Struggling to Retain Marketing Staff in Solar Industry – How Do You Keep Them Engaged?

Dear All,

I'm working in a manufacturing industry as an HR professional, and we often recruit marketing personnel. The issue we face is that they do not stay with us for a long period; our attrition ratio is high.

I kindly request suggestions on how to retain marketing staff or how to recruit individuals with a consistent level of commitment. In my opinion, the main reason for this issue is the challenging nature of the product - it is difficult to promote easily (Solar product).

I am eagerly awaiting responses from my seniors. Currently, we have an opening for a Marketing Manager in Trichy location. Please feel free to refer any of your friends.

Regards,
Anitha

Dear Anitha,

I would like to point out and clarify whether a marketing professional even needs to sell the product. The reason is that marketing and sales are different, but these days companies treat them as the same. If the person is solely engaged in promotional activities, then it should be ensured that they are provided with proper facilities for promoting the product.

Check if the sales department, channel partners, pre-sales team, etc., are all providing proper feedback and market information. If the salary of the salesperson is lower than that of the marketing personnel, it may lead to conflicts within the sales and marketing teams. The sales team may not respond adequately to the marketing efforts, as they might wish for the marketing person to be removed from the organization.

For a successful marketing team, the salary of the marketing professional should be lower than that of the salesperson. The sales team should rely on the marketing team, with some pre-sales activities such as lead generation assigned to the marketing personnel. Targets set for marketing should be communicated to the sales team through the marketing department. The sales team should have the right to question the marketing team regarding leads, sending mailers to channel partners, clients, etc., on behalf of the sales team.

Both teams should be interdependent. However, the marketing salary should not exceed that of sales since marketing tasks can usually be managed in-house, while sales require fieldwork.

I would appreciate receiving the complete job description of the requirements so that I can share it within my network. In the meantime, we can discuss the terms and conditions.

Regards,
Pulak Das
+91 9320364713
jobconnectconsultancy@in.com

Thank you very much for your reply.

We are providing sufficient training to them. I would like to know, what can be the minimum onboarding period for a marketing professional.

We do not have separate departments for sales and marketing in this developing firm, and I am the first HR personnel here.

Recently, I have recruited three marketing professionals, one for Chennai and the other two for ROT. I am concerned about their retention with us. I have put in my best effort in their recruitment. If they decide to leave, I feel guilty as if I haven't recruited any good candidates.

Please assist me with this matter.

Regards, Anitha

Mob: 9842533342

Email: anith22_mms@yahoo.co.in

Good package is fuel for a sales guy. If they get better fuel from another source, they will not work with you. So, they must get their reimbursements on time, or else a conflict will arise with the A/C or HR dept & Sales department. Most of us ignore this situation and think that paying salary on time is sufficient.

Training is important for all employees, but it must be determined where the sales guy is facing the problem. The sales guys to whom they are reporting must have a friendly relationship, or they will never share their problems. If personal problems get mixed with professional ones and vice versa, the employee will not be able to manage anything, and productivity will decrease. When the performance level is zero, the management will consider the person useless for the job and remove them from the organization.

Thus, HR should act more as a friend to the employees than as an office colleague. Let them discuss their problems, provide counseling ideas, and motivate them so that the staff will be retained in the company. Arrange for a meeting or general discussion (play) weekly or monthly (even for 2 hours) where all employees sit together and exchange their views. This way, they will get to know each other better. If possible, ensure that even the management can participate sometimes.

The sales guys should receive proper support from their seniors and gain product knowledge. I will send you the details to your email address.