Getting new sales reps up to speed shouldn’t take forever, but it often does. You’ve got targets to hit, customers waiting, and no time to hand-hold every new hire through the same clunky training. If you’re tired of watching your onboarding process drag out (or watching good reps quit before they ever get going), you’re in the right place.
This guide is for sales managers, enablement folks, and anyone with a stake in getting new reps productive—fast. We’re digging into how to actually use Saleo training features to build a real onboarding process, not just a stack of forgotten videos. I’ll call out what actually helps, what’s fluff, and how to skip the noise.
1. Get Honest About Where New Reps Struggle
Before you touch a training tool, map out where new sales hires get stuck. Don’t just guess—ask recent hires or shadow someone new for a day. The usual suspects:
- Product demos that feel robotic or awkward
- Struggling to answer common objections
- Not knowing what a “good” call or demo sounds like
- Forgetting key steps in your process
Pro tip: Don’t train on everything at once. Focus on the first 2-3 milestones you want reps to hit (book a meeting, run a basic demo, handle objections). The rest can wait.
2. Build Realistic Demo Environments with Saleo
One of the best things about Saleo? You can create live, editable demo environments that mimic your actual product—no engineering help needed, no risk of breaking anything.
Why this matters: New reps need to do the job, not just hear about it. Watching a video doesn’t teach you how to handle a product in real time, especially when a prospect asks a weird question.
How to use Saleo here:
- Set up a “sandbox” environment. Use Saleo to spin up demo data and product versions that look and feel real, but aren’t tied to customer accounts.
- Create scenario templates. Build common demo flows—“showing the dashboard,” “integrating with X tool,” “handling feature Y’s weirdness.”
- Let reps break things. Encourage them to click around, try edge cases, and ask “what if” before they’re in front of a prospect.
What to skip: Overproduced demo scripts. Real customers don’t follow scripts, and neither should your training. Focus on adaptable flows, not word-for-word recitations.
3. Use Guided Walkthroughs (But Don’t Overdo It)
Saleo lets you build guided walkthroughs—step-by-step overlays that show reps what to do next inside the product. These are great for complex features or workflows that trip people up.
Best practices:
- Make walkthroughs short. Under 5 minutes. If it takes longer, break it into chunks. No one wants a 20-step clickfest.
- Add context, not just clicks. Explain why a step matters (“This is where most customers ask about integrations”), not just “Click here.”
- Update regularly. Products change. Outdated walkthroughs breed confusion and mistrust.
What not to do: Don’t turn every workflow into a guided tour. People tune them out if they’re everywhere. Use them for the tricky stuff, not the basics.
4. Record and Share “Gold Standard” Demos
Seeing a polished, real-world demo is worth ten PowerPoints. Use Saleo’s recording tools to capture actual calls or run-throughs from your best reps.
How to keep this useful:
- Highlight both the good and the bad. Include examples of tough objections or when something goes sideways—then talk through how it was handled.
- Keep recordings short and focused. Five minutes on “handling pricing questions” beats a 45-minute soup-to-nuts demo.
- Build a searchable library. Tag recordings by topic (“Discovery,” “Integrations,” “Competitive Objections”) so new reps can find what they need, fast.
Warning: Don’t just dump a folder of random calls and call it a library. Curate. Label. Ruthlessly delete what’s outdated.
5. Gamify Practice (But Don’t Make It a Circus)
Saleo has options for interactive challenges and quizzes. These can help reinforce key concepts, but don’t overthink it—your reps aren’t children, and they’ll see through anything cheesy.
How to make this work:
- Use challenges for real skills. Instead of “Which feature does X?” try “Show how you’d demo feature X to a skeptical customer.”
- Offer bite-sized rewards. A leaderboard or a “demo master” badge is fine, but don’t turn it into a carnival.
- Keep it optional, not punitive. Use gamification for encouragement, not as a stick.
Skip: Forced participation, cringe-worthy “fun facts,” or anything that feels like busywork.
6. Track Progress and Give Fast Feedback
Saleo’s admin features let you see who’s actually engaging with the training and where they’re getting hung up. Use it.
What works:
- Set clear checkpoints. E.g., “Everyone runs a sandbox demo by day 3.” Make it visible to the team.
- Give feedback in real time. Watch a rep’s recorded demo and send a quick, honest note—what worked, what didn’t, one thing to try next.
- Spot the silent strugglers. If someone hasn’t touched the sandbox in a week, check in privately. Don’t let people fall through the cracks.
Don’t: Rely only on completion stats. Just because someone clicks through doesn’t mean they’re ready.
7. Keep Iterating—Don’t Set It and Forget It
The reality: onboarding isn’t “done.” Products change, customers get smarter, and your best reps find new ways to win.
What to do:
- Ask new hires for feedback. What helped? What was a waste of time? Act on it.
- Update your Saleo flows and libraries regularly. Even small tweaks help.
- Trim the fat. If a walkthrough, demo, or quiz isn’t getting used, kill it.
It’s better to have a small, tight training process that works than a sprawling mess nobody finishes.
The Wrap-Up: Start Simple and Improve as You Go
Onboarding with Saleo isn’t magic, but it can make a big difference—if you keep it focused and practical. Start with the bare essentials: a realistic demo sandbox, a few key walkthroughs, and a library of real calls. Add more only when reps actually need it.
Don’t worry about perfection. Ship something, watch what works, and tweak the rest. The faster you get new reps from “clueless” to “confident,” the more everyone wins. And honestly, you’ll save yourself a ton of headaches along the way.