How To Address Underperformance In Your Salespeople

Underperformance in any industry can be hard to tackle, but especially in sales, where there are endless challenges and factors at play. Many managers will see underperformance and instantly assume it’s due to a lack of effort. While this can be a component, sales is not a black-and-white formula for bringing in deals. Having empathy and patience will go a long way.

As you work towards truly tackling the root causes of underperformance, you’ll identify better ways of managing and leading your team, ultimately driving better results.

Identify the Problem

We've talked about how difficult working in sales can be and how underperformance can stem from many reasons. But how will you know what those reasons are? Do you have a robust system to track your salespeople’s activities and successes easily? This may depend on the CRM you use, your performance management strategy, or how frequently you engage with your salespeople to understand their challenges.

Managers need to be confident in their methods of tracking performance. If performance dips, they need the right tools to identify why.

Communicate

Before you do anything, communicate.

Not only are conversations the most productive way to identify a problem, but they also build trust. Trust might not be something you consider when dealing with underperformance; you might even feel trust has been broken. However, as you address and solve the problem, the struggling salesperson needs to know you have their best interests at heart.

It's easy to assume underperformance is always due to a lack of effort or determination, but there are salespeople out there working harder than everyone else and still struggling to make progress.

Some people hit the ground running, while others need true mentorship from their manager to help them understand mistakes or work on certain skills to succeed. This doesn’t mean they cannot grow; they might just need someone to help unlock their potential. This can only begin with trusted, transparent conversations.

Clarify Expectations

Setting clear expectations is crucial. Your salespeople need to know exactly what you expect from them, including specific targets, behaviours, and attitudes. When expectations are clear, there is less room for misunderstanding, and your team knows what they are working towards.

Provide Feedback

Regular feedback is essential in guiding your salespeople toward improvement. Constructive feedback helps them understand where they are falling short and how they can improve. It also reinforces positive behaviours and achievements, boosting their morale and motivation.

Create a Unique Performance Plan

Creating a performance plan tailored to each salesperson is essential. This plan might include specific KPIs to ensure basic sales tasks are being completed, such as cold calling, follow-up emails, and keeping the CRM updated.

A performance plan should not be something that causes embarrassment or shame. Instead, it should provide structure and clarity, focusing on the specific areas where the salesperson is struggling.

This approach turns the plan into a tool for growth rather than a punitive measure.

Keep Training Consistent

The reason many salespeople struggle may simply be that they haven't had enough training. Continuous training is crucial in a sales environment where there are numerous components to master, from learning specific systems to honing relationship-building skills and sales strategies.

On-the-job training and mentoring are particularly effective for salespeople. This doesn’t mean micromanaging but instead finding a balance between managing and giving autonomy.

Regular training sessions, workshops, and mentorship programs can provide your sales team with the knowledge and skills they need to improve performance.

- Written by Arun Sutton

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