Today, I had the pleasure of presenting to a cohort of talented Sales Leaders, and one of the main topics we focused on was dealing with underperformance. Specifically, we discussed how much time to invest before cutting ties with underperforming individuals. The reality is, it’s nearly impossible to set a hard and fast rule. What we came back to were three key factors: attitude, belief in the program, and experience.
Let’s break these down a bit:
Attitude:
Does the salesperson acknowledge their underperformance and believe there are steps they can take to get back on track? Or do they always blame external factors for their lack of success? Top performers will rise to the challenge of accountability, while lesser performers tend to shy away.
Belief in the Program:
Does this individual believe that the steps you’ve outlined for improvement are reasonable and make sense, or do they dismiss them as pointless or irrelevant? Their buy-in is critical for progress.
Experience:
Is this a seasoned rep who should be carrying more weight and has no legitimate excuses, or is this someone new to the game with a steep learning curve? There’s a big difference in expectations based on experience.
It’s crucial to ensure team members know where they stand and understand the expectations placed on them. If they demonstrate a desire to improve and work towards getting back on track, we should extend the time before making a final decision. However, if it’s clear there’s no drive or understanding of the need for improvement, it’s best to coach them out sooner rather than later.
Here’s the bottom line: bad team members do more harm than having no team members at all. Low performers drag down the standard for everyone. I would rather have fewer people on the team but maintain a high standard than settle for more performers at a lower level. A-players want to be held accountable—and they thrive on it.
Cheers!
