Can your top salesperson really be a problem? How can this be true? Financially, they’re not a problem. The problem is the psychological damage they inflict on business owners. That’s the problem.
Most true superstars are paid like superstars. They act like superstars and can be a royal P.I.A. After dealing with a true superstar, the business owner can’t help but change how they feel about all salespeople. Business owners adapt to the presence of a superstar. Here are some of the adaptations we have seen: 
- Begrudging paying so much money to one person. This results in wanting to pay all salespeople less and recruiting a mediocre sales team.
- Resenting superstar behaviors like noncompliance with rules and procedures, late or nonexistent reports, and treating the business owner like they work for the salesperson. The resentment is natural, but it can result in recruiting people that don’t have these superstar behaviors (i.e., weaker salespeople).
- Knowing that the top salespeople have you over a barrel and you feel hopeless. This usually goes one of two ways: the business owner doesn’t know what to do, so they give up control of the business to the salespeople. Or, the business owner takes control of the sales process and lessens the power of the superstar. The owner no longer runs the business and now functions as a salesperson or sales manager.
It’s easy to fall victim to the effect of a sales superstar on your business. After all, we’re only human. We want what the superstars deliver regardless of their baggage. Learn to fight through the basic human psychology so you can tap their skills.
We’ve helped many businesses lessen their dependence upon superstars. Let’s chat if you’d like to hear how.
