5 Keys to Retain Your Top Sales Talent in 2024

2023 has been called the great slowdown.

It was a tough year for many companies that resulted in a lot of optimization - a polite word for restructuring and letting go of people.

This year, sales leaders and managers have to make do with the people whom they have retained.

Retention is the priority for sales executives in 2024, rather than attrition.

Allow me to share 5 keys to retain your top talent. 

Let’s get started,

1.Clarify their ‘Why’

Retention begins with a clear understanding of the 'why' for each member of your team.

Why are they in your team/ organization? 

What is the alignment between their purpose and their vision to their current role?

It's crucial to align individual purpose to their role within the organization. 

Connecting the dots between their current performance, their future potential and their greater purpose in life is paramount.

By establishing this connection, you create an intrinsic motivating force that encourages your team members to stay committed and engaged.

2.Coaching their 'How’

In a year of anticipated growth and operational innovation, coaching to the 'how' is crucial.

When you transition between fiscal years, you need to showcase greater growth,, in some cases between 15 to 30% growth rate. Your role is to discover how your team members plan to bridge the gap between their performance last year and this year’s expectations.

How strong are their connections between their goals and strategies?

How well are they assessing risks to their execution?

How do you help your team think deeper, better and smarter about how they can execute with excellence?

Your coaching questions should help them deepen their thinking, uncover their risks and build a plan that guarantees their success. 

3.Trusting the 'What’

No one likes a micromanager breathing down their neck. 

Trust your managers to execute.

Instead of daily standups, consider switching to weekly sync conversations and bi-weekly one-to-ones with key stakeholders. 

Give them the time, space, and ownership to operate independently - this will unleash their imagination, creativity, and strengths.

4.Invest in their Development

Identify specific inflection points where individuals can benefit from  new experiences, whether through courses, specialized training, or mentorship programs. 

It could be an executive education program at Harvard or assigning them a mentor for their personal development.

When you care for your people, they reciprocate by caring for you.

5.Expanding their Network

This is all about providing your people the exposure and the network to become a greater version of themselves.

Possibilities for the future is what will capture their attention, leading to better retention within your organization. 

By addressing these five key elements, you create a foundation for retention that will, in turn, drive future performance and success. If one of these pieces is missing, it contributes to sub-par performance within a sales unit. 

Good luck for a breakthrough year in your career and sales performance..

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