How to demotivate your sales team
The average software salesperson doesn't want to leave their current role.
After all, they're swapping a whole lot of knowns for a whole lot of unknowns.
Yet I've made a career of talking with 5-15 reps every week for almost 8 years now.
Most of them are currently employed.
Occasionally I hear a novel reason for looking around, but usually they are leaving for one of the following reasons.
- You've changed the comp plan on them
- There's been a lot of territory shifting / management changes
- The product they're selling has fallen behind on features
1: You've changed the comp plan on them
You know that line, big corporations like to use, about how "we've made improvements" but how as a customer, it is usually followed by verbal trickery that explains why you'll be paying more and getting less in the future?
Most comp plans changes are exactly the same.
This is the easiest way to lose top sales reps.
In a "it's only funny because if you don't laugh you'll cry" way, the worst is when someone in the finance department has decided a salesperson has made too much money. And so the comp plans will have to change (for the worse).
This is a double whammy.
Not only will you lose the top rep (and anyone else who aspires to be the top rep), you're reinforcing mediocrity.
The sales reps who are living off their base salaries, and aren't really closing deals won't move because of this.
They weren't overachieving anyway!
2: There's been a lot of territory shifting / management changes
While it's easy to call most comp plan changes stupid, this one is a bit trickier.
It's especially true when talking to enterprise reps.
After all, how can you expect someone to change territories every 6 months if they have an 12-18 month sales cycle?
3: The product they're selling has fallen behind on features
Salespeople are often called out for overselling a product, or selling features that don't exist.
That happens - and you need to be aware of what your reps are saying.
Less discussed is when product and engineering aren't delivering.
When competitors are able to deliver features that you don't have.
This is especially pronounced if reps are expected to expand accounts after the initial land.
If you'd like my help to poach great candidates from other companies making these sorts of mistakes, book a time to speak with me
Speak soon,
Sam
Hiring for Sales
I have a newsletter that helps startup founders hire great sales talent
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