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Monday, July 8, 2013

(SALES) Get In The Field With Your Sellers

7-3-2013

How important is it these days to coach and develop your salespeople? I think that everyone reading this article would say it?s extremely important. However, if you take a look at the turnover of salespeople at many radio stations, you?ll find it?s extremely high. And when you look at the turnover of new salespeople or people with zero media sales experience, you?ll see it?s even higher. Many sales organizations report that they are experiencing turnover of 30 to 40 percent of their sales departments, year after year after year.

Have you ever stopped to consider the cost of this turnover? Not just the money spent in lost draw or salary, but the time invested, the opportunity lost with accounts not called on ? and let?s not forget the wear and tear on the sales department. It?s a costly mistake when a salesperson doesn?t make it. And if the problem keeps happening year after year, then perhaps it?s about time for a change. After all, doing the same thing over and over again and thinking the outcome is going to be different doesn?t make a lot of sense.

Why is there so much sales turnover? It?s a complex question, and there is no one simple answer. It could be that the person hired was simply not the right person for the job, or the interview process could be in need of repair. Perhaps there isn?t a very large talent bank to choose from, or there was no on-boarding process and the new person ended up just wandering around the building for the first six months. It could be that the account list management system is in shambles, or the compensation isn?t right for new hires ? the list could go on and on.

So, yes, there are many things that can contribute to high turnover in the sales department, but there are also stations that are doing a great job of developing and retaining their sellers. The stations doing it right are succeeding not because of just one thing they are doing, but because they are doing many things exceptionally well, and doing them consistently.

It?s time to start watching your salespeople play, and not just looking at the score! One thing the best stations are all doing is going in the field with their sellers. Managers are riding with them to appointments, asking questions about their plans for the call, giving them feedback on what they did right, and helping them improve where it matters. These managers aren?t going on calls just to do it, but to act as coaches and help salespeople grow.

These are not surprise ride-alongs to check up and micro-manage. These are coaching days that are on the calendars weeks and sometimes months in advance. This is not about catching sellers doing it wrong, but about being focused on helping them get better. The best stations take a lot of pride in the way they spend time in the field with all their sellers.

And the sellers actually like it. Why? Because they are getting good coaching, and they are seeing actual growth. Can you imagine the coach of any professional football team not attending practice or the games? Think about that for just a second. Imagine the coach of your favorite football team never attending a practice or a game, so the only evidence he has to determine how a player is doing is looking at the score.

And then imagine that same coach giving his players input on what they need to do to win or to grow professionally. The players wouldn?t listen to a coach who had never seen them practice or play. So the question is: Are you watching sellers practice and play? Or are you spending most of your time coaching from your office, where all you have access to is the score?

It?s not too late. Those managers who take the time to rearrange their priorities to make sure they are spending time in the field coaching and developing their sellers are seeing big results. And those stations that have the least turnover are seeing revenue success.

Matt Sunshine is EVP of the Center for Sales Strategy.
E-mail: mattsunshine@csscenter.com

(7/4/2013 1:44:02 PM)
Forget that. Just pay them a decent base salary and give them those house accounts you are hoarding. Draws? That's why radio sales people are leaving the industry. Draws are a thing of the past. Pay a base salary of at least $70K a year with a commission structure of at least 5% on everything they sell and your sellers will actually go out and sell.

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