I wrote this back in 2012 and thought this would be a good blog to repost. I’ve also freshened it up in I wrote this back in 2012 and thought this would be a good blog to repost. I’ve also freshened it up in order to keep up with the changing conditions of our industry.
- I had the unique experience of catching a dealer principal back in ’98 with many untruths. It didn’t take long for me to have no respect for the dealer principal nor the company. Within nine months I was outta there along with more than $9 million in revenue that I generated since that time. Speak the truth and don’t BS salespeople.
- If you don’t have a President’s Club trip in place, I highly recommend that you start one. We reps love nothing more than being the top dog or one of the top dogs each year. Time away, especially when the company is picking up the tab, is a great incentive to keep those top producers. Also, plan it for five days. Yup, that’s right, and make sure it starts on a Monday!
- Check and approve the commission form before the new system or service is installed. This way if there is a discrepancy, it can be resolved before the pay period or the install. This will also help salespeople see exactly what they are getting paid so they can then count x amount of funds in order to pay their bills. Side Note: Over the years I’ve been amazed at the number of people who think our commission money is extra money, mad money, or our slush fund. Get a grip, people! We use our commission money to pay our bills and support our family.
- Get your reps a monthly commission report at least 10 to 14 days before commissions are paid.
- Go through your pricing guides and eliminate the mistakes, and update your pricing guides as soon as a new system or service is launched. You’re paying your people to sell, then why have them waste time with incorrect pricing or information that is WRONG.
- Every once in a while, throw your top reps a bone, whether it’s a dinner for two, a gift card, or just plain old cash. Better yet, give them a call and TELL them that they are valued members of the company and you appreciate their loyalty.
- Do your reps get vacations? If so, tell your top producers that you will lower their quota when they take a vacation. Thus, it is a true vacation for them. Example: Rep takes a one-week vacation and the monthly quota is 40K, you then reduce the quota for that month to 30K. Your top reps will still produce because they have pride and always want to be the top dog.
- DO NOT micro manage your top reps. They did not become your top reps because they were micro managed. If they have to be micro managed, they are not worth the time.
- Support reps with a lead program. Top producers have the most accounts and do the most work with managing customer emails, phone calls, and follow ups. Compare this with new reps that really don’t have many accounts to manage and all they have to concentrate on is getting new accounts.
It’s plain and simple, you may not hear it from your top reps, but I’m telling you that if you’re ignoring them and don’t have any empathy for your reps, then they will leave you!
Editor’s note: This post originally appeared in the MFP Blog at P4P Hotel.
