It is estimated that the turnover rate for salespeople is roughly 27%, according to the Harvard Business Review. What this boils down to is that out of 4 of your reps 1 will be gone within the next year. The turnover in the sales industry is double that in other industries. As salespeople know, sales is a very tough job. All salespeople, no matter how good they are at their job are bound to hit a few low quarters. As a good manager, it is your focus to help your sales reps during times like this even if their quota is nowhere near the mark.
The first action that should be taken is to diagnose the issue. Then by working together to come up with the best solutions to get those sales reps into the sales game and hitting their sales quota.
Here are 5 ways to work with and guide a rep that is struggling:
Use the Team Effort Approach Sales Reps
As the sales manager, you incorporate the team mentality into the equation. Make it known to your sales reps that if they are facing struggles that you are right along there with them. And, you are all going to come together and help pick each other up. Just remember that talk is cheap. Don’t just use the words that you care about your team you have to show it in your actions. So, on a Friday it doesn’t mean that that you leave the office early knowing that some of your reps aren’t making their sales quota. You, as the manager, must be the one to lead and motivate. Take the initiative to sit down with them and begin making sales calls. The rep that is struggling will be shown that they are part of a team and supported.
Help with Organization
Everyone benefits from doing a bit of cleaning in both their personal and business lives. After a long period, it feels good to get rid of the old and spruce things up a bit. Its comparable to cleaning out a closet that is too full and getting rid of things and reorganizing. The feeling of accomplishment is fulfilling.
The same can be accomplished in the sales rep’s world. Take the time to meet with the sales rep that is struggling and help to close those opportunities that are not working or stale, get priorities back on track, and flush the pipeline. Sometimes all it takes to pull the sales reps out of the low sales slump is a bit of cleaning and reorganizing.
One of the best methods of cleaning out the old is to use relationship intelligence so that there is access to new leads and identify the deals that may have slipped in the pipeline.
The Brutal Truth of Sales Needs to be Pointed Out
When you have a sales rep that is struggling to make quota it can very easily lead to a full-on sales slump. Your quest as the manager is to be able to point out the truth of sales and to be able to coach them in the science of changing things up and how it can help.
Keep in mind that business experts say it can take up to about 8 times to reach a prospect that is on the horizon. Your rep must know how many times it can take. The rep needs to understand that this holds for all sales reps and not just this individual. You must work with them to change things up a bit. For instance, if the prospect is not replying to emails, maybe a phone call would work better. If the problem is getting to the prospect through an avid gatekeeper then a solution could be to try to contact another leader in the company.
Don’t Be Afraid of Change
Your company may have a consistent way of making sales but remember that not all reps work the same way. The fact of the matter is sales reps are individuals and all add their personal touch to every sales opportunity that presents itself. People make connections with other humans and this is important in sales. It also points out the fact that the process that is being used currently just doesn’t work for this rep and others.
The Right Tools Can Make a Difference
As good as a sales rep is, there will be times when important data is not entered into the CRM. Stale leads are overlooked, and contacts are not be followed through with action. This is the time to question whether there are tools that can help your reps meet their quotas.
One of the main problems with important data being entered is most sales reps hate sitting at the computer and clicking away to enter the information. How to make this process easier? By using the proper tools to help the team be successful.
One such tool that helps with data entry is by SalesDirector.ai. Our AutoScribe tool automatically keeps track of the important data and sorts it into the appropriate categories. The automated data entry allows for 90% of data entry to be completed automatically with no hands-on by you or your sales reps. This tool also helps you as a manager keep track of what your salespeople are doing. By knowing what your salespeople are doing in real-time you can jump in with reinforced sales coaching those reps that are struggling.
Being a successful manager means helping your reps that are struggling and coaching them. Sales is a team effort and it takes more than a couple of tries to get that one prospect. Having the right tools will also make a huge difference when it comes to functioning as a team and keeping track of things that may be mistakenly overlooked.