When I was a little kid, we’d shop at Johnny’s East End Market for fruits, vegetables, eggs and milk.
Whenever Johnny saw me (or any other kid), he’d smile, tell us stories, and pass out samples of grapes, cherries or candy. So of course, anytime we needed groceries, we dragged our parents to Johnny’s.
Johnny’s wife worked at the market. So did his son Joe. When Joe got married, his wife joined them.
After 40 years or so, Johnny retired and Joe took over the market.
I don’t know if Johnny’s had the best prices. He definitely didn’t have a huge selection like the chain supermarkets did. But Johnny knew his product, what his customers liked and how to create loyal customers starting from when they were still too young to buy.
Johnny’s is still going strong today, nearly 70 years after it opened.
How Long Will Your Sales Team Last?
Several years ago during manager training, I learned that the average tenure for a technology sales rep was 18 months. We were taught to use a variety of techniques to squeeze as much as possible from each rep before he left for another job.
I was horrified – I couldn’t believe rep tenure was that short! Even worse was that this was acceptable to my employer!
In my experience, it took a new rep 6-12 months to ramp up and build a decent sales pipeline. It wasn’t until his 2nd or 3rd year that his sales really began to pay off.
If you can keep him for 5 years, he’ll be a game changer:
- He navigates your internal procedures adeptly
- He completely understands your products, the market and his territory
- He’s built a solid reputation with your customers and prospects
- He generates referrals from his base
- He gets introduced to new accounts when his customers change jobs
- He’s easy to manage – you’ve earned how to work together
- He’s not constantly seeking a raise because he earns a good living
Imagine if your sales team was more like Johnny’s family business
Your lead sales rep would stay with you for decades. He’d train his replacement as if he was an apprentice – teaching him how to service your customers, navigate your backend systems and generate profitable sales.
At some point, the “apprentice” would be ready to take over. By this time, your customers & prospects would know and trust him. There’d be no onboarding period, no ramp up and no decline in sales.
Instead, when your lead rep moved on your sales team would have a smooth transition. The former apprentice might consider making some changes, but he’d weigh his decisions carefully against your proven sales practices. He’d make sure not to disrupt your base of loyal customers while still trying to add new ones. In the meantime, he’s now teaching your next generation of sales reps.
You’ve stuck by your sales rep during good market conditions and bad market conditions. He’s seen you use some of his suggestions to transform your business. He’s had the freedom to try some things that didn’t work out so well too and has learned from his mistakes.
A sales team made up of reps like this doesn’t have an 18 month tenure. Naturally there will be some turnover as the team evolves over time. But turnover wouldn’t be a constant source of frustration and lowered sales.
Isn’t this what you want?
- Fewer employees – when your reps are solid and stick around a long time, a smaller team will deliver significant sales
- Fewer management headaches – long term reps don’t need the same amount of help that inexperienced hires need
- Lower expenses – interviewing, hiring/firing, and onboarding reps destroys your team’s sales productivity and costs real dollars (plus it’s a time suck for every sales manager)
The good news is that if you manage a sales team – you can make this happen.
For specific ways to do this, read some of my other posts on Hiring & Firing and Coaching & Mentoring.
If you want some help from me, let me know.
Take action. You’ll be glad you did.