The Definitive Sales Onboarding Plan Template
Resource used by practitioners that come from companies such as:
Unlocking the true potential of sales onboarding
In the sales onboarding guide I authored, I explained why traditional sales onboarding methods are no longer effective, outlined some key sales onboarding best practices, and highlighted the importance of adopting a phased and customised approach to ensure a good sales onboarding process and setting your sales team up for success.
To support this approach, I also put together a sales onboarding checklist that distills the guide into essential steps, providing a clear framework for designing an impactful onboarding process that significantly reduces ramp-up times, boosts employee retention, and delivers true business value.
Now, with this sales onboarding plan template, my intention is to complement both the guide and the checklist, by providing you with a “space” within which you can effectively structure your onboarding curriculum and the list of employee onboarding activities.
What's included in the sales onboarding plan template?
The sales onboarding plan template is designed as a flexible framework in Google Sheets within which you can structure your own sales onboarding activities and curriculum for the first 90 days and beyond. Here’s what’s included:
Customisable framework: The template provides a structured format that allows you to outline the various phases of your sales onboarding process. It doesn’t include specific content but gives you the flexibility to insert your own materials, objectives, and activities based on your organisation’s needs.
Section for key learning areas: While the template doesn’t provide specific learning content, it includes placeholders where you can define and prioritise the key learning areas and milestones that are crucial for your sales team’s success.
Scheduling tool: The template allows you to plan and schedule onboarding activities over a period of time, ensuring that new sales reps go through a structured and coherent onboarding experience. You can adjust the timeline according to the complexity of your onboarding programme.
What's the value of adopting this sales onboarding plan template?
Adopting this sales onboarding plan template brings significant value to your organisation by providing a structured framework that enhances the onboarding process in several key ways:
Consistency & repeatability: The template ensures that your onboarding process is well-organised and consistent across all new hires. By following a structured approach, you can replicate successful onboarding experiences, leading to a more predictable and reliable ramp-up for every sales rep.
Scalability: As your organisation grows, the template allows you to scale your onboarding process effectively. Whether you’re onboarding one new sales rep or an entire team, the template provides a scalable solution that can accommodate different levels of complexity and varying numbers of new employees.
Flexibility for iteration: The template is designed to be adaptable, allowing you to make iterative improvements based on feedback and evolving business needs. This flexibility ensures that your onboarding process remains relevant and effective over time, continuously improving to meet the changing demands of your sales environment.
By implementing this sales onboarding plan template, you create a robust, scalable, and consistent onboarding process that contributes to the long-term success of your sales team.
Who is the sales onboarding plan template for?
The sales onboarding checklist is designed for several key audiences within an organisation:
Sales Managers and sales leaders: This checklist serves as a tool for sales managers and leaders to ensure that they have a comprehensive plan in place for onboarding new sales hires. It helps them systematically cover all essential areas, from product knowledge to sales processes, ensuring that new reps are fully equipped to perform in their roles.
Sales enablement teams: For sales enablement professionals, the checklist provides a structured approach to designing and implementing an effective onboarding program. It ensures that all critical components are addressed, enabling a smooth transition for new hires and alignment with overall sales strategies.
HR and training departments: The checklist is valuable for HR and training teams responsible for the onboarding process. It helps them align the sales onboarding program with broader organisational goals and ensures that the necessary sales training materials and resources are in place.
New sales hires: Although primarily a tool for those guiding the onboarding process, the checklist can also benefit new sales hires themselves. It provides them with a clear roadmap of what to expect during their onboarding period, helping them stay organised and focused on acquiring the skills and knowledge needed to succeed.
In summary, the sales onboarding checklist is a versatile tool aimed at anyone involved in the process of bringing new sales hires up to speed, ensuring a consistent, thorough, and effective onboarding experience.
How do I use the sales onboarding plan template?
To use the sales onboarding plan template effectively, consider these steps:
Customise the template: Start by adapting the template to fit your organisation’s specific needs. This might involve adding your company’s branding, introduce your topics categories, changing the timetable, and so forth.
Define the onboarding phases: The template is structured to support a phased onboarding approach. Define what each phase will cover (e.g., initial orientation, product training, sales process training, etc.). Customise each phase to suit the role you’re onboarding (e.g., SDRs, AEs, or CSMs).
Outline learning objectives: Within each phase, identify the key learning objectives that new hires should achieve.
Schedule onboarding activities: Use the template to map out a schedule of onboarding activities, such as training sessions, shadowing opportunities, role-playing exercises, and progress check-ins. This schedule should be detailed enough to guide new hires day by day.
Allocate resources: Determine which resources are needed for each activity. This could include training materials, access to specific tools, or involvement from experienced team members (e.g., sales manager) who can mentor new hires.
Monitor progress: Track the progress of new hires using the template. This involves checking off completed tasks and monitoring whether new hires are meeting their learning milestones.
Iterate and improve: After each onboarding cycle, review the effectiveness of the plan and make adjustments as necessary. This could involve refining activities, adjusting timelines, or adding new content based on feedback and observed outcomes.
If you follow this recommendations you should be able to maximise the use of this template and support an effective sales onboarding process.