What do you do if your intern in outside sales is struggling with their key responsibilities?

We have to identify what the problem is. Entirely too often we throw the baby out with the bath water, especially when it is an intern or person new to the industry. "Maybe the job just isn't for you...". An intern struggling is a wonderful opportunity to not only help improve that individual as a part of the team but also a great way to identify possible weaknesses in your process, company or policies. Start by finding out what that interns day looks like and then go through it with them. Shadow them while being a resource to give pointers and help along the way. This one day can be a force multiplier and may solve the issue in less than 8 hours. No matter what, it will give insight into what is going on.

In my experience if a new employee, intern or not, is struggling it is more than likely a symptom of problematic onboarding. In the specific case of an intern they are likely to be very inexperienced and things an employer takes for granted from established employees who come with a lot bag of skills and experience aren’t present in an intern. My advice, implement a buddy programme when any new person starts and make the buddy responsible for a set of goals and milestones that can be used to establish how well the onboarding is going. Also implement a meet the execs programme so the intern gets a full strategic picture of the business. Set the right environment for success and if your hiring practices are good your interns will succeed.

Goal setting is way too often misunderstood. I have seen goals used as punishment, as a one stroke solution and as the final answer to address the issue. There has to be a benefit other than keeping your job to the goals. Goals can be very motivating as long as they actually meet the "SMART" rule of thumb AND they address the issue. The issue addressed is not a bad employee, it is underperformance. Coaching, resources, checking in/up and getting involved must be used along with just setting goals. As a leader we have to be part of the solution, not just the identifier of the problem and enforcer of the consequences.

Often the lack of success in outside sales is the lack of involvement in the industry culture. Networking can be one way of relieving this. Total networking is more than just an email. The intern has to get out in the industry and meet people, see the job, understand the process and, yes, even know the competition. The chances of success increase with every interaction. It also has the benefit of increased self image valuation in the workplace and industry. I remember when I was a student/intern and attended trade shows: I still have some of those contacts and use them on a regular basis. Networking can make the difference between the end of an internship and a great employee. It is up to us to create the opportunity.