Sales Graduates can bring fresh ideas to your sales team and a great sense of enthusiasm and energy.  They can breathe new life into your sales team with their open mindedness and willingness to learn new things.  However, as these exciting employees are always looking for the next adventure, there are a few simple steps you can take to ensure you not only get the most from your Sales Graduate, but also make sure they want to stay with you as long as possible. Remember the more you look after them the longer they will stay.

Do’s

1.  Make sure from day 1 you have a solid on boarding plan that makes them feel part of the team.  Simple things like having laptops, email addresses, business cards and a welcome pack go a long way.  First impressions really do count.

2. Ensure every Graduate has a Personal Development Plan linked to their jobs Roles & Responsibilities and provide as much training as possible.  Yes I do mean as much training as possible – Hewlett Packard Sales people used to spend 2 years in training before they met a customer.  That’s not practical nowadays but ensure your Sales Graduate has all the training they require.

3. Assign your Graduates a Buddy or Mentor to help them through their first year with you.  This should be part of the Buddy’s Personal Development Plan as it helps them grow and develop.

4. Give the Graduate a Project.  Rather than just throw the Graduate into the company melting pot, give them a specific project by which you can measure their progress, their development and the tangible outcomes they achieve.  This helps them learn by doing and boosts their confidence when they see what they can achieve.

5. Nurture your Graduates and give them as much time and support as they need.  The more YOU the employer put in, the more YOU the employer will get out.

Don’ts

1.  Don’t employ Sales Graduates if you don’t have time to invest in growing and developing them.  Imagine they were your family – how would you want your sons or daughters to be treated?

2. Don’t abdicate all the responsibility to their Buddy or Mentor.  Take an active interest in what they are doing and what they are learning.

3. Don’t let your Sales Graduates near anyone other than your best sales people.  Good sales people pass on good sales habits, poor sales people pass on poor sales habits.

4. Don’t shoot their ideas down in flames.  Sales Graduates come pre-configured with fresh thinking and new ideas.  Where appropriate let them run with the new idea and where it’s not appropriate, coach them into understanding for themselves why it’s not.

5. Don’t dull the blade.  Think of every interaction you have as the Graduate being the blade, and you the leader are the sharpening stone.  After the interaction are they sharper or did you dull their blade by dismissing them, showing no interest, not listening, not coaching them, and generally not caring? Be a Sales Leader not a Manager.

Follow these simple do’s and don’ts and we guarantee you will get more from your Sales Graduates and keep them longer which can only be good for both the Graduate and your business.

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