Motivating sales reps

Motivating sales reps

Anyone who has managed a sales team knows that there are times when their sales team needs a little boost to stay motivated. Here are some tips for you to help your sales team keep motivated when morale may need a lift:

• Contests. Most salespeople are competitive by nature. Contests are great ways to motivate salespeople to strive harder to achieve success.
• Daily/Weekly Cash Incentives. A cash incentive might be the boost you need for your sales reps. It can be based on the number of leads/appointments made that week, the highest dollar amount of sales, or the one who closed the most business.

Smaller companies may not be able to offer the same incentives. They may want to try other techniques that are not specifically tied to financial resources.

• Recognize success. Schedule specific times throughout the year to recognize successes of sales individuals. Salespeople love to be recognized for their accomplishments. Good salespeople will do whatever it takes to be recognized.
• Training. Continue to teach your salespeople. The more time you spend teaching and coaching your salespeople, the greater their success.
• Involve them in setting goals. Managers know that involving their team members in setting goals will generate a higher level of morale. Effective sales managers give their team an overview of the big picture and what the company needs to do to achieve these goals. Involving the entire team will give them a sense of pride when the company succeeds.
• Communicate. Be honest with your sales team. Some companies feel that people should only be given information that is relevant to their specific job. Sales people that are actively involved feel more a part of the company if they are kept in the loop. Give direction and feedback on a regular basis to let your team know how they are doing and where they are going.
• Lead by example. To keep a highly motivated team, you must give them an example to follow. Demonstrate enthusiasm, energy, team cooperation, honesty, integrity and commitment. Treat people with respect and dignity. Give them tools to excel, grow and develop. Encourage them to participate and get involved. Solicit feedback, listen to their comments, and act on suggestions that will help your business succeed.

Overall, knowing your sales team is the first key to understanding how to keep them energized. Once you know them, you will be able to develop a strong incentive plan to keep motivation going to achieve success all year long.