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Improve Direct Sales Team Retention-Team Building
Posted by Deb Bixler
Do you like this graphic? Share it with your friends or sales organization. Link to this page or print out the sales funnel and use it in your sales team training. Print The Sales Funnel
One of the best ways to build a strong sales organization is to qualify your team members and get them into a system of training that will increase consultant retention. No one quits direct sales with a full calendar, so teaching new consultants how to book a solid show schedule is the surest way to build a sales team.
2 Team Building Tips To Improve Team Retention
Direct sales leaders make two serious mistakes that affect sales team retention and their ability to build a team.
#1 Stop teaching your new sales consultants that the best place to find business is with friends, family and acquaintances.
A new business can never depend on friends and family to create a profitable business. In direct sales we are often told to make a list of everyone we have known since kindergarten and ask them to help us get started. This is an unrealistic approach to marketing and one that is never applied in the world of brick and mortar businesses. Team leaders should educate their direct sales team more effectively on finding business from a variety of sources. A new employee needs to tap into 7 sources or techniques to find business. Friends, family, school, work, neighbors, organizations and strangers should all be a part of the foundation that is put into place in a new home party plan business. When a new sales rep schedules 3-4 of the first thirty home party shows in every category, then they will create a business foundation that will be strong, stable and create a solid show schedule.
Team Building System
#2 Put a training building system into place that creates team camaraderie.
Meeting makers make more money. Use a training system as if you are a major corporation. All companies have a routine or training system. Putting a system into place for your new consultant, as well as your more seasoned consultant, will ensure that they stick around. New consultant training should be a given format that you follow for each new rep. Whether that is a phone call series or a series of meetings, a method of training that develops friendships will improve team retention. People do not let friends down, so developing friendships or camaraderie among team members will give your sales consultants motivation. Even phone call systems of training using conference bridges can develop long distance friendships that will improve your retention.
Team Building Workshops & Training To Retain More Consultants
Every time you have a team meeting you should include a workshop on building a sales organization. Then put a training system into place that you follow to train the new reps that will retain more consultants. Just because a system is in place does not mean it can never change. If your system is not working, you can tweak it to get better results but without a plan there is nothing to tweak. If you do not have a system, then you do not have anything to tweak for better results.
Teach your team members how to set up their first shows with a solid base of bookings as well as team building techniques that build friendships and solid foundations to their business. Use different theme ideas for meetings to keep the consultants coming back for more.
August 26th the next 
