andy Springer’s latest Forbes article reveals what actually helps sellers stand out in high-stakes executive sales meetings. The bar is higher than showing up with a polished deck. Sellers need to bring relevance, a point of view, and a reason for buyers to believe the meeting will be different. Read the article here: https://hubs.li/Q04hSZdR0

If your org is rolling out training without a plan to get sellers engaged, reinforce learning, and measure impacts, you’re not going to drive better sales or performance. For sales training to succeed, you must: 1) Craft it to align with your strategy and sales methodology 2) Deliver learning content with relevance, retention, and application in mind 3) Enable ongoing improvement with development resources and results tracking Break the cycle of sales training frustration with the Complete Guide to Sales Training Success.

"The sales and delivery teams are very supportive and worked closely with us to craft a program that suits our needs. The content delivered through sales training is high quality and useful for our teams. The facilitator is very focused on our users and making sure they have a great experience. And the online system is easy to use and tracks completion." Read the full review on Gartner Peer Insights here: https://hubs.li/Q04fyb240

The best sellers cultivate strong skills across the sales cycle. Identify areas of improvement and get 24 actionable tips to build your skills: https://hubs.li/Q04gk5PM0 #SalesTips #SalesSkills #SalesStrategy

Valuable sales team meetings are essential for driving collaboration, performance, and strategy, but sellers often believe that meetings are a waste of their time. How can you structure a weekly meeting that engages sellers, covers relevant topics, and moves the needle on progress for your team? We share a 5-step framework to build a team meeting agenda with change in mind. It also includes a download with 68 ideas for sales team meetings. https://hubs.li/Q04gl1d60