In 2019, as a part of a major scale inside Beam Dental, I worked as a team of one to design, implement, and execute on a comprehensive sales training and onboarding program.

Head of Sales Training + Enablement

Beam Dental 2019-2020

⭐ Supplemental Content:

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Thought Leadership on Revenue Operations & Enablement

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My approach to designed the sales training program was intended to be comprehensive and methodical in our ability to onboard and develop new sales team members. It aimed to seamlessly integrate new hires into the company's culture, provide them with a thorough understanding of the dental benefits industry, and equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their roles.

This program balanced interactive learning with hands-on practice, including role-playing scenarios, shadowing seasoned team members, and regular assessments to ensure comprehension and progress. By leveraging resources like an onboarding notebook, structured weekly learning modules, and Confluence as a centralized learning management system (LMS), the program provided a clear roadmap for new hires' growth.

The very first draft of the curriculum

Key highlights of the program included:

• Structured Onboarding: A 4 week training schedule covering company values, product knowledge, sales processes, and system tools.
• Interactive Learning: Role-playing exercises, shadowing calls, and targeted retraining to build sales skills and confidence.
• Frequent Evaluations: Weekly assessments and production trackers to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
• Collaboration Across Teams: Involvement from Product, Engineering, and Underwriting, as well as Revenue Org functions including RevOps, Marketing, and Partnerships teams to offer a well-rounded perspective.
• Emphasis on Company Values: A focus on resilience and adaptability through feedback loops with stakeholders and trainers.

This program was not just about teaching sales techniques; it was designed to foster confidence, encourage collaboration, and instill a sense of ownership in the new hires as they transitioned into self-sufficient team members. By the end of the training, participants were well-prepared to contribute to Beam's success while continuing their development within the organization.

Below is a detailed overview of the program, including external links to additional supplemental resources.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE + LEARNING MODULES

Weeks 1 and 2:

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GOALS

• New hires should become assimilated into the company, learn high-level information about the products, systems, processes, and tools.
• Leadership should be able to differentiate and determine an individual’s level across various competencies. </aside>

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TACTICS

• Leader will build program into New Hire’s calendar so all schedule programming is accounted for
• New Hires will attend classroom style learning sessions, and complete small homework style tasks, as well as the following tactical exercises:
  • Role playing with seasoned/existing team
  • Shadowing sales calls and support calls
  • Passing licensure exam (insurance specific)
  • Completing checkpoints and assessments for basic knowledge
  • Targeted (small group or 1:1) retraining based on evaluations as needed </aside>

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EVALUATION

• New hire should have thorough knowledge of company, product, and industry.
• New hire should have demonstrated company values as determined by feedback from training stakeholders.
• Tactical production including:
  • Listened to pre-determined number of calls
  • Participated in pre-determined number of practice calls
  • Completed pre-determined amount of hours shadowing </aside>

Week 1:

Below is a detailed outline of the training and onboarding program, separated by each week.

The table to the right gives an overview, while the second table includes more details about the events that take place throughout the week.

This minimizes disruption due to holidays, and internal meetings. | Company Wide Onboarding ______

Introduction

| Licensure exam overview/planning ______

Product Highlight

Plan Design 101

BDR Role (pipeline homework) | Full Sales Process

Systems (admin scavenger hunt homework) ______

Marketing Role | Member Success Role (support homework)

MAC Training ______

RFP Process

Weekly Assessment

Production Tracker |