​Challenges of Sales Team retention - Fix the issue before adding the bodies

Recent conversation with the owner of a successful technology manufacturing business highlighted an all-too-common issue of good levels of retention in the business generally, but always let down by retention in sales.

​

What’s going wrong?

The problem seems to be systemic. We’re not suggesting that it is this poorly considered but it does largely amount to keep throwing more bodies at it in the hope that the situation improves. Something in the ‘expectations vs outcomes’ equation is unbalanced, but it’s too simple to suggest that we should just alter expectations as they are likely aligned with the needs of the business.

Poor retention often feeds further poor retention, as more is expected of new team members, in less time. Businesses are so caught up in delivery that the time and head space to properly ‘stop, consider and reset’ are not afforded them.

Andy Raymond – Head of Search at ATA comments:

‘To build and retain a continuously high-performing sales team does require a definitive style of leadership that is consistent in its application and highly intuitive in appointing and motivating a team that probably runs in a higher emotional state than other functions in the business. Very capable sales leadership is increasingly rare and challenging to gauge in advance of appointment’.

​

At ATA Search we have delivered on sales leadership assignments across Europe and the US. More important is the subsequent feedback we receive confirming that long-sought improvements in performance, retention and contentment are being realised in actuality.