3 Steps to Make Your New Hire Productive

The traditional approach to "onboarding" — sitting your new hire down with a stack of reading or a series of trainings — doesn't do much to explain how the organization truly functions. Take these three steps to help your new hire understand how work gets done and what he can do to add immediate value:

1. Start early. Onboarding starts with hiring. During interviews, expose all candidates to the organization's culture. Don't oversell your company; be honest about who you are and how you work.
2. Introduce him to the right people. Identify key stakeholders that your new hire needs to know. Broker early introductions so that he can begin building relationships right away.
3. Get him working. This shouldn't be a sink or swim approach. Put him on projects where he is supported by others and can start contributing right away

Source: Harvard Business Review

Prepare for the Next Defining Moment

Every important meeting has a defining moment that can lead to breakthrough results. These moments are often preceded by uncertainty. When the group is not sure what to do next, there is an opportunity for someone to take action and move things forward. Before your next critical meeting, think about when those moments might happen and visualize what you would do. You don't need a detailed plan, just the mental alertness and awareness of the opportunities and how you would seize them


Source: Harvard Business Review

3 Cold Call Tactics that Increase Sales

In this era of social media and web-based marketing tools, it's easy to assume the cold call is dead. But especially in the B2B market, it is still a very popular — and effective — way to make sales. Here are three ways to convert a phone call into a sale:

1. Find a direct line. Calling the direct number for the person you are trying to reach doubles your chances of getting him on the phone.
2. Utilize online resources. Use sites such as LinkedIn, ZoomInfo, and Jigsaw to get more information about your targets or to make contact.
3. Know the difference between persistence and annoyance. Annoying someone will not make him buy what you're selling. Be professional when reaching out: personalize each message, alternate between voicemail and email so you don't inundate, and add value or provide more information each time you call

Source: Harvard Business Review