In the world of sales, effective time management and team retention are two critical sales management strategies for success.

Benjamin Franklin once wisely observed, “If you want something done, ask a busy person.”

However, in the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of sales, simply being busy isn’t enough.

Strategic thinking, thoughtful planning, and intentional actions can distinguish high-performing sales teams from the rest.

This article delves into proven strategies for optimizing your sales team’s time management and explores key factors in retaining talented sales professionals.

By fostering a culture that values both strategic thought and sustained effort, you can ensure your sales team not only survives, but thrives.

Sales Time Management Strategy

Busy people tend to get more done than their counterparts, but this isn’t always the best option.

Through my training and coaching of sales professionals globally, I’ve found a distinct advantage for anyone who applies sufficient thought to what they are doing versus someone who takes the task and completes it.

The challenge however is that spending time thinking rather than doing is typically not deemed a valuable sales activity. Many sales managers or leaders see this as “waste” and prefer time invested in tactical activities such as making calls or attending events.

I’ve found the exact opposite, and in fact, suggest that “time for thought” is something that should be scheduled and expected of all salespeople.

Here are four ways to determine how strategic your sales team is:

• Time is invested weekly in researching new buyers.
• Presentations speak to each buyer’s unique needs.
• Negotiation strategies exist for each conversion opportunity.
• Lost opportunities are reflected upon to determine what went wrong.

If your sales team is effective at selling, then time to think is just as valuable as getting something done.

In other words, in strategic sales, “done right” is better than “done.”

Building a Sales Team: How to Retain Good Sales People

The sales profession has an average turnover of 35% — higher than the 13% average for all other industries, according to HubSpot.

The reasons for high turnover vary, but there are unique reasons why people leave a sales job, compared to other roles, namely:

• Job uncertainty
• Varying compensation
• Increased stress
• Unpredictable work/life balance

Let’s be honest. Selling isn’t for everyone, and it’s not for the faint of heart.

The question you need to be asking yourself is not IF your salespeople will leave, but WHEN they will leave.

The solution to retaining good salespeople is first to look closely at how your sales leader (or you, if you are a sales leader) interacts with the team.

• Do you have realistic expectations for everyone on the team, considering their strengths and weaknesses?
• Are team members aligned with customers or clients who best match their personalities and behaviors?
• Do you have a sales rhythm that creates 360 degrees of communication and builds trust?

It’s fair to say if you don’t currently have a retention issue in your sales department, you will at some point.

What are you doing to improve the odds your people stick around, and sell?

Aligning Sales Management Strategies for Sustained Success

The success of your sales team hinges not just on their ability to stay busy but on their capacity to think strategically and work effectively.

By incorporating thoughtful time management practices and fostering a supportive, well-aligned team environment, you can enhance both productivity and retention.

Remember, creating space for strategic thinking and aligning team members with roles that suit their strengths are crucial sales management strategies for achieving sustained success.

As you implement these strategies, you’ll see an improvement in sales performance while building a resilient team ready to tackle the challenges of the sales landscape. In the end, a well-thought-out approach to sales is always more powerful than sheer busyness.