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3 Tactics to Help Managers Retain Top Talent During the Great Resignation

3 Tactics to Help Managers Retain Top Talent During the Great Resignation

Categories: Sales Coaching Tools  |  Front-line Managers  |  Talent Management

Successful companies are finding new ways to differentiate their approach to talent management as they face the ongoing complexities of the Great Resignation. 

On the Revenue Builders Podcast, Mike McSally, an accomplished talent leader with 30+ years in the business, discusses the Great Resignation, sharing that nearly, “8 out of 10 people that are gainfully employed today are willing to entertain a new opportunity.” A Microsoft survey also stated that 52% of young people polled say they are likely to consider changing employers this year. 

What does this mean for your top performers and your bottom line?

Your managers are facing the reality of these challenges, and it may eventually show in their territories' numbers. To recruit, retain and build top performers, help your sales managers find ways to stay aligned with their salespeople, every day, and make an impact on their success. 

Sales is a contact sport. While the past few years have changed the nuisances of playing the game, the importance of retaining top talent hasn't changed. Focus your managers on staying in front of their people in a way that positively impacts their personal and professional growth. Regardless of the environment your company operates in (remote vs. in person), provide your managers the resources to create and maintain a culture that supports your most valuable asset, your people.

Take these three steps:

1. Give Your Managers the Skills to Be a Great Sales Coach

Top salespeople have a strong desire to continually improve. It’s up to your managers to help them do it. When they lack that support, they may look elsewhere and join that 52%.

As you support your managers who are dealing with talent management and retention challenges, remind them that great coaching is more about communication and credibility than it is about policy and performance. 

The number one job of a sales manager is to teach reps critical fundamentals that they can use to drive results from one opportunity to the next. When managers teach reps these skills it supports sales productivity, and also shows salespeople the value of working with their manager and for your team. 

Your front-line managers will likely welcome any support, tools, and resources you can provide to help them develop their coaching skills and make a bigger impact on rep development. Here are resources that will help you give your managers the skills to make an impact: 

2. Focus Your Managers on Providing "The How"

If your managers are just telling reps what to do, then they’re not helping their reps hone fundamental skills that they can leverage to improve current and future opportunities. 

Sales reps don’t need managers who only check in to complain when their numbers fall short. They also don’t need managers who swoop in, take over a deal and close that deal themselves. What your salespeople do need is a manager who can articulate not just what they can do to move the deal forward, but also how they can go out and make it happen. 

Think back to the time you may have spent as a sales rep, and ask yourself this, “Were you able to make a bigger impact in your deals when your managers gave you a to-do list, or when your managers worked with you to help you understand how to execute the most critical activities on your to-do list?” 

The more your managers can help reps map out their deals and provide the how — the more your reps will see the value of working with their managers and for your company. Enable your managers to provide "the how" during opportunity coaching sessions. This will have a significant impact on your numbers and your ability to retain talent. Here are some resources to share with your managers:

3. Help Your Managers Assess What Their People Need to Succeed

During the Revenue Builders conversation, McSally goes on to say, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Life is busy and the urgency around hitting the number never dissipates. The more you can help people achieve their personal goals — the more trust you will build in that relationship.”

Your managers need to be present with reps, whether they're communicating over the phone, via video or in person. This time gives managers the ability to dig deeper into deals and get the bigger picture around each of their rep’s individual needs.

Staying connected requires more than 30/60/90 day check-ins and deal reviews. Give your managers a cadence they can use to build trust and alignment with each of their reps. Share the Skill/Will coaching model with your managers. As your managers use this model, they can ensure they’re spending the right amount of time coaching the right people, all while taking into account each individual's sales skills and level of motivation.

Leaders Share How To Weather Recruitment Challenges and Build Top Talent

To retain top performers and develop elite sales teams during the Great Resignation, continue to find new ways to differentiate your approach to talent management. See where leaders go wrong and take learnings from companies that are finding success, even in the current job climate. 

Retaining top talent and building an organizational culture that supports talent development are topics that are often discussed on the Revenue Builders Podcast. Take a look at their recent episodes.

Gain insight on how to overcome recruitment challenges and make your talent a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Revenue Builder Podcast  - Listen Now

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