How do you keep top sales talent?

Compensation is important, but I have discovered your ability to create an environment where your top performers can do what they love and are great at each and every day is critical. Let your racehorses run - don't try to turn them into plow horses. Help people realize their full potential and they will reward you with consistent high-quality performance and loyalty.

DO NOT MICROMANAGE!! If they were hired, that means a group of people decided this person was highly capable of doing the job. If the manager, etc feels differently, please allow the individual to personalize their role and figure out what will work best for them. Micromanaging serves absolutely no purpose and it just repels the best individuals who are most qualified.

I keep hearing micromanagement is a big turn off to employees. However, if employees don't follow process, procedure and SOP, management needs to be involved to keep everyone consistent. Having process, procedure and SOP intact is key. Otherwise, it is chaos and no one is happy. If you cannot follow process, plan on being micromanaged. When safety, accounting, profitability and customer fulfillment is involved there has to be a consistent way of delivering products and customer deliverables. You can get creative in your sales approach and share suggestions and collaborate, but being rogue and making decisions outside of the delivery process without permission causes big problems and can be costly and confusing to other workers.

One thing that I have found really helpful is when companies provide an equal opportunity of growth of sales individual to senior roles for which they have carrier aspirations. Also most companies if they have a fair incentive, commission, bonuses policy that also helps in the long term in retaining top sales talent.

There are many ways to improve company culture: let your employees be creative, make your workplace more DEI-friendly, talk openly about work-life balance, offer parental leave and PTO—be the example by showing your employees they don’t need to hustle or work 24/7 to succeed. If you’re unsure about the state of your culture, consult your human resources manager about conducting an employee survey. Then make sure you follow through on the feedback you receive.

The best and easiest way to do this is to have a conversation with them. I prefer an environment away from the office, perhaps a nice lunch, where I can ask them what they want to achieve and what's most important for them in the short term and long term. Then, I ask them how they think I can help them. These conversations are impactful and well worth the time when you want to help your stars continue to shine in your world.

In my experience, retaining top sales talent demands a cultural shift. In a suffocating environment of micromanagement and burnout, salespeople's potential is trapped. But when visionary leaders emerge, it fosters autonomy and growth. Collaboration replaces cutthroat competition, attracting top talent. When you break free from toxic sales cultures, teams unleash their potential, and organizations become thought leaders in driving cultural change. #SalesRetention #leadershipdevelopment #coaching

The first step to building a strong culture is understanding that all teams are made up of individuals that will require different things to help them feel engaged. You first need to be able to gauge what will have the most impact on people individually and then what are the things you can implement that will have an impact on the broadest amount of members of any group. Once you have catered for the majority, you can make tweaks to add in areas for individuals that aren't covered by this. Thinking a one size fits all approach to culture I think is where a lot of leaders actually go wrong.

Challenges with performance and reaching goals can arise for even experienced salespeople, so tracking the numbers is key to spotting problems before it’s too late. Slipping performance can be reversed, but left unattended can lead to turnover. When you see falling productivity or goals unmet, the first step is a conversation. What does your rep feel is causing the problem? What are their suggestions for improvement? Often the best changes in team-wide processes and messaging come right from your team, so listen up!

In today's business landscape, cultivating a positive and collaborative workplace culture is not merely an abstract idea; it's the heart of team success. This requires valuing individual contributions and embracing the principles of diversity and inclusion, not just in words but in practice. These elements add richness and substance to our culture, making it more than just a glossy exterior. Avoiding micromanagement and favoritism, and respecting the human element of our team, translates to a thriving, respectful, and inclusive environment. In my view, these principles are the essential building blocks of successful business, where presentation is matched by genuine substance.

Feedback is a really important part of developing a positive supportive culture. Sales leaders should model the behaviours they want to see from the team, so be open to feedback from your team, listen to people's feedback and respect their input. Show people it's ok to be honest and to share their opinions. When giving feedback make sure your language is positive and supportive especially when providing negative feedback. Feedback should be a regular occurrence not just in performance reviews. It's best done close to the event or behaviour you are feeding back on. When sales leaders create an environment with high levels of psychological safety they increase motivation, retention and reduce burnout.

Consider that salespeople have a different perspective than other functional areas. Instead of simply soliciting feedback, help sales understand other pressures in the business, such as delivery, operations, and finance.

Partner with each of your sales people to conduct a SWOT analysis of themselves! This will trigger great conversation between the salesperson and manager. Additionally, have your salespeople take a talent index assessment so that you can learn and understand exactly what each person is motivated by. It's not always just about the dollars.