Finding a great sales person for your team is one thing, but keeping them motivated and happy is another challenge.
We all know that sales is a constant roller coaster of highs and lows. Working with sales teams that are performing well can be great, but what do you do when standards start slipping and people no longer seem to be fully engaged? Here you will find some tips on keeping your team motivated based on my own experience.
One of the first mistakes I made as a sales leader was to assume that everyone was motivated by the same thing – money. While this is one of the main reasons for working in sales, money itself isn’t necessarily a big motivating factor on a day-to-day basis.
What you need to find out is:
What do financial rewards mean to your people?
This may be simple but you need to find out the personal medium- and long-term goals of your sales people. Commission is more than just money, it can help people to get their first house, that dream trip they’ve always wanted or maybe it can help them to support their family or friends. Find out what is behind the money and remind your team of those goals to help keep them motivated, especially in difficult times.
- Find out what your team members’ goals are
- Remind them about their goals on a regular basis
- Have a simple and effective commission plan that makes it clear what they need to do to achieve those goals
Lead from the front
You need to be aware that your team members are often mirroring what you do. If you are not motivated and not achieving your goals, it will be very hard for you to convince people to perform well. Actions speak louder than words.
Show appreciation
It’s human nature to want to be appreciated. My assumption was that big commission bonuses show sales people how much we appreciate them. But I was wrong. People really like to work in an environment where they feel appreciated. You need to make sure that your kind words towards your team members are honest.
Build that trust
Being honest, direct and straightforward helps your team to get to know you as a genuine person. They will respect a person who can admit their mistakes and who can provide constructive criticism to their team. Never beat around the bush and say things as they are.
Be creative with your incentives
Not all of your incentives have to involve cash. I have noticed that people are much more motivated to hit an incentive of a full day off rather than vouchers or any other monetary gifts. A good exercise is to discuss in team meetings what your team members would really want to get for hitting their incentives, as not everyone is interested in a bottle of champagne.
My personal recommendation on leadership:
Playbook: A Coach’s Rules for Life