The Conference Coach™

Copper Conferencing, an audio and web conferencing company, has a reputation in the telecommunications industry for many things:  reliable call execution, quality customer service, significant technology advantages, and fair pricing, to name a few. Copper Conferencing is also known for the employment opportunities it provides, specifically to those hungry for experience and skill development.

As a conferencing company focusing on the small to mid-sized business market, the Inside Sales team at Copper Conferencing is primarily staffed with recent college grads, eager for experience.  Although claiming to be willing to be developed and tutored, the introduction into the world of sales can often be a bit of an adjustment, if not downright uncomfortable.  That first sales job means confronting new expectations, quotas and revenue demands, and making your own living that is entirely dependent upon your efforts.  It can be a greater jolt than expected, with a steeper learning curve than anticipated.

Bringing fresh-out-of-college salespeople up to par involves both personal and professional skill development:

• What defines a workday?  What are reasonable work hours if you are to succeed?
• What is appropriate office attire? What is appropriate office language? What is appropriate office interaction between co-workers?
• What is the correct protocol for business email?
• How do you sound on the phone?  Do you sound professional and friendly when you speak?

Of no less importance, the effective manager of such an organization must know the difference between intention and results.  New salespeople often erroneously see these as equal.

• Following training, sales managers of a young sales team must model every direction given to their team:  show them what you are asking them to do – how to research a lead, how to call/prospect, how to set a sales appointment, how to execute a sales appointment.  Let them model their behavior after yours.
• Setting clear expectations with frequent feedback is critical to the success of a young team. The manager is responsible to hold up a mirror so that the salesperson can see the connection between behavior and results – a key to this is doing so on a more frequent, rather than less frequent, basis.
• Micro-management of these hires is not only smart, it is absolutely necessary.  From experience, I know that allowing someone to veer off-track on results without immediate course correction establishes a habit that can be nearly impossible to break.

One great benefit of a young sales team is the energy and enthusiasm they bring to the job. If eager to learn, they willingly take on any challenge and work like crazy to be successful. Having no previous experience, old habits are non-existent, so training can be geared toward the focus of Copper Conferencing’s ideal customer.  We are confident that we are providing a great opportunity in an increasingly expanding market when we hire inexperienced salespeople, knowing that the sales experience they receive from Copper Conferencing will set a solid sales foundation for their future sales careers.

Have questions about Copper Conferencing or need to do an audio conference or web meeting?  Contact a Conference Coach today.