It is amazing the risks many business owners and managers are willing to take by hiring people, giving them little or no orientation or training, and then simply throwing them out on the job. If your people aren't sold on you, your company, and your products or services, how are they going to convince your prospects? Training your people must be your first priority if you truly want to convince prospects to come aboard.
ACTION ITEM
Make it a rule that every new person joining your organization must be oriented to the values and beliefs of your company. Make yourself a checklist of the things they need to know and believe before you let them interact with prospects or customers. Create a training session that teaches them your philosophies and traditions.
Chicago-based Quill Corporation has a rule that new employees can't touch a telephone until they have been through several phases of training. They learn about the history of the company, about its culture, rules, and policies, and about its procedures and traditions. They must be able to demonstrate that they are convinced Quill is a great operation before they ever go near a phone. The management is adamant that they will not let employees talk to prospects or customers until they know about and believe in the company.