How Employers Can Retain Top Sales Personnel

By Selipha Kihagi

In our recruitment experience, the most frequent positions that we have to fill on behalf of our clients lean more towards the Sales profession. It is no secret that Sales jobs have the highest turnover rates in employment history, but instead of getting better with time, this is only getting worse.

Any employer will confess to experiencing the headache that is prevalent in their Sales department, with constant need to hire people every now and then as others keep leaving. So, why is the situation not changing?

Muthoni Ndegwa, a Client Services Manager at Corporate Staffing Services believes the problem lies greatly in the motivation of employees. “Sales jobs have the highest cases of burnout and having experienced this first hand, employers must invest in motivating their sales personnel in order to retain them. And by motivation I do not mean salary, there is so much that can be done.”

As an employer, you must understand that sales personnel are employees like any other and want to enjoy their jobs, get recognized for their efforts, enjoy company benefits and generally feel like part of the team. So when these are neglected, they start leaving one by one and you end up using money you didn’t budget for to hire new talent.

So, what can employers do to retain sales personnel?

“To retain sales personnel, employers must be willing to change the way they treat their sales employees. They are not machines programmed to only make money for the company and bring in new customers, they are individuals with needs and want to be treated as such,” says Muthoni.

And to achieve this, employers must;

1. Realize the importance of training and development
Sales jobs demand a special approach in training, not just the initial induction period to familiarize with products. Sales personnel will interact with customers and potential clients on a daily basis, which is why they will require extra training on people skills, conflict resolution, negotiation skills as well as risk management for the purpose of keeping your brand.

2. Establish and maintain realistic goals and targets
Shifting targets within a short period of time or unexpectedly will not make your sales personnel want to work extra hard to meet expectations, instead, it will put pressure on them that they will want nothing more than to leave.

3. Recognize and reward effort

Every employee wants to feel appreciated and Sales personnel are at the top of the ladder on this one. Think about it, the sales department is part of the reason a company will either result in profits or cause losses. So, why do we still insist on paying sales people close to nothing? Money may not be the only motivator but it sure is the reason that sales personnel will stay in their jobs.

For this reason, an incentives program aimed at rewarding those who make a difference and providing benefits along the way will be a big keeper.

4. Create an enabling environment
Sales personnel work better when routine is shaken up and something new is thrown their way. Simple but very important events such as seminars, trainings, retreats or even a change in offices could be the reason sales people decide to hang in the job a little longer.

Try and introduce team building activities every now and then so they can feel included and appreciated. Also, ensure that they are able to access resources they may need with ease.

As an employer, you will be required to make extra effort to retain Sales personnel, but it will save your company money and time that is otherwise lost in employee turnover.

Are you an employer looking to hire? Contact muthoni@corporatestaffing.co.ke