It’s no secret that the sales team is the lifeblood of any organization. Therefore, sales should not be overlooked and under-appreciated in its importance to the company. Without the revenue and income generated by a consistent sales team, a company will fail to achieve growth and expansion. For this reason, it is critical to invest time and effort into developing and motivating your sales team. After all, a solid sales force can increase brand awareness and drive the success of the company. The key to optimizing the efficiency of your sales team is to offer appealing incentives that provide the salesperson with a valuable reward for their effort.
Motivate for Success
It is unlikely that your sales team is going to work tirelessly to close a deal when there is nothing in it for them. Conversely, salespeople are largely motivated by money and ego, meaning that they will work harder when there is some reward given for their efforts. Offering incentives are beneficial for both the salesperson and the company, because a focused, productive sales team can help companies achieve their goals for growth. The fast-paced, high-pressure environment surrounding a sales team can be hectic, but managers have the power to inspire their team to want to work harder and more efficiently.
Empowering Your Employees
At some point, we have all had that manager who seems to rule with an iron fist. This feels belittling to employees and kills their enthusiasm for the job. However, when managers empower their employees they are motivated to work harder because they want to make their manager proud. Instead of dictating everything your reps do and say, motivate them to work through issues to try and figure things out for themselves. You can still offer guidance, but let them know you believe in them. Empower them by assuring them that they are good at what they do and you have full confidence that they can find a solution on their own. Of course, you will be close by should any problems arise, but empowering them to do some self-discovery is a great way to motivate.
Money Motivates
Money is a huge motivator. This is nothing new, but when employees feel cheated their enthusiasm can quickly turn into resentment. When offering bonuses and commission, make sure the process is transparent. Paying your team consistently and on time will certainly motivate them to succeed.
Motivation Doesn’t Have to Be Monetary
There is no question that money is probably the best motivator, but there are also plenty of other ways managers can and should motivate their teams. A great way to motivate your team is by providing an element of friendly competition. This process, known as gamification, is great for building morale and encouraging friendly competitiveness. Keep track of each salesperson’s success and offer rewards for the person with the highest score. These can be monetary rewards, gift cards, extra time off, or taking them out for lunch. This will create a fun work environment and a highly motivated sales team. Sometimes, a simple act of recognition can go a long way in motivating your sales team. This might mean rewarding the top sales person with an award, trophy, or certificate that they can display on their desk. In addition to recognizing your top sales performers, take time to reward important qualities such as best attitude, best meeting contributions, most dedicated, etc. When your sales team is recognized for more than just their numbers, they will be more motivated to improve their overall performance.
