78 "Make sure they know everything about everything before they go out and call themselves an expert. Make sure they have enough time to understand what they are even selling and how it all works together. Send them through CSS training, then have mini-trainings along the way every week so that they don’t get too much too soon (a 6-8 hour training session to a true sales person is the worst thing you can do)." As we discussed in the article on recruitment, an individual’s innate talents are the greatest indicator of potential success. Skills and experience are also important factors to consider when hiring, but talent is non-negotiable. If you hire a highly talented seller who is new to sales or isn’t familiar with your industry, however, you are going to need to familiarize them with it as a part of their onboarding process. "Have a basic process set up for people coming on board who are already experienced and in the industry, then have a completely separate one used for when people like myself come on board who do not have the industry knowledge or experience." Are You Making a Positive Impact on New Hires? Building a strong, customized onboarding plan is a critical first step, but so much more goes into strong onboarding. From the mo- ment they accept the job, your new hire is sizing up their new company and position and determining whether they made the right choice. One third of employees decide whether they will stay at a company long- term after being on the job for one week or less, and 63% make that decision in the first month! This is the time to paint an accurate picture of theexpectationsyou have for them and expose them to the people and culture that comprise their new work home. Some of our respondents valued meeting with de- partment heads at this stage, while others pointed to the value in meeting the key play- ers with whom they would interact. Many shared that a deep dive into future mentor- ship and coaching opportunities was espe- cially important to them at this time. For a salesperson, onboarding is a sort of moment of truth where they learn about how much the company really values them and they fi- nally settle in to their new role. "The emphasis on selling the right way and the extensive sales training program I was able to participate in made the most impact on me, and is the process by which I operate on a daily basis."