Boss, we need to talk… This simple phrase is one of the most dreaded when you are a manager, especially when it comes from the top salesperson on the team. Why, because it often comes before the announcement of a resignation.
Immediately, you are very selfish and imagine the worst:
- “I’m going to lose some business”. It was a sure thing. He always made his objectives. He was my engine. How do you make up for the loss of revenue?
- “We’ll have to reorganize the team. Recruiting? Internally or externally? Redistribute portfolios? The options are numerous and there is no question of making a mistake
- “He’s going to the competition. And then all your muscles tense up and your jaw tightens. He’s sure to leave with his customer file. Block his access, reduce his notice period, don’t do a handover? There is no good option.
The Great Resignation movement
It’s hard not to mention “The Great Resignation” when talking about sales resignations. Even if it is more prevalent in the United States, testimonies of young professionals who leave their job because it lacks meaning, because it is not aligned with their values or does not have a positive impact on society are increasingly present on the web. Among the executives, the sales people are obviously not spared, because of the pressure of objectives.
What are the solutions to perpetuate the business in case of departure?
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Plan a handover period
In theory, the notice period for an executive is 3 months. But, in reality, it rarely runs to its end. Management is reluctant to pay an employee who is leaving, unmotivated and in a hurry to embark on a new adventure.
What’s more, when the departure has not been anticipated (often the case of a resignation 😉 ), the handover is done with the manager. It is most of the time shortened and focuses mainly on the management of opportunities (deals in progress, pipeline, next steps…). The vision is short term. We don’t anticipate the aftermath.
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Connecting to the mailbox
I’ve known managers who, when their employees leave, log on to their email box and spend their days sorting, answering and searching for information. Managing an email box is already complicated, so two… You only have to look at the volume of messages, the unreads, the sub-folders… to understand that this initiative is not only useless but also counter-productive.
Don’t spend your time looking at what has been done but what should be done. Your customers have certainly experienced the situation and will be forgiving if they are unaware of past activities.
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Capitalize on the CRM
This is certainly the most logical action and should be the first reflex. Unfortunately, less than 20% of sales activities are captured in the CRM (Salesforce). Very (too) little information is available on contacts, actions taken, meeting minutes… We know the reasons for the lack of adoption: too long, too complex, no interest in entering information already available in the mailboxes…
Although they are aware of the risks incurred in the event of the departure of a star employee (loss of contacts and customer knowledge, management of the onboarding of the future employee, impact on the turnover…), many sales organizations do not implement actions to secure their business.
Opt for the CRM update
The easiest lever you can intervene on is undoubtedly the update of the CRM. Several options are available to you to capture more data on your customers and prospects: from training to change management support to encourage salespeople to fill in their activities to automating data entry. Make your choice!
Download our 7 tips to make your CRM project a success and encourage adoption.