BY C. Lee Smith
Did you know that the average sales manager experiences a 30% turnover rate? Our proprietary research also shows that only 45% of sales managers use a sales skills assessment, like TeamTraitTM, when they are hiring. This simple tip, along with the others I explain below, can reduce turnover in your department.
Tops Steps to Reduce Turnover
If you’re seeking to fill a sales position that has turned over multiple times, consider changing your process. Specifically, you’ll want to:
- Update the job description to accurately reflect the position
- Use a sales acumen assessment
- Onboard your new sales professional with the right training and support
Have you updated the job description?
In too many cases, I’ve seen job descriptions that do not match what the position entails. And after a person is hired in a situation like this, they may feel misled.
Has it been a few years since the job description was updated? Did someone in HR write the outline? To correct this problem, review the job description before posting it in recruiting channels.
Because job responsibilities change over time, it’s important to review the description regularly. For example, our research indicates that 31% of sales professionals use AI for customer research and business intelligence. If that technology is now part of the job for sales reps, include it in your description. This is a top sales hiring tip to help you attract better candidates.
Another way to reduce hiring risk is to understand the psychometric profiles of other reps who succeed in your sales positions. Ask your reps to take an assessment through a platform like TeamTrait.
Are you using sales acumen assessments?
Assessments give you objective scores on a number of factors about the members of your team. In addition to understanding the details of their sales acumen, you can also learn about motivation.
Matching rewards to employee motivation
With this information, you’ll know if you’re properly motivating your new sales hires. Many managers assume that the only way to motivate reps is through financial rewards. However, some reps are more interested in wanting to learn new things or the ability to show their creativity at work.
How to test the sales acumen of top candidates
It’s one thing to listen to the sales pitch of candidates who you interview. You can admire their style. But allowing yourself to be sold on the basis of an interview could lead to trouble.
Another of my top sales hiring tips is to take the emotion out of the hiring process and rely on objective data points instead. Ask your candidates to take an assessment. TeamTrait stands apart from the competition because the platform includes a Sales Acumen situation judgement test.
The resulting scores will show how the candidate compares to others in key sales skills:
- Preparation
- Discovery
- Problem-solving
- Closing sales
Don't let a coaching need stop you from hiring a great candidate
Often, you’ll find that candidates excel in one area, but not in another. In fact, salespeople tell us they struggle most with handling objections, finding the person who controls the budget and getting testimonials.
Sales managers agree that reps struggle with objections and getting to the budget person. But their top issue is that reps don’t properly conduct pre-meeting intelligence. If that’s an issue in your department, have you asked your top candidates how they conduct research?
Have you optimized your onboarding process?
If a candidate’s answers about pre-call intelligence are weak, don’t write them off. Review their other assessment scores. In particular, pay attention to their coachability. Some individuals are open to being coached regarding their skills; others aren’t.
If a candidate with weaker sales skills is open to coaching, give them a second look. When you customize training and coaching to their needs, you may end up with an outstanding sales rep. This is a top issue to address in your onboarding process.
Coaching and training do not come naturally to all sales managers. If you’re struggling to find the best approach, check out the Difficult Conversations Coach tool in TeamTrait. This tool will lead you through a question-and-answer session to help you prepare for important conversations. Using this tool during onboarding can also help you make a solid impression with new hires and strengthen their resolve to stay with the organization.
39% of sales professionals are actively seeking another job with another firm. That’s not a number than any sales manager wants to experience. Using these top sales hiring tips will help you increase retention of valued team members.
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