When starting a position it is important to set up an action plan for success with your new organization.

Schedule a meeting with your new manager (prior to starting if possible) to establish a plan for the future that includes the 1st week, 2nd week, as well as 30, 60 and 90 days.

It is prudent that you solicit feedback early and often in order to know how you are doing. It is important that you do it with confidence in the role as someone eager to learn and that you don't come across as a pest. The best way is to set up informal reviews on your progress.

It is good to seek out mentors that you can call on to help you understand the matrix of the corporate organization. It is vital to understand as many areas and levels of the organization as possible. In the case of a new job, an effective mentor might be another salesperson who is well established and respected within the company.

It is important that you always look to learn and that you be curious and excited to find out new things about your organization. Some ideas to be seeking answers for might be:

• What is the Corporation's Business Strategy?
• What is the competitive situation?
• Who are the clients and what are the most important products to them?
• What has and is being done to strengthen the company’s position?
• What does the company expect of employees, in terms of skills, knowledge and selling abilities?
• How does the company market itself?
• What is the company’s image both internally and externally?