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Keep Your Sales Pros
Satisfied
Watch out. You might see your top
salespeople switching jobs this year.
A survey conducted by
CareerBuilder.com found that about 4-in-10
sales professionals plan to look for greener
pastures in 2004. Those who anticipate changing
jobs say they're motivated by the desire to earn
more money, advance their careers and find more
rewarding work experience.
"With the economy in recovery phase and more
businesses investing in their revenue
generators, 43 percent of sales professionals
will be actively pursuing a better payoff for
their efforts," explains Mary Delaney, chief
sales officer for
CareerBuilder.com.
Compensation remains the No. 1 motivator for
making a job change. Fifty-four percent of sales
professionals express dissatisfaction with pay.
And 50 percent report they didn't receive a
bonus in 2003.
Upper mobility is also a hot issue for sales
pros, with nearly 1-in-5 reporting they were
overlooked for a promotion in 2003. Although
sales professionals are generally content with
career development and learning on the job, 44
percent of those surveyed say they are
dissatisfied with actual opportunities to move
up within their organizations.
Sales professionals are also looking for work
experiences that are better suited to their
professional and personal needs. One-third of
sales professionals say their workloads are too
heavy. Add the burden of busy travel schedules,
and 25 percent say they're unhappy with their
work/life balance.
What You Can Do
Losing a top sales
performer can put a crimp in your small
businesses. After all, these are the people who
generate revenues and establish relationships
with customers. So it works to your benefit as a
business owner to keep sales professionals
satisfied, motivated and productive.
Here are some ideas:
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Not all sales
professionals are motivated by the same reward.
So find out what jump-starts your sales staff.
Offer them different rewards and see how they
respond.
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Money motivates some
sales pros. Higher commissions are one option.
Bonuses work well too, but don't save them for
the end of the year. Instead, give bonuses
throughout the year based on specific
achievements, such as landing a lucrative new
account.
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Many sales
professionals crave recognition. Find ways to
feed that motivation. Give awards for
outstanding work. Announce the names of top
sellers in your company newsletter and in the
employee area of your Web site.
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Not every small
business has clear career paths for top
performers who want to move up in the company.
But small firms can still offer more
responsibilities to make employees feel valued.
Try mentoring. Ask your best sales star to train
and mentor newer members of the sales staff.
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Finally, give your
top sales pros some downtime. Offer an
unexpected day off when a staffer lands a new
contract. Give away movie tickets and an
afternoon off when a sales team exceeds its
quota.
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