Starting Things Off Right

Every experienced Broker knows that there is a “honeymoon” phase right after a new associate comes on board.  You get about 3 to 4 weeks to convince the salesperson that they made the right choice in affiliating with your firm.  If you handle the transition to your firm correctly, you can obtain a loyal and well trained associate who may want to share their experience with other potential agents.

In almost each of my recent recruitment appointments the potential associate has asked about our training program.  They often ask about what we offer, who provides the training and how they can obtain it.  When we combine our in-house training program with the Coldwell Banker University resources, this often becomes an unbeatable perk to the associate.  I love getting this question as it reveals how concerned associates are with the world around them today.  It seems that we spend a lot of time in the learning phase with associates and often they are overwhelmed and need direction and structure for their learning experiences.

Enter BluePOINT

One of the best learning solutions (and there are many) I’ve seen from Coldwell Banker University has been the recent release of BluePOINT Onboarding and Career Development System.  You can access the resources in the Training and Resources Room of the Managing Broker Learning Academy portal in CBWorks.  You will find the program in the “Resources” drawer of the “Training and Coaching” section or  the easiest way to get there is from the the CBWorks login.  Hover over “Recruit & Retain” and then click on “BluePoint OnBoarding and Career Development”.  The program files will automatically download.

Here’s what it looks like in the Broker Portal.

The BluePOINT system is a resource to assist Managers with developing a consistent Onboarding and training program for sales professionals. The system is comprised of individual courses/assignments which are to be completed by the sales professional, there is a suggested career path for all levels of experience.  This includes potential Associates who haven’t even completed the licensing program all the way up to your experienced Associate.

This multi-level system approach allows Firms to structure their training program for agents with varied levels of experience and production.  The participant’s manual is delivered in “Word” format so that you can edit the document and make it specific to your Firm’s own tools and resources.

Three Elements

The program comes with three primary elements.

I.  Managers Overview and Resource Pack

II.  Participants Overview

III. Participants Resource Pack

These three elements are packed with information and resources for our to take ownership of and create an outstanding training program

Key Elements

• You provide an outline of specific courses and activities.
• Follow-up activities are included to reinforce the learning events and ensure the new sales professional applies the new knowledge on the job. Be sure to make your follow up activities actionable and measurable.
• The assignments are largely self-study. Most of the effort is on the part of the sales professional.
• Some of the suggested courses do not have activities that require a license so currently unlicensed individuals may begin immediately.
• Since you will be recruiting sales professionals at all levels of competency, courses have been included for the newest to the consummate professional.
• To ensure consistency, a checklist is included for your use. As an item is checked off from the list use it as a positive reinforcement of proceeding toward the goal. This also reduces the risk of overlooking details that may seem routine to you.

What’s A Manager To Do?

This BluePOINT system is designed to assert minimal demand on the Manager’s time, while still ensuring an organized and well-developed Onboarding system.  The training elements are self-paced for the most-part and takes the learner through a wide series of exercises including the eFaststart and Boo$t training programs offered by Coldwell Banker University.

Associates will not only be better connected to the vast resources of Coldwell Banker, but also have a great understanding of what it takes to be a successful agent and how to get there.

The entire program is laid out in individual, easy-to-follow steps for both the manager/trainer and the learner.  The Manager is given a series of forms and tools to help track the learner and to keep them motivated in the process.

As a fellow broker I understand the demands on one’s time and not just in finding the time to do the training, but to setup an effective system.  As an Associate, I also remember how important it was to me that the company I had affiliated with had a formal training program.  It was a deciding factor in both my original and continued affiliation.  How about you?

Should you have any questions or like more information about the BluePOINT Onboarding system, always feel free to reach out to your EBC’s or CBU Staff!