Understanding why sales professionals leave their roles is one of the most important pieces of insight a hiring manager can have. Because when you know why people walk away, you can build the environments that make them want to stay.
To dig deeper into this, we surveyed over 150 B2B sales professionals across the UK and asked one simple question:
“Why did you leave your last sales role?”
Their answers reveal clear patterns about leadership, culture, and career development – and what companies need to fix if they want to keep top performers.
Here’s what they told us:
Top Reasons Salespeople Leave Their Roles
1. Poor Management (49%) – The Biggest Deal Breaker
The number one reason salespeople leave? Poor management.
Nearly 4 in 10 respondents said bad leadership pushed them out of their last role.
This came up repeatedly in conversations – often described as:
- Lack of communication
- Unrealistic expectations
- Poor support
- “Hands-off until there’s a problem”
- Micro-management
In an environment where numbers matter, the relationship between a salesperson and their manager matters even more. When leadership falls short, performance drops – and people leave.
Recruitment takeaway:
If you want to retain strong salespeople, invest in strong sales managers. It’s that simple.
2. Company Culture (21%) – People Don’t Leave for Money, They Leave for Environments
Culture was the second most cited reason at 21%.
This often meant:
- A lack of team cohesion
- Unclear values
- Pressure without support
- Burnout culture
- Poor communication from leadership
Salespeople want to be part of an organisation that actually feels good to work in – not just one that pays well.
In 2025’s talent market, culture isn’t a buzzword. It’s a competitive advantage.
Recruitment takeaway:
If your culture isn’t showing up in the hiring process, candidates will assume it’s not there.
3. Lack of Growth (17%) – When People Stop Progressing, They Start Looking Elsewhere
Another 17% said they left because they saw no clear growth path. This aligns with other Totaco insights: growth is consistently one of the top reasons salespeople accept a new job.
Sales professionals want:
- Clear progression frameworks
- Achievable steps to promotion
- Real development, not just talk
- Opportunities to expand responsibilities
When growth isn’t communicated or is inconsistent, candidates lose trust quickly.
Recruitment takeaway:
If you want to attract high performers, show them exactly where they can go – and how.
4. Low Earnings (12%) – But Only When Everything Else Is Already Broken
Also at 12%, low earnings were tied with lack of growth. Interestingly, money wasn’t the top reason – which challenges the stereotype that salespeople move purely for higher OTE.
Our data shows:
Money becomes a problem when management, culture, or growth already are.
If everything else is strong – leadership, culture, purpose – salespeople are far more likely to stay and work through short-term earnings dips.
Recruitment takeaway:
Great sales talent wants financial reward, yes – but they want a clear runway even more.
What These Numbers Mean for Employers
When you look at these reasons together, a clear pattern emerges:
People don’t leave jobs.
They leave environments where they can’t succeed.
Bad management, poor culture, slow growth and unclear earning stability – all of these make salespeople feel like they’re fighting uphill.
Here’s what companies can do to reduce turnover:
- Build strong, supported, trained sales managers
- Communicate culture honestly during hiring
- Offer transparent progression paths
- Set achievable, meaningful targets
- Review OTE regularly against market standards
- Maintain a consistent, positive employer brand online
When you do these things, you don’t just retain people – you attract better people too.
Why This Matters for Your 2026 Hiring Strategy
The B2B sales market has never moved faster.
Top talent knows their worth – and they’re selective.
Your ability to attract and keep strong salespeople comes down to:
- How effectively you communicate your culture
- How clearly you outline progression
- How credible your leadership feels
- how competitive (and realistic) your packages are
If your hiring messaging isn’t aligned with what sales professionals value, you risk losing the best candidates before they even apply.
Final Takeaway
From our survey of 150+ sales professionals, four themes dominate why people leave:
- Poor management
- Company culture
- Lack of growth
- Low earnings
But the real message is this:
Retention follows clarity, communication, and leadership.
Turnover follows neglect.
If you want to build a sales team that performs – and stays – these are the areas to focus on.
Need support attracting the right sales talent?
We help companies position themselves clearly, communicate what candidates care about, and hire people who stay for the long term.
If you want to chat about improving retention or strengthening your hiring strategy for 2026, we’d love to talk. Get in touch with our team.