Here’s a Sacred Cow that just won’t go away.
A new salesperson joins the team, the Sales Manager needs to get a training on boarding plan in place so he sends them out to shadow a top performer.
These are the reasons this is a bad idea:
- Its often treated as an easy option for the sales manager. She just needs a quick call or email and she has the new recruit off her hand for a few days.
- Top performers are too busy to give any attention
- They are not naturally good at coaching, lack patience
- They don’t know what they do to be a top performer so find it impossible to teach them what I do.
- The situations seen are entirely random and may not reflect their role area.
- Top performers actually hate it when they have a shadow on them
- It can go on for ages since its an easy option for the sales manager so you’re losing revenue.
- Its always embarrassing introducing them to clients that you’re going to see.
- They slow the top performer down.
- There’s little de-briefing after the event to eke out any learnings.
Other options:
- Devise a proper training workshop with you acting as the person to shadow
- Train a member of your team in coaching, they may no be the best performer either, but they have a knack of coaching and developing people.
But please don’t just dump them off with the top performer
