8 Steps to Retain Your Top Sales Performers

If you are leading a sales team today, you are likely feeling the pressure to perform.  Due to constant change and market volatility, sales managers are scrutinizing output more than ever.  

Yes, metrics do matter and as managers we should know where our teams sit, relative to goal, at all times. But if metrics have become our dominate focus, then we may be missing the larger opportunity: developing our players for the future.

Because here’s the question:

Are we coaching the player to execute better plays … or are we acting more like scorekeepers, focused on watching and measuring the results as they happen?

Managing the Scoreboard is Necessary, but Insufficient

Watching the numbers might feel like leadership, but it’s not. It’s observation. As leaders, when we hyper-focus on outputs, here’s what happens:

• Visibility without inspection creates false confidence

• Activity for activity's sake may feel productive, but lacks substance

• Accountability without coaching feels punitive, not developmental

When leaders default to scorekeeping, they:

• Lack understanding of why results are missed (or hit)

• Have low awareness of how their players are executing in the system

• Have trouble successfully predicting outcomes, so forecasting is a challenge

• Have a difficult time retaining top performers and attracting top talent

The scoreboard tells you what happened. Coaching shapes what happens next.

8 Ways Sales Leaders Use Coaching to Develop Strong Players  

The leaders who consistently build winning teams do something different: they coach the inputs. They don't just tell people what to do, they teach them how to do it.

1. They teach the why behind the system, building reps who think strategically, who are prepared to execute in high pressure situations.

   
   

2. They model the behavior and lead by example, never asking team members to do something they wouldn't be willing to do themselves.

   
   

3. They develop people in real-time and help them get unstuck, so reps can adjust in the moment and have a better chance at winning today.

   
   

4. They empower their people with systems and resources that enable consistent and repeatable outcomes, minimizing distractions and creating clarity and focus on what matters.

   
   

5. They approach data with genuine curiosity, asking pointed questions that guide the player to uncover more opportunities to elevate their own performance.

   
   

6. They treat their top performers like the assets they are, not liabilities, recognizing and appreciating their value and contributions.

   
   

7. They create a culture of two-way accountability, setting clear expectations, regularly inspecting what they expect, giving and asking for honest feedback.

   
   

8. They give them opportunities to lead, stretch them to new heights, delegating ownership and preparing them for the next role.

If done consistently, coaches will cultivate a strong sales culture that produces consistent results year over year.  

The Benefits of a Player Development Culture

Sales people are the lifeblood of your B2B sales organization. Competition for this talent is intense, especially when industry specific expertise is highly valued (e.g. -clinical research or other technical sectors).

Top performers tend to seek out leaders who challenge them, support them, and help them grow. Coaching-rich environments often become magnets for top performers.

Instead of fighting the continuous churn of sales people, great coaches empower their players to become multipliers. In a culture of coaching, where people want to learn and share, top performers beget other top performers.

Organizations that pour into their people this way tend to be more profitable. They retain top performers who are able to win bigger deals more often.

Match Vertical Partners: Helping Life Science Organizations Develop the Sales Systems and Leaders that Win    

B2B sales is hard and leading sales teams is really hard, especially in today's climate. 

At MVP, we believe our clients should have an in-house strategic partner dedicated to their commercial success.  

Our clients need real-world sales solutions, not just advice and theory. They understand that knowledge is free and that the real value is created from delivering a measurable impact to their bottom line.

We are transforming sales consulting from a transactional advisory service to a vertically aligned strategic partnership. We are committed to our client’s success, working alongside sales executives as an integrated team to drive profitable growth.