“Today’s salespeople are not only looking for financial rewards,” said Erik Anderson, senior director of inside sales at Snap! Raise.
Leaders should take note of this important statement, especially in an industry so connected to monetary incentives and struggles with high turnover. While compensation will always be important, to keep a sales team fully staffed and satisfied, leaders must also focus on cultivating a workplace in which they can thrive.
“Most salespeople are looking for purposeful work they are inspired by,” said Anderson. “They are looking to work in a culture that cares about them as human beings and offers the appropriate level of challenge that forces them to learn and grow professionally.”
In fact, these priorities became more evident during the pandemic. As professionals reflected on what they wanted in their careers and lives, the employee value proposition evolved to be more human-centered. Accordingly, Gartner, Inc. outlined five factors for employee satisfaction: a shared purpose, deeper connections, personal growth, radical flexibility and holistic well-being.
“Whether or not you have a strong work culture and strong leaders can make or break a sales team,” said Lelani La Guardia, senior manager II at RealSelf. “Money will only motivate a salesperson for so long.”
At Snap! Raise, which powers a fundraising platform that supports educational programs, Anderson maintains a strong sales team by hiring sales professionals who are dedicated to the mission. While at RealSelf, which connects people seeking elective aesthetic treatments with the right doctors, La Guardia prioritizes the development of career paths to help her sales reps thrive.
Built In Seattle sat down with Anderson and La Guardia to learn more about the strategies they use to keep their sales teams fully staffed and satisfied.
What’s one strategy that has helped you maintain a full-strength team?
I drive results by leveraging soft skills and data. Tapping into what drives and motivates my sales reps is how I have been able to achieve sales targets — month over month, year over year — despite Covid-19 and labor market turbulence.
We recently implemented career-pathing benchmarks in order to promote consistent reps. This enables my reps to stay engaged, driven and motivated. It gives them a visual that illustrates a clear path to taking their career to the next level. This helps me to retain valuable employees and eliminate burnout.
What are the most important factors affecting the average sales rep’s job satisfaction?
The most important factors are a lack of connection and burnout. I had experience managing remote reps previous to going fully remote due to the pandemic. In order to run a fully remote, high-performing sales team, you have to be deliberate and intentional with your strategy and time, and you need to combine that with soft skills. It is my priority to maintain connectedness with a remote team, and I encourage that they do so with their peers and other leaders.
Virtual happy hours, turning on your video when in meetings, leading training sessions and one-to-one meetings are all important. Jumping on impromptu video meetings to answer a question and sending thank-you cards and thoughtful gifts that drive morale let my reps know that they are appreciated.
Seasonality in sales is always an issue in sales — summer, tax season, holidays. To keep them motivated, I deployed a contest that gave them Fridays off the entire summer if they stayed on pace week over week. Reps had to get a fast start to the month, which ultimately got them to their goals.
People leave people, not companies. I can’t stress enough how important it is to stay connected.”
What advice can you offer sales leaders who are currently struggling with hiring and retention?
People leave people, not companies. I can’t stress enough how important it is to stay connected. Work on soft skills that will enable you to make your team feel appreciated, validated and heard. Lean into difficult conversations and be attentive to your team. The more you know, the more you’ll be able to pick up on vital behaviors that drive results. And if there’s a dip in individual or team performance, you’ll know when you need to step in and lead.
What’s one strategy that has helped you maintain a full-strength team?
Our team is intimately connected to our mission, vision and values. Collectively, we have created a culture that is rooted in our mission to support kids and leaders in the K-12 education space. We work closely with each individual to understand what aspects of their role align with personal and professional fulfillment so we can double down on what keeps them engaged and growing.
Our leadership members spend a lot of time in the field visiting with reps and customers, often after standard work hours and on weekends. By getting to know our reps and customers personally and professionally, we become more invested in their success.
What are the most important factors affecting the average sales rep’s job satisfaction?
Our sales reps’ job satisfaction is directly correlated to their affinity for our mission to serve youth athletics, arts and activities; the appropriate level of challenge that results in their professional growth; and their connection to their direct manager and teammates. We’ve seen that our sales team members are at their best when they know they can aggressively grow the business while providing a best-in-class customer experience backed with superior service.
It’s important to reward — both financially and mentally. When you can “win” every day by embracing the company mission, it makes it easier to get through the tough days. And as they grow the business, they grow their financial rewards.
When you can ‘win’ every day by embracing the company mission, it makes it easier to get through the tough days.”
What advice would you offer sales leaders who are currently struggling with hiring and retention?
Identify your organization’s ideal salesperson by pulling in the characteristics and traits of the top performers who have longevity in the organization. Recruit and hire more of those people, and continue to lean into the current members of the team to understand what makes them tick.
It’s easy to get caught up in someone’s resume. Our organization values hustle and heart, and a candidate’s alma mater and past job experiences aren’t going to be determining factors. Who is going to show up early and work late for the mission? Will you admire them? Can they raise the level of your team?
