Advice for Sales Trainers on How to Hold Onto Their Best Employees
A high-performing salesperson may decide to leave their current employer for one of four main reasons. It may come as a surprise, but money is not one of the top reasons.
The Most Common Exit Reasons for a Skilled Salesperson
(1) They do not believe the organisation "cares" about them
2. Dissatisfaction and a lack of compensation on an individual or intangible level
3. No clear or appealing future plans for one's career
4. Not having enough money or money that you want
We can find solutions by examining each of these categories.
One, they don't feel like the business "cares" about them.
One of the most common reasons salespeople quit is a subconscious belief that no one cares about them or their success. Their perception is that the corporation is more concerned with increasing its bottom line than with their safety and well-being. In what ways can you show them how much you value their feelings? Care for them genuinely, and that's all!
It is your responsibility as sales manager to feel personally invested in your team's success. If your sales team needed you, you would defend them and stand by their side no matter who they were up against—the government, your competitors, or even higher-ups in the company. You need to show your sales staff that they are more important to you than your own achievement. When they achieve success, you also achieve success, therefore you should. The role of the commander who leads his troops into war is yours to fill. You will never have to worry about retaining good sales personnel when your team knows that you will take a literal bullet for them. The best way to show salespeople you care is to show them by actually doing what they ask of you.
2-The salesperson does not get the personal or intangible rewards that would make them feel good about themselves and their work. This is a crucial part of meeting customer needs, but neither the salespeople nor their supervisors probably realise it. It is essential for everyone to have a positive self-image. If you're going to be successful in sales, your job has to boost your confidence.
Keep in mind that many people already view salespeople with suspicion. Many customers have negative preconceptions about salespeople and the slang language and insults they use. Gaining and maintaining the public's trust is crucial for successful professional salespeople.
One way to motivate salespeople is to make them "feel" that they're doing good in the world. The issue arises when this environment is absent for the salesperson and fails to manifest in a discernible way. So, the salesperson doesn't approach upper management and complain, "You know, I don't feel important or like I am performing an honourable job function..." for example.
No. Actually, it's unusual for the salesperson to pinpoint precisely why they're not feeling passionate about their work. A multitude of symptoms, frequently appearing unconnected, will indicate the presence of this issue:
a. No energy b. An unpredictable final score
c. Sick of working too much d. Tired of doing the same things over and over again e. Having a shaky work ethic and taking more time off f. Ignoring or skipping over the "basics" g. Just not caring
This salesperson clearly does not "feel" significant, as evidenced by these signals. Some potential solutions to this issue are listed below:
Make sure that the far-reaching impact of the product or service is outlined in the mission and vision statements of the organisation and each department. "How to keep motivated" is an Ask-The-Expert post you might find useful.
The breadth and significance of a salesperson's role must be continually communicated to the sales team. As an example, in the car sales industry, a sale does more than simply make the customer happy. There are many people and organisations who benefit from a car sale: the buyer's family, the community, the economy, the dealership's two dozen employees, the sale of more petroleum, and so on. Determine the product's or service's long-term effects and make sure the salespeople know how important they are.
Provide private satisfaction and public acknowledgement (#61692). Maintaining an open line of communication with your sales staff through frequent one-on-one chats will help you stay abreast of their hopes, fears, and challenges. Master the art of "listening." Investigate the salesperson's secret aims and ambitions.
Is marriage something she's considering?
Want to start a family?
Is returning to college something he's considering for the future?
Is a career in management something she's interested in?
Is a new car something he's interested in?
The question is whether she and her family are interested in relocating to a larger house.
Show genuine concern for your salespeople by getting involved in their lives. Pay attention, since they will share their thoughts with you.
Publicly express your admiration and kind remarks. An important factor in a salesperson's mental health is receiving praise for efforts made and tasks completed successfully.
Have the seasoned salesperson train the less experienced ones. There are a lot of possible issues that this strong management tool fixes. Involve an experienced salesperson in teaching a sales training class or have younger salespeople observe them when they start to lose interest in the sales process because it is becoming routine. Involve the more seasoned salesperson in training the new hires and portray them as a "long-time expert" to the less experienced salespeople. The salesperson will start to refocus if you can find a method to give them a bonus or override revenue.
3. A simple but frequently disregarded issue is the absence of a clear or appealing professional trajectory and future. Be sure you have a firm grasp on the long-term professional and personal goals of your sales staff. Verify that your company's promotion process is structured with stepping stones. There are often two roles in a sales company:
1. The first few months on the job as a salesperson
2. A salesman
Some provide a few extra measures, such as
2. Senior Sales Associate 3. Supervisor
To keep a salesperson motivated at all times, it's crucial to have a set of "steps" to follow. Verify if the salesperson's objectives are congruent with those of your organisation. Salespeople who see the company more as a stepping stone than an end in and of itself are common. Assuming you are aware of their desires, this is OK. Take the case of a salesperson whose ultimate career objective is to open a bridal boutique. Very well. But once you realise this, you'll be able to inspire this individual.
Four, you're not making enough money, or at least not enough to satisfy your needs. Your sales staff should earn more than anyone else in your field. Tell me the process. When it comes to sales, you expect nothing less than the best from your team. You demand nothing less than the best from your sales team in terms of industry success and client happiness.
Tell me how to accomplish that. You insist that your business provides the best service or product in its field. Despite believing they can offer the finest service, many companies give their salespeople the lowest wages. This is not going to work, and it never has. A lot of businesses pay their employees barely enough to keep them from leaving. In exchange, the vast majority of workers put in barely enough time to avoid termination. No. In addition to holding your employees to the greatest standards, pay them as much as you can.
Helping other people obtain what they want will lead to your own desires, according to an old saying, which is crucial when trying to hold on to good salespeople.
