The research revealed that high-performing salespeople want to be involved in their organisations’ future growth, and they want to feel that their growth will come as a result of their actions and efforts.
These salespeople also clearly want to make a positive impact on their organisation’s customers, and they want to be rewarded for that. However, salespeople also want a high degree of independence; that is, they want a certain amount of autonomy and control over their own sales activities. They want to keep their close relationships with customers, and they want control over how they go about achieving those relationships.
They want a high degree of control in their personal lives, and they want control over the time they spend working, with little interference from managers or team members.
Finally, high-performing salespeople want a high degree of control and influence over the decisions that affect them personally, and they want to have input into those decisions. They also want a high degree of clarity and transparency within their organisations, and they want to be able to see the big picture.
The top-rated salespeople in the study also want a manager who is a good listener, someone who asks the right questions and who takes time to understand their issues, problems and goals.
And, of course, they want a manager who is honest, straightforward and who maintains consistent communication. They want a manager who takes responsibility for their actions and mistakes, and who takes responsibility for hiring and training new people.
The top-rated salespeople want managers who value them and their opinions, managers who demonstrate personal, genuine interest in them, and managers who really care about their future.
Research findings uncover what high-performing salespeople want from their organisations and, just as importantly, what they don’t want. Understanding both categories is critical for organisations and leaders who want to create effective commitment and ultimately retain their best-performing salespeople.
Retaining high-performing salespeople
This article appeared in the March 2018 edition of The International Journal of Sales Transformation, authored by Sarah Edge, General Manager , UK and Ireland for HMD Global.
Reproduced by permission of the International Journal of Sales Transformation. ©2018.
www.journalofsalestransformation.com/