At the heart of what is being called now called “the great resignation” is a massive demand for talent (ONS reported that there were over a million vacancies in September 2021) and a talent pool that is open-minded and motivated to look for other opportunities.
A recent survey by Randstad UK of 6,000 workers found that 24% were explicitly saying they would plan to change their role in the next 3 to 6 months.
Whereas in a normal year, only 11% of the working population would move jobs.
Oxford Economics found that a recently hired professional can take 28 weeks to achieve optimum productivity.
For many sales roles, this figure may be longer, as when a salesperson of any level leaves they take with them not only their client knowledge but also their relationships with current and future customers.
This means leaders of sales teams are having to work harder than ever to not only find talent and retain talent if they are to meet their sales goals in 2022 and beyond.
In this interview, we want to encourage leaders to look more closely at their internal sales culture and the impact it may have on their ability to retain the best talent.
The challenge with discussions that involve culture is that it requires leaders and businesses to take a hard look at their preconceptions or existing beliefs.
Key Areas of Discussions with Patricia Seabright, Author, Coach and Consultant at Archimedes Consulting:
- What are the “traditional” sales culture traits that impact a business’s ability to retain talent?
- Why the search for the elusive “Alpha” 360 sales professional leaves businesses trapped in an “exclusive” sales culture that bleeds talent.
- What role does the sales leadership play in changing and reinforcing the sales culture?
- How can leaders approach challenging pre-existing biases or cultural assumptions?
- Ways leaders can encourage a wider range of views and voices in their sales meetings.
Patricia‘s Book of Choice:
Patricia recommends ‘Brave not perfect’ by Rashma Saujani
About Patricia Seabright:
Patricia Seabright has spent over 20 years helping business leaders build successful sales teams and sales professionals communicate more effectively with their customers and colleagues.
Alongside running her own business Archimedes Consulting she has spent over 19 years as an associate for Miller Heiman (now part of Korn Ferry).
In 2020 Patricia published her book titled “She Said!: A guide for millennial women to speaking and being heard”
Patricia is happiest when helping people optimise how they speak, sell and influence both clients and colleagues.
