As a company grows, the growth and retention of the sales team becomes a larger and larger issue. 

You invest thousands of dollars into the training and development of each of your people, only to have those who excel get head-hunted by your competitor, just when the investment was about to pay off. Then you wonder, “Is it really worth the effort?  What am I doing this for?”

The ones who stay are often difficult to manage, and even with their high sales levels, are bitten by the “prima donna” bug.

How do you retain top sales people?

The Fundamental Issue:  The Relationship

The underpinning to sustainable results with your sales staff lies in your relationships with them. You always need a relationship sufficient to do commerce. This is just as true with your salespeople as it is with your customers. Only, the stakes are much higher with your sales staff than with any single customer!

3 Approaches to Sales Management

1. Tell them nothing and hope they sell well. This is usually called "duck and cover" or surrender and many managers try this “innovative” approach to staff retention.

2. Dictate how it has to go, in detail. This is the formula for how to squash the human spirit, rather than how to bring out the best in your sales force. That fact doesn’t stop it from being the most used sales management strategy in North America today… and people wonder why sales staff are quick to leave!

3. Find out your staff’s goals, priorities, issues and concerns and search for common ground. Many sales managers are afraid to ask their salespeople for this information, as they are afraid that once they know, they will have to give the salesperson everything on the “wish list”. This is a common concern among sales managers and business owners, and it is one of the easiest to overcome .

Treat Sales People Like Customers

How do you treat your customers? When asked this question, people are quick to list all the good things they do for their customers. When prompted, they will also list all the things they want FROM customers. It's just as easy to list the good things you do for and want from your sales team. It's the exact same questions!

Fundamentally, treating your sales team like customers boils down to the list below:

1. Be clear on what you can offer them. For Customers - Know your products and services, all their attributes and how they serve people. The clearer you are on your product mix, the better off your clients will be.

For Salespeople - Know your business core values, what you offer them, all their attributes and how they serve people. Examples might include: Be accountable, Develop balanced relationships, Dare to Venture, Act with Integrity, Focus on Results, Make it fun… The clearer you are on your business environment, what you value,  and how you want the relationships to be, the better off your salespeople will be.

2. Be clear on what you want from them.  For Customers - You know what you offer your customers. What do you want from them? Usually it is to gain a profit on the transaction. Further, it may be to gain referrals from them as well. Finally, it is to gain feedback from them, so that you may improve as your business grows.

For Salespeople - You know what you want from your sales team. What do you offer them? Usually it is the standard pay, commission and benefits. Further, it may be to offer a unique, supportive environment for them as well. Finally, getting feedback from them on their goals, priorities and issues so that you can improve as your business grows.

3. Understand their needs and wants, and interact where there is common ground.  For Customers - The clearer you are on the needs of your customers, the better you may serve them. This also allows you to generate the closest match or alignment possible between your products, services and you customers needs fulfillment, to ensure maximum customer satisfaction. If there is no common ground, you will not have that person as a customer. The more common ground there is, the higher the chance you will do business.

For Salespeople - The clearer you are on the needs of your salespeople, the better you can serve them. While that might sound backwards, this allows you to match or align your sales teams needs with your business, to make sure your sales team is satisfied and your business is growing. If there is no common ground, you will not have that person on your sales team. The more common ground there is, the higher the chance you will do extraordinary business.