Lately, I’ve been contemplating how to train new hires effectively. I manage client requests solo and it’s a lot. Curious about the methods others have used to teach their staff the ropes.
It feels like the way we handle service conversations really affects if clients end up paying.
Most people pay fine if you finish on time.
Role playing beats just listening to calls. Set up fake scenarios and make them practice the tough stuff:
Let them mess up in training, not with real clients.
On payments - teach them to bring up budget early. Keep it casual: “what’s your budget looking like?” Gets the money talk going without being pushy.
And always send recap emails after client calls. Five minutes now saves hours of “that’s not what we agreed on” later.
Start them shadowing real calls before they touch anything. I make new guys listen to me handle five or six client conversations first. Then they practice the same scripts on smaller jobs while I’m nearby.
Payment issues? Be clear upfront about scope and costs. Train them to confirm everything in writing before starting work.
Most payment problems happen when someone promises one thing and delivers another. Focus training on that communication piece and you’ll see way fewer invoice headaches.
We struggled with this for months. Finally started recording real client calls (with permission) and using those for training instead of fake scenarios.
New hires hear me handle scope creep as it happens. They watch clients try adding extra work without paying - way more effective than role-playing.
For invoices, I teach this line: “Before we move forward, let’s talk about the investment for this project.” Nicer than asking about money but works just as well.
Also make them ask who approves payments on the first call. Half our payment delays happened because we invoiced the wrong person.