The low-performing salesperson is costing you far more than you think.
Why are you allowing the low-performing salesperson to continue to suck sales and profits from you and your company?
A far too common response I hear to that question is something that borders on being a coward.
The 4 excuses I hear most often are:
1. They only need some very good coaching and support to get them to up to standards.
2. There is no way I can ever get HR to understand why we need to fire somebody. All they will do is fill my life with more paperwork.
3. Business is good. We’re making our numbers, so if there is one person not meeting standards, it’s not a big deal.
4. There are so many other issues far bigger that I need to be concerned with. If I had time, I would deal with the person, but I don’t have time.
Each one of the 4 is an excuse to avoid dealing with the issue.
I can hear some of you screaming at me that the first reason listed is valid. Let me shoot some holes in that one. One of the worst things a sales manager can do is spend too much time with a low-performer, because it will become nothing more than a giant time suck.
Coaching is an important part of a sales manager’s / sales leader’s job, but that means coaching everyone on the team and not spending an inordinate amount of time with one person.
The low-performer by their very nature is going to take more time. Ask yourself, “What can I do that will return the highest rate of return for my time?” Spending 50% of your time with the low-performer at the expense of everyone else on your team is not wise. You need to spend some time with them and list the support and involvement of others, particularly a mentor.
Ultimately, when dealing with a low-performer, you have to be willing to make the tough decisions.
There is nothing worse than dragging out the process. In the end, it doesn’t do you any good, it doesn’t do your company any good, and it doesn’t do the low-performer any good.
Want to know more about dealing with underachieving salespeople on your team? Don’t miss an upcoming webinar this week with me, Jill Konrath, Mike Weinberg, Dan Enthoven and Miles Austin.
Copyright 2014, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Selling: Win the Sale Without Compromising on Price.
Click on the below book cover for more info on boosting your profits!
