Effective onboarding protocols are key when onboarding and training new hires on your brewery’s sales team. Making sure that a new employee can quickly become familiar with the company’s products, values, and sales strategies, while enabling them to contribute efficiently from the start can help with a new hire feeling welcomed and motivated.
Indeed Brewing looks to provide comprehensive training and CBO Ryan Bandy said it’s definitely been something the Minneapolis brewery has worked on developing over the years.
Indeed has some internal systems and processes now that are really focused on the brand’s sales style, along with goals and strategies, Bandy explained.
“We’ve used some educational pieces over the years — things like EOS or business-y sales books — but I haven’t found a good substitute for getting out there and learning from experience,” he said.
Seismic Brewing has an in-depth onboarding process to quickly educate all new sales staff about the brewery’s company and brands.
“Additionally, we offer a tour of our brewery, a tour of Admiral Malting — our malt supplier — and one-on-one sessions with the Brewery Manager to address any questions about our beer styles, production processes, or ingredients,” explained Director of Marketing for Sonoma Craft, Breanne Heuss. “After completing the onboarding process, we continually provide updated educational materials, including presentations, sell sheets, and consumer insight data.”
Indeed’s sales staff trains hard on ‘Trade Math,’ which Bandy explained is having a good understanding of the numbers and margins in the industry.
“That’s a core piece of sales,” he said, “but then, it’s a lot of direct on-the-job training.”
Well-structured onboarding can also makes sure there is consistency in your overall sales department, which can lead to an overall better beer buyer and customer experience while boosting your company’s sales.
READ MORE: Best Practices for Hiring, Training and Retaining Sales Staff
You can probably recall at least one occasion where you’ve heard one person refer to another as a “born salesman.”
It’s an oft-heard expression, but It’s not one that Eric Butler, head of sales for Wolf’s Ridge Brewing, believes has any merit. There are innate qualities that certainly help propagate success, but education is a necessary piece of the puzzle.
“In my opinion, salespeople are trained, not born,” Butler told Brewer Magazine. “Experience in the industry is excellent for historical knowledge, but we have had great success bringing on people who have worked in service roles at the restaurant. Attitude and enthusiasm are the two most essential qualities in a hire.”
Add communication to that mix, noted Liz Patterson, sales director at MadTree, who said building and maintaining relationships were key to a salesperson having success in the market.
“Honest, open and clear communication will help someone build relationships that are built on trust and mutual respect,” Patterson said. “I would also say showing up, making yourself available and following through on what you say you are going to do.”
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