Last week we discussed the value and benefit in having a solid mentor program within your sales team.
Now let’s dive into the implementation process.
Communicate: Take the time to communicate, to your entire team, the goals, value and necessity of having a great mentor program. For those in sales leadership roles, help them to see the value in multiplying their time with additional mentors and how the retention of their sales people will rise with effective mentoring. For those who are not in sales leadership positions, sell them on the benefits that everyone receives when new team members are merged into your culture effectively. Then ask for their help.
Select Mentors Wisely: Your sales leaders will of course make up the bulk of your mentors in most sales organizations. Make promotions based on multiple criteria – not just sales performance. Have leadership candidates interviewed by multiple people if possible. Ask those people to give you honest feedback about the leadership ability of the candidate. Ask them to be your additional eyes. They may see something that you do not.
Additionally, choose mentors who are not in sales leadership positions. Look for those people who have an honest desire to help in various situations that arise. Choose mentors who are meeting the sales expectations of your organizations and are performing the major functions of your sales process in a way that supports your organizational training.
Build Pairings Successfully: Take the time to choose the mentoring pairings carefully. What factors should be taken into account in your organization? Geography, age, personality and experience may be important issues that could impact the success of the program. Increase the potential for a successful pairing by involving multiple people in the selection process – especially those who will be paired together.
Establish Incentives: For your pairings to work best, establish incentives that insure a valuable compensation for the mentor. They should have a financial interest in the success of the new hire. Also provide additional status, recognition and praise for the mentors. They should hold a place of honor in your organization if your mentor program is to be a success.
Tomorrow, we will discuss the areas of training, communication and accountability in your mentor program.[lightbox link=”http://jeffcwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/mentor-3.jpg” thumb=”http://jeffcwest.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/mentor-3.jpg” width=”300″ align=”right” title=”mentor 3″ frame=”true” icon=”image” caption=””]
QUESTION:
Who are the people on your team that you would want to be the sales mentor for your son or daughter?
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