Turnover, and what it really costs
Turnover in door-to-door is high by the standards of most sales roles, concentrated in the first weeks, and treated by most companies as a fixed cost. Losing a rep costs recruiting, onboarding and training, plus the revenue the territory did not produce while it sat empty. The second figure is usually larger and almost never tracked.
It concentrates in the ramp
Most departures happen before a rep becomes productive, which means the company paid the entire acquisition cost and collected none of the return. Reducing early attrition is worth more than reducing late attrition for that reason alone.
The cost nobody counts
Recruiting and training spend is visible and gets budgeted. The territory that produced nothing while unassigned is invisible and is frequently the larger number.
We are not putting a figure on this. The numbers circulating in the industry are not ones we can source, and an invented cost-per-departure would be exactly the kind of statistic this site does not publish.
Why the standard response entrenches it
Volume recruiting works, which is the problem. Because it works, the conditions producing the turnover never have to be examined, and the cost stays in the budget permanently.
Common questions
- What is the turnover rate in door-to-door?
- High relative to most sales roles and concentrated early. We are not quoting a percentage, because the figures in circulation are not ones we can independently source.
- What does losing a rep cost?
- Recruiting, onboarding and training, plus the revenue an unassigned territory did not produce. The second is usually larger and rarely tracked.
- Can turnover be reduced?
- Mostly by shortening ramp and setting honest expectations. Both attack the window where departures actually happen.
More on building a team
The manager side: recruiting, onboarding, retention and the cost of losing a rep. Where the paid tier eventually lives.