If you’ve ever dumped a new sales rep into a sea of docs and called it “onboarding,” you know it doesn’t work. Good sales training needs context, structure, and zero busywork—otherwise, your team just tunes it out. This guide is for sales managers, enablement folks, and anyone tasked with getting new reps up to speed using Spekit. Whether you’re starting from scratch or cleaning up a messy process, here’s how to create training flows your team will actually use (and not just click through to make you happy).
Step 1: Know What Your New Hires Really Need
Before you click anything in Spekit, get clear on what you want your new sales reps to learn. Spekit can organize info, but it won’t fix a muddled onboarding plan.
What to do: - Write down the bare minimum skills, tools, and product knowledge a new rep needs to not embarrass themselves (or you) in week one, month one, and beyond. - Don’t overthink it. A simple spreadsheet or notepad list works. - Ignore the urge to document every edge case. Focus on what actually moves the needle in their first 30–60 days.
Pro tip: Ask current reps what they wish they’d learned sooner. You’ll get a real-world list fast.
Step 2: Map Out a Logical Training Flow
Spekit uses “Flows” to organize training into bite-sized, step-by-step guides. The trick is to break down the onboarding journey—don’t throw a 90-minute PowerPoint at someone and hope for the best.
How to plan your flow: - Group topics into logical chunks: onboarding basics, product knowledge, process walkthroughs, CRM how-tos, objection handling, etc. - Each “Step” in a Flow should cover one actionable item. If you can’t explain it clearly in a minute or two, split it up. - Plan for 5–10 steps per Flow. More than that and people start clicking “Next” just to finish.
What to skip: Don’t use Flows as a dumping ground for generic HR stuff or company history. Stick to the sales skills and tools they’ll use right away.
Step 3: Build the Flow in Spekit
Now, roll up your sleeves and get into Spekit. Building a Flow is pretty straightforward—here’s how:
3.1: Create a New Flow
- Click into “Flows” from the Spekit sidebar.
- Hit “Create Flow.”
- Give it a clear, honest name. “Sales Onboarding: Week 1” works. “World-Class Sales Enablement Journey” does not.
3.2: Add Steps
For each step: - Write a short, specific title (“How to log your first call in Salesforce”). - Add the content. Spekit supports text, images, videos, and links—don’t get fancy unless it’s useful. Screenshots and short Loom videos beat long PDF attachments every time. - If you have existing Speks (bite-sized knowledge cards), you can link them here. But don’t force it—sometimes it’s better to write something new for clarity.
3.3: Set the Order and Details
- Drag steps to reorder them as needed.
- Add estimated time-to-complete if you want, but don’t fudge the numbers. Reps know when you’re lying.
- You can make Flows required or optional and set due dates. Don’t go overboard with “required”—it leads to box-checking, not learning.
Reality check: Spekit’s WYSIWYG editor is solid but not perfect. Formatting can get weird if you paste from Word or Google Docs. When in doubt, keep it simple.
Step 4: Assign the Flow to New Sales Team Members
Here’s where a lot of enablement projects go sideways: you build a great Flow, but nobody sees it (or worse, it gets dumped on everyone in the company). Target it.
4.1: Assign by Team or User
- In the Flow, click “Assign.”
- Pick the users or groups you want. If your sales team is organized by territory or segment in Spekit, use those groups.
- For brand-new reps, set the assignment as part of your onboarding checklist—don’t just hope someone remembers to do it.
4.2: Set Due Dates and Notifications
- Due dates are helpful but don’t micromanage. Give realistic timeframes—if you assign ten Flows on day one, nobody will take them seriously.
- Use notifications, but sparingly. Too many “reminders” and people will tune them out.
What not to do: Don’t assign every Flow to every sales rep just “in case.” It’s overwhelming and makes the whole system feel like spam.
Step 5: Track Progress and Adjust
Spekit lets you see who’s started, completed, or ignored each Flow. This is where you separate what works from what just looks good on paper.
How to actually use this info: - If everyone’s stuck on a step, it’s probably confusing—rewrite it. - If nobody finishes the Flow, it’s probably too long or not relevant enough. - Don’t shame people for not finishing—ask for feedback and fix what’s unclear.
Pro tip: Add a quick feedback step at the end: “What was confusing? What’s missing?” You’ll get better answers than from a formal survey.
Step 6: Keep It Fresh (But Don’t Overcomplicate)
Sales processes, tools, and messaging change all the time. The best teams keep their Flows up to date—but they don’t rewrite everything every month.
Simple ways to maintain Flows: - Schedule a quarterly review. Mark your calendar so it actually happens. - Assign one person (not a committee) to own each Flow. - Archive or update steps when things change—don’t just add more. Bloat kills usefulness.
What to ignore: Don’t chase every little tweak or suggestion. Focus on changes that’ll actually help new reps do their jobs better.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and Final Advice
What works: - Short, targeted Flows focused on what new reps need to do, not just know. - Real examples—screenshots, actual calls, and process walkthroughs. - Clear assignments to the right people, not blast-to-all.
What doesn’t: - Info overload. Don’t throw the whole wiki at new hires. - Unclear steps (“Review the sales process” tells nobody what to actually do). - “Set it and forget it” training. Outdated Flows erode trust.
Ignore: Fancy formatting, endless branching Flows, or making every step “required.” If it’s not helping reps sell, cut it.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Your first version won’t be perfect. That’s fine. Build a basic Flow, assign it, and actually ask new hires what tripped them up. Then fix it. Repeat every few months. The goal isn’t a fancy onboarding experience—it’s getting new salespeople to confidence (and quota) faster, with less hand-holding and less chaos. Stick to that, and you’ll get more out of Spekit—and your team.