When to Fire a Salesperson

No one likes the idea of having to let go of a salesperson, but there are times when a working relationship needs to end.

In some cases, the person in question simply isn’t a good fit for the organization. In other cases, there may be obvious signs that they aren’t cut out for sales in general.

PhoneBurner is dedicated to enabling success for sales teams, so we’ve put together a guide that can help you know when to make this tough call. If you’re facing a tough decision in your organization about severing ties with a salesperson, consider the following signs that it may be time to let go.

Supporting Salespeople Before Letting Them Go

The signs below can let you know that a salesperson isn’t working out—but we still recommend giving your team members every chance to succeed before showing them the door. That also means putting tools in their hands that set them up for high-quality interactions with prospects.

PhoneBurner is packed with features that improve the quality and deliverability of outbound calls so that your reps can reach prospects more smoothly. It also comes with a suite of features that help sales managers track and analyze agent performance to provide support and resources as needed. Be sure to try these tools for yourself and your team before deciding that things aren’t working out.

Now, onto the list.

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1. They're Late or Poor Managers of Time

Time management is a crucial part of sales. Someone who frequently arrives late is giving a clear sign that they aren't taking their position seriously. Successful salespeople value your and their prospects' time by being punctual.

Of course, time management goes beyond punctuality. It's about working efficiently and with purpose—having the focus needed to balance an array of responsibilities without falling behind. It’s also about being able to manage contacts at various stages of the sales cycle without letting opportunities fall through the cracks.

Making sure your salespeople have effective CRM tools to manage prospects can help them with time management. But if they’re still struggling, it might just be the wrong fit.

Sales is typically a fast-paced, high-pressure position. If a salesperson is mismanaging their time to the point that they are constantly playing catch-up, it going be costly to keep them around.

2. They're Not Open to Coaching

Great salespeople know that there's always room for improvement. More importantly, great salespeople want to continually improve.

PhoneBurner’s Listen-in, Whisper, and Barge features are a great way to monitor agent performance either silently, or with direct and timely feedback. Leveraging a virtual salesfloor is yet another great way to offer real-time call coaching.

There's really no excuse for resisting feedback and training. Even if performance is solid (for now) someone who is too proud or too good to learn could be dangerous to keep around. They're likely to disrupt your company or team dynamic, and may cause more trouble than they're worth.

3. Their Outreach Numbers Are Low

The phone can feel heavy to any salesperson. But at the end of the day, calls have to be made. And follow-ups have to be sent.

You should set expectations early for how many calls, emails, and interactions your sales reps should be initiating every week—then use accurate reporting tools to track results.

Some deviation is to be expected. And quality always trumps quantity. But if a salesperson has consistently low activity, it's likely a sign of their commitment level or an overall reluctance to sell. If you can't get their numbers moving in the right direction, it's probably best to part ways.

Related: Call Reluctance: Costs, Causes & Dialer Technology 

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4. They Aren't Persistent

The spoils go to sales reps who go the extra mile. Prospects are rarely reached on the first call (or the second or third) and sales reps rarely hear a "yes" after the first connection. As a rule, persistence is virtually required to close deals—it ranks among the most important sales personality traits.

If you've got a sales rep who runs in the other direction after they hear a "no," or doesn't utilize a sales cadence to ensure regular, repeated exposure, it's time for a talk.

5. They Have a Negative Attitude

Depending on a salesperson’s performance, you may wrestle with the idea of letting someone go for a negative attitude. After all, it’s tough to lose someone who is producing, especially if it’s a top performer.

You should never forgive a bad attitude because of good sales, though. When one person on the team has a negative attitude, it can bring the entire team down, and impact both productivity and job satisfaction team-wide.

Bottom line? Teach your team the importance of a positive attitude, both in the face of adversity and in general, and provide them with tools to overcome negative thinking. If a salesperson consistently has the wrong attitude, even after you’ve spoken to them about it, it may be time to find their replacement.

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6. They're Rude or Impatient with Leads

Not every lead pans out. But every lead is valuable. That's why it's so vital to remain courteous and professional at all times. Good sales reps can turn negatives into positives. More importantly, they can navigate difficult situations, while preserving the good reputation of the businesses they work for.

Unfortunately, some people aren't able to keep their cool and they let negativity and frustration get the best of them. Nobody is perfect, but if a salesperson repeatedly displays rude behavior or an impatient or dismissive attitude, it's a clear sign they don't belong.

Learn More: 7 Common Conversation Mistakes You Need to Avoid in Sales

7. You’re Getting Complaints About Them

You can’t please everybody. The occasional disagreement between one salesperson and another, or between a sales rep and a prospect or client can happen. But if it happens with any frequency, it's a sign that something is wrong.

Smart businesses ensure that clients are happy both during the sales process and after the sale is closed.

If a salesperson is too aggressive, doesn't act with complete integrity, or convinces clients to make a purchase even when it isn’t the right decision, it can come back to bite them.

Relationships are crucial to the success of your business. A track record of complaints against one salesperson is a sign that they’re not doing their job properly. And when that persists despite efforts to fix the issue, it's time to let go.

Learn More: The Beginner's Guide to Relationship Selling

8. They Close Deals—But Not Good Ones

If your sales team is able to negotiate on the company’s behalf, each team member must understand how to negotiate and what limitations they’re working within.

Someone who gives away too much margin costs the company money, and devalues the product. So don't just look at how many deals your team closes, but the quality of those deals. If someone continues to give away the store after some coaching, sales may not be for them.

And another thing, if a salesperson is closing deals that churn consistently faster than average, this is a warning sign. High churn / low LTV can be a signal that a rep is setting improper expectations.

These deals are more likely to end with dissatisfaction, negative reviews, and refunds - which are costly to endure.

9. They Don’t Respect the Team Effort

There's nothing wrong with wanting to be successful as an individual in sales. But in most cases, team success requires unity and cooperation among its components. For this reason, your sales staff needs to function with solidarity.

Learn More: 11 Sales Team-Building Exercises to Strengthen Your Team

If someone is a prima-donna, or puts personal success above (or worse, at the expense of) team success, it's likely to harm the company dynamic and work environment. As such, you may need to show them the door.

10. They Don't Take Responsibility

Someone who refuses to own their role in sales is usually doomed from the start.

Accepting responsibility means owning the situation regardless of circumstances or outside forces. Sure, you may get a batch of bad leads, face an unfortunate set of obstacles, or run into issues with the product that are out of your control. But this is sales, and adversity is a constant.

It’s vital to accept responsibility, and push forward no matter what. If someone continually places blame on external factors, it's a good time to re-evaluate their future with the company.

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11. They Use Tactics that Reflect Poorly on the Company

The sad fact is that some salespeople will bend and break rules all day long in order to hit numbers.

Of course, this eventually gets found out. But by the time it does, a lot of damage may already be done.

If you discover that a salesperson is misrepresenting the company, making promises they can't keep, or engaging in spammy sales tactics of any kind, you've got to respond quickly and definitively.

The best defense here is offense. Make it clear from the get-go that when it comes to selling, integrity isn't just the best way—it's the only way.

Learn More: PhoneBurner’s Commitment to Responsible Communications

Try Different Approaches Before Terminating Relationships

While it’s true that some people just aren’t cut out for sales, it’s also true that many of the challenges salespeople face are solvable. The right techniques—and the right technology—can help improve attitudes, organize workflows, and improve performance.

PhoneBurner is here to help your agents place more calls, connect with more prospects, and have better-quality interactions. Try PhoneBurner for free here before you make up your mind that a salesperson needs to leave the company. You might find out that they’re much more valuable when they’re equipped for success.

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