Use turnover to upgrade your staff
Turnover is a fact of life in all facets of business. Unfortunately for a sales force, this can throw goals and projections into a tailspin.
We recommend that managers always have their feelers out for potential sales candidates but sometimes they are caught unaware. Even diligent sales managers can be caught with a departing sales professional leaving a void behind. Dealing with sales force turnover is doing damage assessment, setting an interim solution, and systematically filling the vacant role.
The first challenge is identifying the impact of turnover. Was it a poor producer who was notified that their performance was not meeting acceptable levels? If so and they chose to leave, it was likely an acceleration of events. This scenario actually provides an opportunity to upgrade the staff.
Was it a mediocre performer? If so, were they in the position short-term or long-term? Longer-term sales professionals tend to fill service gaps that weren’t necessarily part of their job functions. So identifying what they were doing and who they were doing it for is critical to making sure those roles are filled.
Were they a top producer? If so, a plan needs to be put in place to distribute the lost production across the
Regardless of who left, the position almost certainly will need filled. Any time a hiring decision is made the goal is to get a top performer. Just because the need is more urgent is no excuse to accept a sub par candidate.
Cast a wide net in advertising the position and don’t forget your sales force’s personal network. Sales professionals and sales managers often know a multitude of other professionals that might be well suited to the role.
Make sure everyone on the staff is aware that the role is being filled and have a clear understanding of what kind of candidate is desirable. If the sales force works as a team to fill a gap, it’s more likely that an ideal candidate will be identified.
Identifying the vacant role and clearly communicating with the rest of the sales team is vital to using turnover as a chance to upgrade.
Matthew Neuberger, president of Neuberger & Co. Inc., an authorized Sandler Training licensee in Pikesville, can be reached at (410) 864-8567.
source: sanfrancisco.bizjournals
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