Improving Sales Team Hiring & Retention [Webinar Recording]
Improving Sales Team Hiring & Retention
[Webinar Recording]
[Webinar Recording]
Ted Martin, Chief Revenue Office of Factor 8, gives logistics sales leaders advice on how to better retain their sales reps/brokers. He breaks down what reps say is the #1 reason why they would leave their current company and what leaders THINK would cause their employees to leave based on survey results from the Factor 8 Sales Team Retention Survey. Ted also explains how to better improve retention by incorporating ongoing training and development.
This recording is from FreightWaves’ Sales + Marketing Summit.
Ted Martin, Chief Revenue Office of Factor 8, gives logistics sales leaders advice on how to better retain their sales reps/brokers. He breaks down what reps say is the #1 reason why they would leave their current company and what leaders THINK would cause their employees to leave based on survey results from the Factor 8 Sales Team Retention Survey. Ted also explains how to better improve retention by incorporating ongoing training and development.
This recording is from FreightWaves’ Sales + Marketing Summit.
Lauren Bailey Sales Training + Development, Sales Manager Training, Women in Sales
If you’re familiar with Factor 8 or #GirlsClub, you may know that I founded both companies, but you may not know how they are intertwined.
Here it is: Factor 8 eLearning and live training classes are repeatedly ranked as the #1 and #2 favorites of #GirlsClub participants!
Of this, I’m tremendously proud. To have the “required management skills” come out on top with a program that includes Mentors, famous guest speakers, intimate interviews, speaking opportunities, and more… tells me we’re doing something right over here.
While we’re on the subject of good news, a few more “#GC” stats I hope you’ll help me celebrate:
Our mission is to change the face of sales leadership by helping more women earn leadership positions.
So how’s #GirlsClub different from the training you already know from Factor 8?
Conversely, with Factor 8 programs, your sales team is your cohort. It allows for more customization and deeper dives into situations and needs, customized curriculum and activities, and hands-on coaching for managers and reps. Factor 8 programs usually last a year and can also include certification (with a bit more stringent requirements for demonstrating skills).
We also don’t include all the confidence-building and community portions of #GirlsClub in The Sales Bar for Factor 8 clients. In short:
Factor 8’s goal is to move the number and change lives.
#GirlsClub’s goal is to build confidence and change lives.
We don’t mean to disclude the guys (in fact we award our favorite “Ally” male supporter each year). But I chose to keep #GC women-dominated to create a safe space.
Studies show women won’t speak up in male-dominated environments nor will they take a risk until they feel 100% confident. So we talk about that stuff. We ask female role models about discrimination, wearing beachwear on company award trips, and yes, even sexual harassment (folks, nearly EVERY woman has had a story). Yuck.
There is a day in the future when my two companies will blend more and I don’t confuse people with my double persona. But for now, what we’re doing with #GirlsClub is really working and I’m not messing with it.
Get it now and want to help or get involved?
#1. Identify female talent and encourage them to get into management. They won’t feel ready. Send them to us. Applications open each Fall and our new cohorts start in April. Learn more at: https://wearegirlsclub.com/apply/
#2. Sign up to Mentor (1 hour/month & 6-month commitment) + free access to the entire program and community. Contact us to learn more about being a Mentor: https://wearegirlsclub.com/contact-us/
[“Sales Shot” Workshop]
Smart leaders know that ongoing training and development is the #1 way to keep employees happy and engaged. It’s also the top thing that Millennials and Gen Z seek when job hunting. With attrition at an all-time high and the talent pool shrinking, companies need to shift their focus to retention strategies.
Watch our 30-minute, tip-rich session to learn everything you need to know when creating your sales team development plan. We’re covering the mistakes to avoid, how to budget for sales training, tips on executing development with low bandwidth, and much more!
Bonus: You’ll also gain access to our Sales Training Budget Cheat Sheet!
Smart leaders know that ongoing training and development is the #1 way to keep employees happy and engaged. It’s also the top thing that Millennials and Gen Z seek when job hunting. With attrition at an all-time high and the talent pool shrinking, companies need to shift their focus to retention strategies.
Watch our 30-minute, tip-rich session to learn everything you need to know when creating your sales team development plan. We’re covering the mistakes to avoid, how to budget for sales training, tips on executing development with low bandwidth, and much more!
Bonus: You’ll also gain access to our Sales Training Budget Cheat Sheet!
[“Sales Shot” Workshop Recording]
Whether you’re a current sales manager craving more training, a sales rep who aspires to lead, or a leader who wants to know the secret to turning their best reps into great managers, watch this informative workshop to learn:
Plus, many more tips straight out of our Sales Bar. There’s a management tip or two for everyone!
Whether you’re a current sales manager craving more training, a sales rep who aspires to lead, or a leader who wants to know the secret to turning their best reps into great managers, watch this informative workshop to learn:
Plus, many more tips straight out of our Sales Bar. There’s a management tip or two for everyone!
[Webinar Recording]
Sales meetings are expensive investments in sales organization time. When effective, they are value multipliers, returning many times their cost in the form of improved sales force focus and productivity.
In this webcast, Lauren Bailey joins the Sales Management Association to review how, when, and where sales managers should organize sales meetings, and offer practical tips for optimal meeting cadence and content.
Sales meetings are expensive investments in sales organization time. When effective, they are value multipliers, returning many times their cost in the form of improved sales force focus and productivity.
In this webcast, Lauren Bailey joins the Sales Management Association to review how, when, and where sales managers should organize sales meetings, and offer practical tips for optimal meeting cadence and content.
[“Sales Shot” Workshop Recording]
This session is for both managers who think they want out of management and reps who aren’t sure if they want to get there. We’re breaking down the job, the pros, the cons, and considerations. Wonder how to get your name in the hat? We got you.
Trying to take a step back without taking a step down? We get it. Look for no BS, practical tips from Factor 8 and #GirlsClub Founder LB who got in and out of sales management herself three times.
This session is for both managers who think they want out of management and reps who aren’t sure if they want to get there. We’re breaking down the job, the pros, the cons, and considerations. Wonder how to get your name in the hat? We got you.
Trying to take a step back without taking a step down? We get it. Look for no BS, practical tips from Factor 8 and #GirlsClub Founder LB who got in and out of sales management herself three times.
Need help adapting to the new remote selling world? Request a demo of Outreach, the #1 sales engagement platform that closes more deals faster — so your reps can achieve revenue goals from anywhere. Companies that choose Outreach can expect a 387% return on the investment over three years and an 11% increase in sales productivity (valued at $6.9M). See what the #1 sales engagement platform can do for your business today.
[Webinar Recording]
Most sales leaders consider coaching salespeople important however, few organizations do it consistently. But Why? Too often, sales forces haven’t committed to elevating coaching as a management priority. The sales organizations most successful in creating a coaching culture within their companies often have more effective coaching. This is because they have woven a coaching mindset into the sales culture. This mindset is a game-changer in the selling environment.
In this webcast, Lauren Bailey joins the Sales Management Association to explain how firms can establish creating a coaching culture in the sales force, and use its influence to drive highly impactful, consistent coaching outcomes.
Topics addressed include critical components of successful coaching programs, anchoring characteristics that establish a coaching culture, and practical approaches to nurturing and sustaining a sales coaching culture.
Most sales leaders consider coaching salespeople important however, few organizations do it consistently. But Why? Too often, sales forces haven’t committed to elevating coaching as a management priority. The sales organizations most successful in creating a coaching culture within their companies often have more effective coaching. This is because they have woven a coaching mindset into the sales culture. This mindset is a game-changer in the selling environment.
In this webcast, Lauren Bailey joins the Sales Management Association to explain how firms can establish creating a coaching culture in the sales force, and use its influence to drive highly impactful, consistent coaching outcomes.
Topics addressed include critical components of successful coaching programs, anchoring characteristics that establish a coaching culture, and practical approaches to nurturing and sustaining a sales coaching culture.
Lauren Bailey Sales Leadership Insight, Sales Training + Development, Sales Manager Training, Sales Rep Training
If you’ve been reading our blogs, I’m sure you know that I strongly advocate for developing your people. When I was a sales manager and director, this was my special sauce – and I got better results, engagement, and retention than my peers when I focused on sales team training. Then I went and started 2 companies to help other revenue leaders do the same.
Whether it’s team size, competing priorities, or simply a previous failure to plan, I encourage you to invest in your people. In fact, there’s never been a more important time than now to train your people (Hello, “Great Resignation”).
Need help? Keep reading…
True story: 10 years ago I stood on my first keynote stage and showed a picture of a baby with a headset. I captioned it with, “The ability to train/retrain people will be a critical differentiator.”
Lots of people laughed at the picture, but I don’t think anyone really took note. Please forgive me for what’s about to happen…
OK, now that’s out of the way. Whew, better.
Why you ask? Because it’s next to impossible to find talent. For a good twenty years the gold standard was:
In today’s super-employment and talent-short economy, these people just don’t exist! A good 50% or more entry-level sales rep jobs are BDR/SDR jobs, and the average lifespan of this role is under eighteen months.
So as sales leaders around the world lament the talent shortage (and come together to jointly blame recruiting – poor folks), the smart ones are doing two things:
And how do you do this, pray tell?
My favorite new hire is a caregiver looking to reenter the workforce (i.e. working moms). These superheroes can multitask, get more done by noon than the rest of us do in 3 days, and frankly, they’re just grateful to talk to grown-ups.
More creative sources:
Take a hard look at your normal criteria and try to throw half out the window. Hire for behavior vs. skill and street smarts vs. experience.
The key to making this work? You’re going to need a robust sales training program. That’s right, new hire AND ongoing training, PLUS manager development (because these people will need coaching). Listen, even when I’ve trained teams with 2-10 years of experience, they still needed sales skills training. There are some appalling habits out there – not to mention new channels (virtual) and technologies (Zoom) necessitating the upskill.
How? Outsource what you can and budget for a trainer ASAP. Yes, you’ll need both a budget and an internal person – check out this blog to help create your sales training budget. Here’s why: some stuff HAS to be built.
Every good training program includes the following components:
It can take up to a year for a strong training headcount to develop all that needs to be taught in onboarding – and then we’ve got ongoing training, manager development, and more. Trust me, you’ll be glad you outsourced for a few years and wish you’d hired twice the headcount by end of year. Here’s another important reason why…
If you’ve been relying on your managers to train their newbies, it’s time to stop. Why?
The most important thing to remember here is: It’s a buyer’s market.
They literally have five other sales job options. Does the training they get play into their decision to stay? Hell yeah. Research by Forbes states that 87% of millennials want professional development and career growth opportunities (more so than a hefty paycheck!). They may also care more about social causes than their paycheck, but hey – good thing they will inherit the Earth!
If you’re losing people in the first 3 months, it’s a red flag your onboarding program isn’t working. (Six to nine months, I recommend you look at the manager, but that’s a different blog).
Next most important point to remember is: Nobody likes feeling like they stink.
If they feel successful, they will stay. I can’t tell you how many reps have told us they were getting ready to leave before our training, or that they’re feeling excited now to come to work tomorrow. There actually are skills to help them get a hold of more people, capture attention, and get callbacks. Give them the gift of actual selling time with prospects and they’ll keep coming to work.
Development can help you keep folks by aligning skills training to career paths. We both know that reps under 25 would like a promotion for two straight weeks of success, and when we don’t feel like enabling that, we just go back to review point one, am I right? So build out micro-promotions with skills training. It will take your trainer a few months to get mapped out and aligned (or contact us to use our standard pre-built skill paths!), and Boom! You’re in business.
Great career paths include time on the job, skills, development, and results. You’ll see rep engagement and longevity increase simply by having and communicating the program. And remember, development is a reward to this generation! Kicking butt!? Congrats! You’ve earned a course to get even better! Crushing the job? Awesome, you’ve unlocked the BDR Level 2 or AE level 1 career path!
Finally, a word from the guilty. Although I’ve built and delivered and preached thousands of training courses and programs, this is the first year I’m finally putting development into my own budget. Now that Factor 8 is over ten people – all with different jobs – I’ll solve this by simply giving folks a budget to find their own development. Could be a course, a conference, a coach. Their choice. If your hands are tied every other way, get SOMETHING in the budget so it’s easier next year and the year after. Your future self will thank you.
Contact us today to learn about our customizable virtual sales training programs
available for reps and managers.
[Webinar Recording]
Call coaching – management guidance focused on improving how salespeople directly interact with buyers – can yield huge gains in overall sales effectiveness. Effective call coaching programs address essential skills and the activities that matter most for sales organizations. But few sales organizations do call coaching well. Some fail to allocate adequate time for it; others fail to develop the coaching skills required in management or allow managers to avoid call coaching altogether.
In this webcast, Lauren Bailey joins the Sales Management Association to explain why call coaching represents a high-priority improvement opportunity for most sales organizations, and address common mistakes sales forces make in implementing call coaching programs.
Call coaching – management guidance focused on improving how salespeople directly interact with buyers – can yield huge gains in overall sales effectiveness. Effective call coaching programs address essential skills and the activities that matter most for sales organizations. But few sales organizations do call coaching well. Some fail to allocate adequate time for it; others fail to develop the coaching skills required in management or allow managers to avoid call coaching altogether.
In this webcast, Lauren Bailey joins the Sales Management Association to explain why call coaching represents a high-priority improvement opportunity for most sales organizations, and address common mistakes sales forces make in implementing call coaching programs.
[Webinar Recording]
Raise your hand if you’ve promoted the wrong Rep to Manager. It’s a mistake we’ve ALL made at least once. The truth is, top-performing reps are actually hard-wired NOT to succeed as Managers. Find out why, how you can tell who WILL be successful, plus the five key skills all high-performing sales managers have learned.
If you are ready to help your managers raise their games or you’re adding leaders this year, you won’t want to miss award-winning leadership trainer and Factor 8/#GirlsClub Founder, Lauren Bailey, share her insights, fails, and tactical tips you can apply right away. Download the video today!
Raise your hand if you’ve promoted the wrong Rep to Manager. It’s a mistake we’ve ALL made at least once. The truth is, top-performing reps are actually hard-wired NOT to succeed as Managers. Find out why, how you can tell who WILL be successful, plus the five key skills all high-performing sales managers have learned.
If you are ready to help your managers raise their games or you’re adding leaders this year, you won’t want to miss award-winning leadership trainer and Factor 8/#GirlsClub Founder, Lauren Bailey, share her insights, fails, and tactical tips you can apply right away. Download the video today!