Sales managers will do just about anything to motivate their teams. They will do things like plan huge kickoff meetings, trips to exotic places, and offer huge commissions. However, no matter how big and flashy you go, you can’t fix a motivation problem by doing this.
Every day, your sales reps get bombarded by all kinds of outside factors that can affect their motivation. The customer might be telling them no repeatedly, or it might be the wrong time to sell in the market. There could be some kind of disaster going on that is affecting their ability to sell.
In order to sell well, your sales team needs to be hyped up and ready to go at any time. The motivation of your sales reps will have an impact on productivity, culture, and your bottom line.
If you want to improve the success of your whole sales department, then you need to make the motivation of your team a priority. Here are some of the most effective tactics to boost the motivation of your whole sales team and improve your bottom line.
Set Clear Goals
This one might be an obvious step, but it’s an important one. You need to give your sales teams a clear goal to aim for. Without a goal in mind, they won’t know what they should be aspiring to or what your company considers to be a success. Choose a goal that is achievable, but not too easy to reach. Goals should still be a bit of a stretch. An ideal goal is one that scares you a little bit but excites you more. Don’t be afraid to think big.
Goals shouldn’t just be about reaching sales quotas. Different salespeople will be motivated by different things. Quotes may work well for some reps, but for others, a contest or a personal goal might be more effective. Work with each individual member of your team to find out what motivates them and what will work best for them. You can track goal progress in SAP Sales Cloud.
Focus On Purpose
People who love their jobs tend to perform better. In fact, organizations that have low employee engagement will experience lower productivity.
As a manager, it’s your job to keep your team engaged and supportive of your company’s mission. Start by explaining what that mission really means to each person on your team and how they will play a part.
This is even more important if you have a younger team. According to surveys, a millennial workforce value a sense of purpose as part of the reason that they choose to work for their employers. Giving your salespeople that sense of purpose will inspire them to work much harder at their jobs and inspire their loyalty to your business.
Build Trust
Trust is an essential foundation for motivation. If your team doesn’t trust you and doesn’t believe that you have their best interests at heart, it will be very difficult for them to feel inspired and driven by their work.
If you are going to be a good leader, you need to have the trust of your employees. The best way to build this trust is to be as direct and straightforward as you can. Don’t be tempted to try and hide things or be vague with your team. If something is going on, you need to let your team know.
When you work with your team members, you should focus on having a helpful mindset. Don’t push or scold. Instead, aim to solve problems and help your team to grow and improve. Create a comfortable environment where your team feels appreciated and engaged.
Get Others Involved
It can be easy for your sales team to point fingers and try to pass on the blame to others when something goes wrong. They might blame marketing for not giving them enough leads or customer support for not responding quickly enough to complaints.
To prevent this from happening, you need to break down barriers between departments in your organization. If you can bring sales, marketing, and customer support together, you can see a lot more growth.
With everyone getting a seat at the table, you can remove hurdles and improve productivity. Your salespeople will feel like they’re being kept in the loop and are involved in what’s happening. Based on their collaboration, they can adjust their approach and deliver better results.
Create A Culture Of Recognition
Your sales reps want to be rewarded for their hard work. A commission alone is not enough. Commissions are an expected part of the job, so you need to go beyond that to make your team feel recognized for their achievements.
You could try something like having a dinner whenever someone hits their quota or does something great. Don’t make this dinner just for that one person, but invite the whole team. This creates a more team-oriented mindset to celebrate. Everyone wants to be the person who gets recognized in front of their peers and be the reason everyone gets taken out to dinner. This praise and recognition will motivate them to not only work harder but also work together.
Be Creative
Rewards don’t always have to be money. Sometimes, you can find new and more fun ways to recognize your team.
You could reward someone by offering to do a task that they hate doing, such as cold calling. You could pledge to do something silly if your team reaches a certain goal. You could decide to hold some fun outings for the team as rewards, such as going to a sports game or to tackle an escape room. Think outside the box to get your team excited and motivated.
Get some ideas and input from your team too. Be direct and ask them what would motivate them. You might be surprised by their answers. Remember that not everyone feels motivated by the same things. Be open to their answers and try out some different things. You never know what might work best.
