Sales boot camps are a great sequel to any initial training provided by a company. They focus in on ways to improve progress while setting goals, but more importantly they get the team to meet in one space and work out any kinks and explore growth opportunities. Boot camps lay the groundwork for the team to become an unstoppable sales force. Implementing these three components will ensure a successful sales boot camp.
Overall, engaged employees perform better. Coaching and/or training is one of the top ways to keep an employee engaged on a day-to-day basis. It builds morale and a sense of purpose, but it also creates a space where the input and ideas of employees can be shared. By engaging employees in boot camps, companies are providing every tool necessary to become better at what they do, and it shows. HubSpot led an internal sales boot camp and “on average, the reps improved quota attainment by 31%, and all but one rep maintained a higher level of performance once the program finished.[1]” 31% is a huge leap in progress and can take years for an individual to make that kind of progress, so why not hone in on that kind of effort?
The second component is goals. Setting individual and team sales goals for each quarter—and the entire year—not only sets the bar for the team to work towards but also creates a vision for the team to follow and triggers behavior in each member. Goal setting is a huge indicator of how productive a team can be over that specific course of time. For the company to generate a higher ROI, they must align the team with their goals and initiatives. According to an article by Jeff Boss on Forbes, “Having a clear, compelling goal mobilizes your focus toward actionable behavior.” And that behavior is, “addicting because of the dopamine released in your brain after attaining a reward.[2]” So, not only are goals great outlines, but they promote actionable behaviors and get more addicting as humans check each one off.
The last key component of a good boot camp is focusing on cohesion. Companies are constantly rolling out new processes, initiatives, innovations, and ways to streamline their processes so that they can focus more on the bigger picture and company direction. When the entire team is together, it’s the perfect opportunity to get everyone trained on all changes made within, but also re-align the vision they have together. Not only does it re-align the team, but it encourages focus to be put on different trends and strategies. Establishing a time for cohesion and learning sets the stage for success and overall team success.
No one can expect perfect revenue, sales, or projects to happen overnight and sales teams are no exception. They need coaching, re-coaching, and sometimes a simple sounding board of their peers and teachers to help them get past their own caveats and strategize. By bringing a sales team in for a boot camp companies are allowing them to engage, set goals, and give a clear company direction. In return, companies can expect to see a more productive team and a higher ROI at the end of the year, which no one can disagree with. So, are you ready for your team to jump into a boot camp, and come out more effective?
Sources: [1] HubSpot, Ben Cotton, How a Sales Bootcamp Increased Quota Attainment by 31%, (2018), https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/sales-bootcamp [2] Forbes, 5 Reasons Why Goal Setting Will Improve Your Focus, (2017), https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffboss/2017/01/19/5-reasons-why-goal-setting-will-improve-your-focus/#5dba1e99534a