While on Bailey Island, Maine last week I had a chance to reflect on salesperson retention strategies. Recruiting sales talent, and especially global sales talent, is a difficult task that takes $, time and effort. Losing talent hurts. Ten years ago, Kelly Rietow, http://www.roosolutions.net/, asked me during a recruiting process-do you think you can keep this salesperson for five years? That was the BEP (breakeven point) for our field sales reps. I am sure that the investment has increased since then. The first 90 days you can determine if the individual was as good as their interview and will be able to complete the tasks responsible to get the job done. Passed the honeymoon period-test one.
The second test is tougher and more on the Sales Manager. The next twelve-twenty four months is the make or break to the five year BEP. The salesperson will then be fully product trained, coddled, hazed and through at least one sales cycle. How do you retain your recruit through Phase 2?
Like most of sales management this stuff is not rocket science-it is simple two-way communication to stay engaged. Eliminate minor dissatisfactions so that you can retain the talent and celebrate their five year anniversary. Do you want to have a free fifteen minute discussion on how to retain your sales force at any stage? Sign up on my web site http://www.jimthomasintl.com/ or contact me directly by phone.
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