The Top Four Reasons Salespeople Stay With Their Employer

All of our sales training clients in Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary want engaged Salespeople who reach their targets and stay at their company for years to come.  All Salespeople who are enthusiastic and ambitious want exactly the same.  If everyone is in agreement, why is there such high turnover in sales positions?  Perhaps the real answer rests with knowing that while everyone wants the same goals, the implementation of them is the tough part.

Every Salesperson has a unique set of motivators to drive their professional success.  I found that these four motivators are within all great Salespeople.  The challenge is finding their order of priority in bringing out the best in each individual.

1. Income

Income is always an influencing factor in the decision to be a Professional Salesperson.  This is why Salespeople forego the consistency of a guaranteed salary.  They want a direct connection between their work ethic, skill set and their monthly paycheck.  While Salespeople love to see larger increases in their monthly pay, many of them are content to see at least a reasonable amount of growth in their annual income.  Don’t make the mistake that all Salespeople feel that money is their #1 reason to stay with their employer.  It’s only one of four motivators.

2. Growth, Learning and Leadership Opportunities

All great Salespeople want to be constantly improving their skill set and getting better at meeting the needs of their clients.  They thrive on professional growth.  Employers that believe in investing sales training and enticing Salespeople to do the same, create a positive learning environment.  This is a great motivator because Salespeople believe that if they aren’t progressing, then they’re automatically going backward.

Some top-performing Salespeople are enticed by opportunities for advancement into Management.  Don’t assume that all are.  There is a great amount of freedom in sales and many are happy to preserve it.  Know that all Salespeople are motivated by Leadership.  This can come in many forms – by assisting in the training of a new Salesperson, planning a sales function or chairing a committee.  If you want to positively influence a Salesperson, ask for his or her opinion, listen to it and let them know what influence it has on future direction.

3.  A Great Relationship with their Sales Manager

This is one of the leading motivators of all Salespeople.  For some, it’s the reason to stay with their employer or move on.  A Salesperson who has a good working relationship with their Sales Manager is always very appreciative of it.  Much has been said about the difference between respecting or liking your Sales Manager.  All Salespeople are motivated and empowered by Sales Managers that they respect, like and admire because of their integrity, communication skills and management style.  Salespeople work harder for these Sales Managers because they want to make them look good, feel proud and be successful in their management careers.  Smart Sales Managers appreciate this and strive to adapt their approach to bring out the best in their Salespeople.

4. A Fun, Positive Work Environment

We will all have tough days and frustrating months.  Sometimes tough decisions have to be made.  That doesn’t mean that Salespeople have unicorn and rainbow ideals.  They are social people who like to come to work and leave with a smile on their faces.  Great relationships with their clients are a large part of their success and doing the same at the office is very important to their personal happiness.

We spend far more time at work than with our friends and family combined.  Doesn’t it make sense to enjoy our time?  Never underestimate the power of a happy workplace. I’ve seen people stay at their employer for this point alone.

Here’s the real message

Salespeople will stay with their current employer if there is more to risk than gain by leaving.  We all want to be actively engaged in our professional lives.  With the right delivery of the four key motivators, Salespeople are happy and willing to stay with their current employer for years to come.  Smart Sales Managers and companies know that a high rate of retention on the sales floor leads to the same with clients.

What do you think?  I’d love to read your comments below.  Feel free to share this article on your favorite social media platform.  This is an excerpt from my book SHUT UP! Stop Talking and Start Making Money – it’s a practical guide for Salespeople to become top-producers and earn the respect of their clients and colleagues.

Thanks for reading!

Dave Warawa – PROSALESGUY 

Author of SHUT UP! Stop Talking and Start Making Money

 Available on Kindle and paperback.  

 Click the link for a preview of the book

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