How to Improve Sales Performance – Deal with Disengagement (Part 1)
60% of Millennials are actively floating their resumes right now (Gallup). This is a problem for all business and sales leaders, since engaged employees guarantee:
- better customer ratings;
- increased productivity levels;
- higher profits; and
- lower absentee rates.
How much money are you leaving on the table by not fully engaging your emerging leaders?
Re-engaging our millennial leaders and salespeople is the topic of my recent Forbes article. Based on the onslaught of eMails and questions I’ve been getting on the topic, thought I’d provide a couple of other insights for you to consider, insights on how to:
- strengthen current sales management strategies;
- leverage Millennial engagement, and;
- improve sales performance.
What is your strategy to get your millennial sales leader checked in and fully engaged? All day long, every day….giving you the competitive edge.
The research for Millennials Matter, Proven Strategies for Building Your Next-Gen Leader, included talks with up-and-coming sales leaders. This research highlighted the need for a fresh and focused strategy to keep our emerging sales leaders engaged 24/7.
Detect and deal with disengagement danger signs
I’ve identified five disengagement danger signs. They can have a perilous impact on your sales results. Listen intently to what your up-and-coming sales leader is saying so that you can get him or her back on track for their sales plan.
Here are the first 2 Disengagement Danger Signs:
Disengagement Danger #1 – “I can’t see how I fit into your bigger picture.”
If your millennial sales leader does not have clarity on your vision, mission, and values, they will disengage. When they don’t understand the HOW and the WHY of your way of doing business, they will leave and find a company and leader who will do this.
In the Forbes article, I mention that your millennial sales leader is motivated by more than a fat bonus check or a shiny company car. Give your up-and-coming business professionals the opportunity to partake in projects that matter to the company and the world around them
What can you do?
- Paint a compelling vision for the future of your company that shows how your clients (and the world) will be better because of the work you do.
- Create a clear picture of the important role your emerging leader has in the overall big picture.
Disengagement Danger #2 – “I don’t know what I have to do to be seen as successful in this company.”
Previous generations often measured their success against the number of years they worked for the same employer. They were willing to climb the corporate ladder slowly. In the meantime, they were quite satisfied to do whatever was necessary to keep the boss happy and the paycheck coming. If this is what you expect of your up-and-coming sales leader, disengagement is almost guaranteed. Millennials are impatient. They want to see their careers move forward in the shortest amount of time.
What can you do?
- Ensure your millennial salesperson understands the expectations, responsibilities and outcomes for their current role.
- Collaborate together to create a detailed outline of Outline what the emerging sales leader needs to accomplish or demonstrate in order to get the promotion they want.
- Craft a plan outlining what each party is going to do to help achieve the goal – for example, specialized training, coaching, and mentoring.
- Discuss their dreams and goals during regular one-on-one mentoring sessions. Then help them align their dreams with your view of success. This ensures enthusiasm about their career journey.
How committed are you to improving your millennial leader’s sales performance?
Your coaching and mentoring can be the catalyst to re-engage them. Our data shows that 73% of all salespeople have a strong desire for sales success. However, only 51% have the unconditional commitment to do whatever it takes to be successful, i.e. to change their thinking, to upgrade their skill set, and to strengthen their Sales DNA. The coachable sales professional, who has both Desire and Commitment, is a prized employee.
A fully engaged millennial sales leader will contribute to keeping your business on a positive growth track. The results? A win-win with better customer ratings; increased productivity levels; higher profits; and lower absentee rates.
Want more insights on this topic. Read the full Forbes article. You can also stay tuned for my next two blogs in this series. I’ll tell you about the other three danger signs so that you can detect and deal with disengagement in your millennial sales leader.
Leadership Lesson: Prioritize the reengagement of your millennial sales leader to improve your sales performance.
Leadership Question: What are the disengagement danger signs that you detect in your up-and-coming sales leader?
© Copyright 2018 Danita Bye
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