Avoiding Turnover in High-Performing Salespeople

The average annual turnover rate for salespeople is 20%. Many factors account for that number, but a sizeable amount of voluntary turnover occurs from burnout and lack of motivation. To combat turnover, it’s crucial to put added resources behind your onboarding and development process to ensure your hires maintain the engagement, mental toughness, and willingness to tap into the personality traits that contribute to sales effectiveness. We’ve previously discussed what the different sales jobs entail and which personality traits are best suited to those jobs, but how do you nurture your employees so that they maintain their performance and resist leaving?

Avoiding a Bad Hire

Just because a candidate exhibits the right personality traits doesn’t mean they will perfectly adapt to the role without additional coaching and development. Unproductive workers reduce revenue potential by 40%, and another 36% of your team can also experience negative performance trends when affected by negativity from a low-performing or unhappy co-worker. As we’ve previously outlined, it doesn’t always come down to experience. Look for candidates who are adept at navigating the modern sales force.

Sales effectiveness today isn’t made from just making calls and making connections. Top salespeople also know how to multitask so as to keep records, build relationships, manage data, document conversations, stay up-to-date on industry trends, and function as a consultant rather than just focusing on closing the deal. 79% of buyers say it’s absolutely critical they interact with a salesperson they trust and who adds value to their business—not just a sales rep who wants to make the sale.

Nurture Over Nature

Even the perfect salesperson needs to know their manager is invested in them. You’ve placed them in their perfect role, but they can’t succeed on their own. Your salespeople need help understanding and maintaining their motivations, building out their competencies, and developing their work style. Without these, you might start to see that turnover rate creep up — even in your top performers.

Working with Introverts Versus Extroverts

You might think salespeople are all naturally extroverts, but that isn’t necessarily the case. Extroverts make great salespeople because they love to talk; introverts because they love to listen. Each can build equally meaningful client relationships through their strengths, but they will likely each have different work styles. As such, you can’t treat every salesperson the same. Pay close attention to the types of interactions where your team members thrive, and mold your management style to fit their preferred methods of communication. Trying to fit square pegs into round holes can also contribute to turnover rates.

Watch for Burnout

High-performing salespeople will often keep their nose to the grindstone in order to meet their goals, and it’s the responsibility of leadership to catch those at risk of burnout and intervene before it becomes a problem. Here’s how you can avoid burnout and maintain motivation in your sales team:

• Set clear, measurable benchmarks — Having small, achievable goals allows your employees to feel productive and successful, even during long stretches of indecision or lengthy sales cycles. Celebrating small successes along the way boosts morale and keeps spirits high.

• Extra time off — Many companies offer bonus PTO after the busy season. Whether that’s Fridays off throughout the summer or designated long weekends, allowing your busy team a little time for rest and relaxation can afford them the time they need to recharge without sacrificing their progress.

• Make time for self-improvement — Give your team opportunities to sharpen their skills, learn new methodologies, and continue their education in order to reach their full potential. Demonstrate that you’re committed to their excellence just as much as they are, and you’ll notice a more engaged, motivated team.

Once you’ve carefully chosen and placed your candidate, it’s important that you develop and implement a coaching plan that allows your employees to thrive in a role in a way that’s suited to their particular personality. For more information on the Caliper Essentials for Coaching and how to build a strategic coaching plan for your team members, reach out to our experts about a subscription today!