Sales is a competitive industry, and every company wants to retain their highest performing salespeople. These salespeople are not only the top performers but also bring in the most revenue for the company. Retaining these individuals is critical to the success of any sales team. Selling closeouts, overstock inventory and other types of dead stock is not an easy task. Overstock buyers can be demanding both in what they are willing to buy, and even more important, how much they are willing to pay. Excess inventory buyers will only commit to making a purchase if the price is right.
One of the best ways to retain top salespeople is by providing them with challenging opportunities to sell excess inventory, closeouts, and overstock inventory. These types of products require a unique set of skills to sell successfully, and by challenging top performers, they can improve their skills, increase their earnings potential, and stay motivated.
Here are six strategies that can help you retain your highest performing salespeople selling excess inventory, closeouts, and overstock inventory:
1.Provide Incentives for Selling Excess Inventory
Incentives are an effective way to motivate salespeople to sell excess inventory and dead stock. One strategy is to offer bonuses or commissions for selling specific overstock products. This approach can be particularly effective if you want to move a large amount of inventory quickly, or even if you want to liquidate your entire inventory due to moving warehouses or downsizing your business.
Another way to incentivize your sales team is by offering prizes or recognition for top performers. You can create a leader board or a sales contest and award prizes to the top performers. This approach can create healthy competition among salespeople and motivate them to sell more product liquidation and closeouts.
2.Leverage the Power of Referrals
Referrals are a powerful tool for salespeople, and they can be particularly effective when selling liquidation products to excess inventory buyers. Encourage your sales team to reach out to their existing customers and ask for referrals. You can also offer incentives or discounts to customers who refer new business.
In addition to customer referrals, your sales team can also reach out to suppliers, closeout distributors, or other businesses in the liquidation industry. These partnerships can help increase sales and move excess inventory quickly.
3.Use Social Media to Your Advantage
Social media is a powerful tool for salespeople, and it can be particularly effective when selling excess inventory. Encourage your sales team to use social media platforms like Linked In, Twitter, and Facebook to connect with potential customers. Closeout websites and online liquidation buyers can be effective when having a product liquidation or entire business liquidation. A simple online search may also offer great results for liquidating inventory. Try a Google search using terms like overstock inventory, product liquidation, selling excess merchandise, closeouts, buying liquidated merchandise, excess inventory buyers and shutting down warehouse.
Salespeople can also use social media to create targeted advertising campaigns that reach a specific audience. These campaigns can be particularly effective when selling excess inventory, as they can help move large quantities of products quickly.
4.Focus on Relationship Building
Relationship building is critical to the success of any sales team, and it can be particularly important when selling excess inventory. Encourage your sales team to focus on building strong relationships with customers, suppliers, and other businesses in the industry. Closeout distributors and inventory liquidators often run in the same circles and many of them know each other.
By building strong relationships, your sales team can establish trust, create repeat business, and generate new leads. This approach can be particularly effective when selling excess inventory, as customers are more likely to purchase products from someone they trust.
5.Offer Additional Training and Support
Training and support are critical to the success of any sales team, and it can be particularly important when selling excess inventory. Provide your sales team with additional training and support to help them sell these wholesale closeouts and unique products successfully.
You can offer training sessions, webinars, or workshops that focus specifically on selling excess inventory, closeouts, and overstock inventory. This training can help your sales team improve their skills, increase their earnings potential, and stay motivated. Customers that buy overstock will appreciate this and be even more motivated to help salespeople trying to clear stock from a warehouse or liquidate entire warehouses.
6.Provide Flexibility and Autonomy
Flexibility and autonomy are essential to retaining top salespeople. These individuals want to have control over their schedules, work on their own terms, and have the freedom to make decisions.
Provide your sales team with the flexibility and autonomy they need to succeed. This can include flexible schedules, remote work options, and the ability to make decisions independently. By providing your sales team with the autonomy and flexibility they need, you can help retain top performers and keep them motivated.
Retaining your highest performing salespeople is critical to the success of any sales team, and selling excess inventory, closeouts, inventory liquidations and all overstock merchandise. Merchandise USA is a closeout specialist in business almost 40 years. We can help you resolve any inventory problems including canceled orders, too much inventory, clearing stock from your warehouse and getting rid of dead stock taking up too much space.