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Why Would a Top Salesperson Leave Their Job for You? Learn how to attract more. · Sales Trajectory Podcast

• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the sales trajectory podcast, where innovation meets execution in sales.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Jason Howes, your host, a 35-year sales veteran and lifelong student of the game.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: This podcast is for leaders and sales professionals with a growth mindset.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: You'll hear real sales stories about new products, motivating teams to prospect, and boost productivity.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: We dive deep into sales process, cutting edge tech, and recruiting top sales performers.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get started.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: Attracting the right people takes more than money.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Keeping them takes even more.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: When I wrote Crystal Ball Recruiting, it was to change the landscape for leaders and sales professionals, to align with more confidence and more consistency.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Things have to change.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_00: We can't keep using the same method.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: Majority of people have never been taught how to recruit.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_00: They're recruiting under very difficult market conditions.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: Candidates are desperate for jobs in some situations and will say whatever they need to say to get the job, but it's not going to do you any favors down the track if you can't do what the job requires to succeed.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: That's another part.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_00: Do the hiring companies actually know what it looks like to succeed in their environment?
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_00: How many false starts have they had at trying to get this salesperson?
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: So a good question to always ask as a salesperson, being interviewed or being questioned about this role.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: Why did the role become available?
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_00: Tell me about what's happening in your business and what's happened in recent times to make this position become available.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe someone did retire.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe someone was headhunted.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe there was someone that's been performance managed.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe there's multiple people that have been performance managed over the years.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: It's really important to understand where you're at, what's happening, and what needs to change.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: We recruit every day.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: We talk to candidates, we talk to sales and business leaders about how difficult it is to find top talent.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_00: This episode is about attracting top sales talent.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: You won't find all the answers here to all the problems you have maybe in your business right now.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: Again, we highly recommend to double back and listen to previous podcasts.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_00: I'm a big process person to align with moving through a process of trying to attract, recruit, and retain top salespeople.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: If you listen to the audio or you've read the book, you'll find that it moves through a process.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: And at the end, you should be able to recruit with more confidence.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: As a salesperson, you should be able to align the position you're looking for for the long term, not just a short-term fix or a revolving door, I'll call it.
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: Right now, not every client's a good fit.
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_00: So right now, top sales talent are shooting from the hip straight out.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: Finding really good salespeople is hard, and it's also very difficult to retain them.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: I don't believe great salespeople simply aren't moving.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: Top quality sales professionals will move for the right reasons.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: We're doing that right now.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: We've been out talent sourcing and headhunting and having conversations with sales professionals every day and businesses who are looking for top sales talent.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: They'll move for the right company.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: They'll move for the right culture because they're excited about where the market is heading for that business.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: Right now, if they don't believe in your product or your business or the culture, they will move on if they are high performing quality sales professionals.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: Because typically they're not looking.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: They're in the they're in a job, they're comfortable, they're happy.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: But if you present something to them that is top-line opportunity, and that's what we're working on at the moment with some clients, is that they will talk to you about the opportunity.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: And it's not just money, it could be a lateral move.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um, they're not aligned with the business for the long term, so they're they're happy to look at other opportunities.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: They'll move because they see an opportunity to build something.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_00: They'll move for better leadership, for career development, greater responsibility, or a new challenge.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_00: Salespeople get tired of doing the same thing every day, day in, day out.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: Potentially, maybe the role they were doing has changed now.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: And we had this conversation the other day where someone has to now hunt and create new business opportunity and sell new products.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_00: It's out of their comfort zone.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's not what they like doing.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: So you can be within a business and be happy, and then all of a sudden the goalposts can change.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_00: For example, if you look at what's happening at the moment in the building industry with investment housing and all the changes from the government.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: So, say, for example, if you were a supplier into the investment housing area, even though, yeah, sure, there is a shortage of housing, but all of a sudden that market's tightened up.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: So, you know, the sales team you hired once before or you attracted may not be the one you're looking for to get you to where you need to get to tomorrow or next year.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: People, people want to feel good about what they do.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_00: They want to be proud of the company they represent.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: They want to believe in what they're selling and they want to feel that they're creating something worthwhile for their customers.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_00: So perhaps the question is, why aren't great salespeople moving?
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_00: The question is, what are you giving them to move to?
• 6:01
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what I want to explore today because it isn't just a recruitment conversation, it's a sales leadership conversation.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's a culture conversation, and ultimately it's a business growth conversation.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes it's simply timing.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: There's another side to this.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: Someone might be perfectly happy today.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: Good company, good income, strong customer relationships.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_00: They know the systems, they understand the politics, they've established credibility.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Why would they want to give all that up?
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: That's a big question.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: But things change.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: And we had this the other day where somebody reached out.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: They've been in the business for years and they are comfortable.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: And all of a sudden, things are changing, and it doesn't align with what they want to do on a daily basis.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: Moving companies involves risk.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_00: Let's face it.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: Then something changes.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they're suddenly being asked to do something that doesn't align with their skill set, like cold calling or hunting for new business.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe the role they join has gradually become something completely different.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_00: Used to be mainly account management, customer service.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe the leadership's changed.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: There's been a lot of redundancies lately.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: There's been a lot of cuts in headcounts.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: So you're talking about leaders are taking on more responsibility.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: Salespeople are taking on more responsibility.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe the companies change directions.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they're not there for that person at the moment.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they're not being heard.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they're not being challenged anymore.
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they stop developing.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_00: Or look, perhaps they're losing confidence because they're measured against something that doesn't suit what they're actually good at.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: Or maybe it's simply time for a change.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_00: That is why recruitment is so often about timing.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: And that's also why I believe for a long time in a really simple philosophy.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: Always be recruiting, always be looking for talent.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: And when I say always be recruiting, I don't mean you should be always hiring.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: They're different things.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_00: I mean always be building your talent pipeline.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: Be curious.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_00: Ask questions.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: Have conversations with new people.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: Think about what we expect from a good salesperson.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: We don't expect them to wait until their pipeline is empty before they start prospecting.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine that I've got no opportunities left.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_00: Better start looking for someone to sell to.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_00: That's when you're in trouble.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: At that very moment, you realize that you're in big trouble because you're now like a cat on a hot tin roof.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_00: Now you might think that's ridiculous or weird.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: Most companies do almost exactly the same thing when hiring.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: Someone resigns on Friday, Monday morning, there's a meeting.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: We'd better find another salesperson.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: Now they've got pressure.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: The person that's leaving is going to the competitor.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: You're in trouble.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: There's no ownership of the data.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: You've had to move them on because there's a conflict of interest.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: So they've walked out the door with all the information.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: Other team members are expected to pick up the workload, and suddenly you're trying to make one of the most important commercial decisions in your business under extreme pressure.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: That's one of the key areas.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: And I've been there.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_00: I've been in sales leadership.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_00: You grab the last advert out, see what it looks like.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: You might change it a little bit and you whack it on there and you hope on Seek, you hope that you're going to get a bite.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: That is probably the worst possible time to start building your sales talent pipeline.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: I would rather know who the good people are before I need them.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_00: Build relationships, have more conversations and stay connected.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_00: Know who's doing good things in the market and understand who might suit your company.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: And more importantly, have the tools and network and capability to identify the top quality sales talent who aren't sitting and waiting for job boards to advertise a next role.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_00: Someone might say no today, like I get quite regularly, but one week or six months or one year later, the circumstances might have changed.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: That's not being optimistic.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: That's about building relationships.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_00: It's exactly what we tell our salespeople to do to do with prospective customers.
• 10:15
  SPEAKER_00: So why wouldn't we do the same thing with talent?
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: Your recruitment process does not start when you advertise the job.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_00: Your company is being assessed long before that.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: What happens when a great salesperson hears the name of your business and starts investigating?
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_00: I want you to stop and pause there for a minute because that's a really powerful statement.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_00: What happens when a great salesperson hears the name of your business and starts to investigate?
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: What do they find?
• 10:48
  SPEAKER_00: What does your website say about you?
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_00: What does your presence in the market say?
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: What does your leadership look like?
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: What's the reputation of the business?
• 10:57
  SPEAKER_00: Does anyone want to work there?
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: What do you appear to stand for?
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_00: Is it a revolving door?
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: Are people moving on very quickly?
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_00: Where's the business going?
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: What's exciting about the market they're operating in?
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: And what opportunities would someone have if they join your business?
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: And here's a question I'd encourage every business owner to ask and hiring manager.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: If one of your best salespeople in your market looked at your company tonight, would they want to know more?
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: What does your social media look like?
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_00: What's your culture look like?
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: How do the current team members interact with the business online?
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: Do you see a positive growth sales mindset?
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_00: Because you're assessing candidates, but don't forget they're assessing you as well.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: If you want to get great people, you've got to create a fantastic opportunity.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: Which brings me to more money.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: Let's say you've identified someone who's doing really well.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they're working for a competitor, their reputation, you approach them.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: They're not actively looking for another job, and they're currently enjoying the job they're in and they're performing and they're earning good money.
• 12:14
  SPEAKER_00: They're relatively secure.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: So naturally, you've got to give them a reason for a conversation.
• 12:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I want to just stop there for a second as well.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: You need to understand people's personal situations.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: Everyone is different.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they're single, maybe they've got disposable income.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they've got a home loan.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they've got a young family.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they want to have a young family.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they're getting towards retirement.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they like to travel.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they're into sport and they train a lot.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: So you really need to understand it's not just money that motivates people to go to a new job.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: So we need to be in the moment and listening very closely to what is important to this person.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: And one of the questions we ask when we're recruiting and interviewing is what is a must-have for your next role?
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_00: What does success look like for you?
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: What motivates you to sell more?
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: What do you love about sales?
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: They're the good questions.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: But ask and silence.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: Be in the moment.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: You want to uncover that because if you're going to get someone to come and work for you, it's not just about money.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: We're all motivated differently.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: Some people are intrinsic, some people are extrinsic.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_00: I won't go into altruistic, you shouldn't be in sales.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: Intrinsic and extrinsic are different types of motivation.
• 13:36
  SPEAKER_00: So sometimes you could be just talking to someone about money when money's not that important to them.
• 13:41
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe the work-life balance is really important.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe where they live and the location's really important, or the team they want to be working with.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_00: Sure, remuneration could absolutely be a major part of it.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: You may need to offer more money to encourage someone to take that risk.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_00: There's nothing wrong with that.
• 13:59
  SPEAKER_00: But just remember, if you are headhunting and you're approaching people, typically they will ask for more money.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: Unless it's a lateral shift for the right reasons.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: Paying more money to attract someone does not guarantee they will perform in your company.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so you've got their attention.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: Perhaps you did successfully recruit them, but you haven't bought their previous results.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: Just remember every company is different.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I think this is where a lot of people sometimes make a very expensive assumption.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_00: Don't buy someone's previous performance.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine somebody is producing outstanding results at a competitor.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: They're meeting targets every month.
• 14:42
  SPEAKER_00: They're growing the business.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: That's great.
• 14:44
  SPEAKER_00: But I want to understand why they're successful.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: What's sitting behind those results?
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_00: What's the brand of the business like?
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: Are they the market leader?
• 14:54
  SPEAKER_00: Are people continuously going to them and they're not having to go and hunt for new business opportunities?
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: What's the territory like?
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they're in Southeast Queensland and booming towards the Olympic Games.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_00: How strong is the product they're selling?
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: And what sort of leads are generated for them?
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: What marketing support do they receive?
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_00: We're working with a client now and their marketing's fantastic.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: What customer relationships already existed?
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: Because that's important.
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: And also not only that, but what internal support sits around them?
• 15:22
  SPEAKER_00: Because at your business, maybe they don't get internal support.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they're expected to do everything.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: And one of the other questions I like to ask is how much of the business was inherited?
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_00: Are they creating new opportunities?
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_00: And some of these questions you can ask in the interview.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_00: Talk to us about your current existing customer base.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_00: Talk to us about opportunities when you've moved that through to close.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_00: How did you do that?
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_00: Ask for the customer's name and they'll share you.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: Are they predominantly servicing existing accounts?
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: And do they have a sales process?
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_00: Because potentially, if they do and then they get to your business and they don't, well then that could be a challenge.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not trying to take anything away from performance.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's quite the opposite.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: I'm trying to understand who created it.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_00: Because you're not hiring them back into their old company.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_00: You're hiring them into a new one.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_00: It's a different company with different leadership and possibly a completely different challenge.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_00: Industry experience shouldn't become your entire recruitment strategy.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about industry experience versus sales capability.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_00: I see another huge trap there.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_00: They know the product, they know your industry, they might even know a lot of the customers.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_00: But I've spent enough time in sales recruitment and leadership to know that it doesn't necessarily tell us they can succeed in your sales environment.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: Do they prospect?
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: Can they create new opportunities?
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_00: Do they like to go and create new opportunities?
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_00: Can they ask the great questions?
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_00: Will they genuinely listen?
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: These are the things you need to understand in the interviews.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_00: Are they listening?
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_00: Ask some questions.
• 17:00
  SPEAKER_00: Are they answering it the way you've asked the question?
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: Can they sell on value or are they coming from a company that led by price?
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_00: Because if you're trying to protect margin and you've just bought in someone who is going to sell on price, well then that's going to be an issue.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_00: As well as that, can they strategically grow your major accounts and can they close new business opportunities?
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_00: There isn't one universal type of salesperson.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_00: A salesperson could be extremely successful in one environment and struggle badly in another.
• 17:34
  SPEAKER_00: I've seen it time and time again.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_00: That does not necessarily make them a bad salesperson.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: They may simply be the right person in the wrong role.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_00: I want to understand how they sell, why have they succeeded?
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_00: And does that align with what success looks like here?
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about the interview.
• 17:57
  SPEAKER_00: The interview isn't enough.
• 17:59
  SPEAKER_00: This is where gut instinct can get us into trouble.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_00: Some people interview extremely well.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_00: They're salespeople, after all, have had plenty of practice.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_00: They're used to building rapport, they're used to asking questions, they're used to positioning value, and they can sell, and they're used to selling.
• 18:15
  SPEAKER_00: And in a recruitment interview, what's the product themselves?
• 18:19
  SPEAKER_00: So somebody interviewing brilliantly does not automatically mean they're the right person for your sales environment.
• 18:26
  SPEAKER_00: Why I believe good recruitment needs structure.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_00: Understand the role, understand what success actually requires, and assess the salesperson against those requirements.
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_00: Do a proper due diligence.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_00: Stop relying primarily on CVs, industry experience, and gut feeling.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: Let's just talk about CVs for a sec.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_00: I've been receiving them.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_00: They're written by AI, even copy-paste.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: You can see the AI component in there, right?
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_00: So salespeople are using AI to write those to try and attract your attention.
• 18:58
  SPEAKER_00: Now let's turn the mirror around here.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_00: We've looked at all the time assessing the salesperson.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_00: Now it's time to assess the company.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_00: Have we, as a business, created an environment in which great salespeople can actually succeed?
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: This is where I think a lot of businesses get it wrong.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: We recruit somebody, we give them a target, a laptop, a phone, a car, introduce them to a few customers, and away they go.
• 19:23
  SPEAKER_00: Then a few months later, we're asking, why aren't they performing?
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_00: Why isn't their new business?
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_00: Why are some of the customers not really liking them that much?
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_00: And let's turn that question around.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_00: What onboarding did we provide?
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: What do our sales processes look like?
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_00: Are expectations clear?
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_00: What does good performance look like?
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_00: Because maybe this person's been given all the accounts that are not that great and somebody else who looks like they're doing really well have got all the best customers.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_00: How are we measuring it?
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_00: What coaching are they receiving?
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_00: What technology and tools do they have?
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_00: What's the data like?
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_00: Do they have access to the data?
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_00: And is leadership supporting them with weekly one-to-ones?
• 20:07
  SPEAKER_00: What development is available?
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_00: Thinking that you can just hire a sales unicorn without having to invest in their development somewhere is not going to happen.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: We need to invest earlier on.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: It's a huge investment to attract good people and you want to keep them.
• 20:21
  SPEAKER_00: And are we actually helping that person to improve?
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: But the opposite is also true.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_00: You can build a fantastic sales environment and continually recruit people who simply aren't suited to it.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_00: We need both.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: Recruitment shouldn't finish when someone signs the contract.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_00: And that's led us to challenge some of our own thinking at our own executive sales as well.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: Traditionally, recruitment can finish when someone's recruited.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_00: You've found the candidate, they've accepted the offer, they start, job done.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: But I've been asking myself, why should our responsibility finish there?
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_00: Because the client hasn't invested in recruitment because they desperately wanted another employee.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_00: They've invested because they need an outcome.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_00: More new customers, improved revenue, growth within existing customers, better margins, more market penetration, whatever the commercial objective happens to be, it could be new product launches.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: Recruiting somebody isn't the outcome.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_00: Hiring is not the finishing line, performance is.
• 21:30
  SPEAKER_00: Attract, recruit, and retain.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_00: If a great salesperson started tomorrow, have you created an environment in which they can succeed?
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_00: Because those two things belong together.
• 21:41
  SPEAKER_00: Great people need a strong sales culture.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_00: Our podcast grows by our listeners sharing with somebody within your network.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_00: Is there someone who you feel may get some value?
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_00: Please like, share, or comment this episode or the podcast.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_00: We greatly appreciate it.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_00: If you're a business owner, CEO, or sales leader and you're thinking there's got to be a better way to do this, I'd love to have a conversation.
• 22:07
  SPEAKER_00: We're looking for companies who want to flip the switch on the traditional way they attract, recruit, on board, develop, and retain salespeople.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_00: If you're turning over salespeople, it's a great time to have a conversation.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_00: You want to improve the probability that the person you recruit becomes successful and delivers the commercial return you're looking for.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe we're a fit, maybe we're not.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_00: That's okay.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_00: I understand that.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_00: But if the way you've always recruited and developed your salespeople isn't producing the people, performance, and growth you need, perhaps it's time to change your trajectory.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening to the Sales Trajectory Podcast, where innovation meets execution in sales.
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_00: And remember, we're building the next generation of sales professionals and leaders.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_00: I'll see you next time.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_00: Got a product that's struggling or launching something new?