It’s already difficult enough as it is to hire good salespeople, but if you’re finding that you’re having trouble retaining them as well, then you have an even bigger issue on your hands. Spending time, money, and resources to recruit people onto your sales team, only to have them leave months later can be incredibly frustrating – especially if they were top performers.
Here are five ideas on how to retain your employees and avoid having to go through the whole hiring process again.
1. Hire Better
When it comes to assessing why an employer may be experiencing high turnover, the root of the problem often gets overlooked: it may simply be that they are hiring the wrong people, to begin with. Because salespeople are good at selling themselves, it can be easy to hire someone who isn’t genuine about wanting to commit themselves to your company in the long-term.
Instead of struggling to find the right person, let a professional sales headhunter do the heavy lifting and get to the bottom of a candidate’s true nature. With their experience and a combination of search tools, they’ll be able to identify the contenders from the pretenders for you.
2. Compensate Accordingly
If an employee doesn’t feel recognized for the hard work that they do, they’ll not want to stick around and put their best foot forward for nothing. That’s why it’s essential that you are rewarding your top performers appropriately or else they will find someone else who will. Refrain from using commission caps and instead offer balanced compensation through base pay, commissions, and benefits.
3. Be Open and Clear
Transparency is important in an organization, and employees appreciate it when you communicate the goals of your business to them. That way they know which direction you’re heading in and can help support you in your company’s goals.
It’s also important to be clear when communicating expectations to your sales team. Set achievable targets and establish milestones that can be easily measured so that your top talent feel like they are making progress in their career.
4. Support Opportunities for Growth
Besides setting milestones, you can also support your salespeople by offering training opportunities and encouraging them to take on more responsibility in your company. Ownership is a powerful motivator and will make your employees feel more invested in their role and your company. By investing in their growth they’ll feel valued and an increased sense of loyalty.
5. Be More Engaged
Being more engaged with your salespeople can mean anything from asking how they are in the morning to providing direct feedback on their performance. Actively showing interest in your employees’ lives, as well as their careers, will help them feel like they’re more than just an employee number. Encourage teamwork by organizing team lunches where everyone can relax and connect. You can also put together monthly meetings where everyone gets together to share success stories and learn from one another.
By following these tips, you should see higher retention and a more content sales team.