Growth Driver #8 – Assess Your Turnover Risk

Ask these 8 questions to assess your risk of unwanted turnover and identify ways to improve your front-line Sales Management.

One of the keys to sustained predictable growth that has been overlooked during the recovery is the need to retain top and high potential talent through high quality front-line sales management.

We are increasingly seeing top and high potential talent take flight from organizations as the economy improves. And, one of the underlying themes in many of these cases, is the lack of quality sales management. Instead of focusing on creating quality managers, organizations have over focused on sales rep training, sales productivity tools, and compensation.

Do you know if your company is at risk of losing its high potential or top talent? 

If you don’t know the turnover risk or your sales team and lack the means to assess it, you should start by asking these questions:

1. Do you know what is expected of you at work in terms of activities, interim goals, and business outcomes?
2. Do you have the materials and tools you need to do your work well?
3. At work, do your opinions seem to count?
4. At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?
5. In the last week, have you received recognition for and constructive feedback on your work?
6. Does your immediate manager care about you as a person?
7. Do the managers with whom you interact encourage your growth and development?
8. Does the mission of the company make you feel like your work is important?

Note, the above questions are adapted from Buckingham and Coffman’s First Break All the Rules.

The beauty of these questions, in addition to their simplicity, is that answers to them not only help you gauge the level of turnover risk, but also help you rapidly identify changes that can be made on the front-line to mitigate turnover risk and build a strong sales management team.

If you have not asked these questions recently, it’s time to get busy!

-TGK

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