Sales Force Retention: Give Them Something To Believe In

There are many characteristics that you could use to define a “great” salesperson, which many of the most successful possess by nature. A closer look at just a few of these will help the business owner or manager recognize those traits and look for them when bringing in new people.

Perhaps the most important trait is the ability to think in terms of building a business over the long term rather than making individual sales. It’s also essential to be able to combine this vision with the ability to focus on one customer at a time and then use testimonials and recommendations to build the business. Making these two skills work together correctly is necessary for a solid foundation in sales.

Listen and Deliver

The top salespeople also listen more than they speak and deliver more than they promise, investing time and effort in each valued client. If you have people who can do these four basic things on a consistent basis because they want to, your objective should be to keep them. How can you do that? How can you be sure that the salespeople who bring in your revenue will continue to do so?

Your first step as owner or manager should be to provide guidance and direction, a clear vision of where your company is going and should go. This has to be more than a general statement of a goal. It must include individual steps – daily, weekly, monthly, yearly – so progress can be tracked and measured. Details allow you to motivate and retain personnel. Details and accurate measurement are essential for sales force retention.

You can be likable and also be respected as a successful business owner or sales manager. Keep in mind that your sales force is, in general terms, volunteering to work with you. It’s important for you to be likable and respected so that they’ll stay with you for the long run.

One of the most important methods of ensuring sales force retention involves honest and transparent communication. You can help this process by making sure that your company is known and trusted. Then share that news with your sales people. They should always be included in company discussions, which might be more productive if they resembled conversations with trusted advisors.

Opportunity

Salespeople are generally motivated by (and interested in) opportunity. This involves giving them a product and/or service that they are honestly proud of. While it seems to be a cliché, you can depend on sales force retention if these energetic individuals believe in what they’re selling and are proud to be able to do it.

Don’t rely only on compensation to keep your best people, no matter what positions they hold in your organization. While it’s important for people to be adequately paid for their efforts, you’ll find that the best individuals in your company are looking for something more than that. If there is a key to retaining productive salespeople, it lies in giving them something that they can believe in. They like to know that they’re making a difference.

For further tips on how to retain your salesforce, please see professional advice at FunnelMetrics.com

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