To Salvage or Not To Salvage - That Is the Question: Part 1 - The Salesperson

“My salesperson is not performing.” I hear it all the time from sales managers around the country. The problem is many sales managers stop there.

For every individual poor performer, there is a reason. The source of the problem may not be what you think it is.

There are three basic sources for poor performance—the salesperson, the sales manager, or the sales organization. Without knowing which one it is, you may end up making the wrong decision when it comes to termination.

Over the next three months, we’ll cover each of these possible sources for poor performance in detail.

The Salesperson

When the source of poor performance is the salesperson, there can be a myriad of reasons.

First of all, a salesperson in a prospecting role may have a behavior conflict with the job. A position that requires high energy and initiating relationships will not be done well by someone with a low energy behavior style who is more reactive than proactive.

This disparity between the energy requirements of the role and the ability of the salesperson to sustain that level in most circumstances puts him a disadvantage for performing well.

The salesperson can also have a values conflict with the role. If the company rewards things the salesperson does not appreciate, performance can lag behind acceptable levels.

The role may reward independence and freedom, but the salesperson prefers working as a team and with a strong sales manager.

Conversely, if a salesperson wants to “own” his territory and needs little supervision, rewarding group achievement and team involvement can hinder his ability to move ahead.

There also may be a problem with the salesperson’s ability to perceive issues clearly. A low capacity to handle rejection or stress, poor confidence in the role, or lack of self-starting ability can prevent a salesperson from achieving success.

The only way to know if a poor sales performer is the true source of the problem is to objectively assess them. Otherwise, you could be terminating a top producer without knowing it.

When it comes to deciding whether or not a salesperson should be terminated, it really boils down to if he or she is salvageable.

To determine this, you must have an objective assessment of the salesperson. The logic for letting a salesperson go is similar to hiring one.

You have to avoid filling in the gaps with subjective, surface-levels observations. Too many times those observations can be deceiving.

Sometimes a salesperson is not salvageable, and you do have to let them go, but before you do, make absolutely sure that the problem doesn’t lie somewhere else.

If you have a poor performer on your team who’s facing termination, and you’d like to be sure you’re making the right decision, contact us at 336.665.0506.