Sales teams operate in one of the most high-stakes, high-turnover environments in the business world. Understanding the neuroscience behind team performance can be a game-changer—In Training Magazine's webinar, The Science of Great Sales Teams, Dr. Britt Andreatta, shares the research on what makes sales teams thrive, how leaders can foster long-term success, and why understanding team dynamics can dramatically reduce turnover rates.

With an 18-month average tenure and a 35% turnover rate (3x other industries), sales teams often lose members before they reach peak performance. While this easy-come-easy-go revolving door is often seen as the norm in the industry, it has a huge monetary impact as it costs up to 200% of a rep’s salary plus benefits to replace them.

But the key to retention lies in great managers.

With 80% of all sales often made by just 20% of the reps, instead of constantly searching for new high performers, organizations must focus on improving the performance of their reps. One strategy is to leverage the brain’s natural capacity for observational learning. Have top reps regularly demonstrate successful behaviors. Make this scalable by using the power of video.

Second, sales leaders need to engage in high-impact coaching and find the right blend of two coaching styles (skills and clarity) to increase both performance and confidence.
Third, sales leaders should be adept at developing their reps, helping them handle rejection, and leveraging strengths to drive peak performance. The best leaders understand how to create a psychologically safe environment where sales reps can learn, fail, and improve without fear of blame or shame.

Yet sales teams are often structured and motivated in ways that encourage competition over collaboration. Studies show that teams perform best when they feel safe to share ideas, admit mistakes, and collaborate. Sales environments that lean too heavily on competition can create stress, disengagement, and long-term damage to team cohesion. The brain science backs it up—the concept of neural synchrony was coined while observing high-performing teams whose brain waves literally aligned to one another. Each time a task changed, they would go out of alignment, and then quickly realign again—a fascinating illustration of the importance of cohesion over competition.

These insights only scratch the surface of what was covered in The Science of Great Sales Teams. Watch the full recording here to dive deeper into the research, explore practical strategies, and gain actionable tips to elevate your sales team’s performance.