It should be obvious that when your sales team is motivated, they not only enjoy their job more, they actually improve their performance. What does this mean for your business? For starters, a healthier bottom line.
However, motivating your sales team is tricky. You cannot just tell jokes throughout the day to keep people laughing. You need real sales strategies along with motivation techniques that produce results. Yes, happy employees are productive employees, but there is much more to an effective sales team than just their overall happiness levels.
Keep reading for some tips on how you can keep your salespeople happy while motivating them to achieve even more.
Focus on the Key Sales Activities Rather Than the End Results
Just focusing on the results of the sales alone is stressful. Especially if you consider as a sales manager or salesperson, you can influence but not control the results. However, you do have control over inputs that impact if you will achieve your goals – this input is your activities.
For example, you can decide if you make a sales call, and you can control how much you talk versus listen while on the call. However, the prospect’s decision to hang up or continue listening is out of your hands.
Motivation Tip: You can motivate your team by encouraging them to create their schedule around specific sales actions. Focus on the means, and you will find that the ends come later.
Engage in Acts of Public Appreciation
A crucial part of happiness on the job is if you feel appreciated for what you do. Appreciation is considered a cornerstone for any organizational strategy to help encourage and motivate individuals while they work.
There are a few ways you can let your sales staff know that you care about them and the work they do. For example, do not just celebrate the huge milestones. Celebrate the smaller milestones, too. Ensure you are giving specific compliments and letting employees know you trust them and then showing them this trust.
You should also create and follow an open-door policy to encourage openness and transparency. Be sure to use the words “thank you” regularly and have an appreciation day or lunch for employees who stand out but may not have the highest sales.
Set the Destination Rather Than a Path
Everyone loves the feeling of ownership. This means you need to give your team a sense of ownership for the projects they are working on. An effective way to do this is by setting the destination (i.e., the goal) for your sales team but trust that they can find their own path to reach this goal. This means they take the reins and decide how to reach the goal, all on their own.
Eliminate the Line between Employee and Boss
As mentioned above, a strong sense of ownership can improve employee happiness. When a new project arises, a new team leader (who is not the manager) should be put in charge. By giving each team member a chance to take control, you create a sense of ownership for the entire team.
If you manage a sales team, what are the responsibilities that you can delegate? You can look at this another way, too. For example, what tasks can you take off your plate that will help to motivate your team members and encourage growth?
Question Efficiency if There Is No Link to Meaning
Companies often work to achieve higher levels of efficiency, that on the surface, should make a sales team more efficient. However, this division and routinization of labor may come with unwanted costs related to workers being less satisfied in their job. Sometimes, this is an unrecognized trade-off – the goals of efficiency, and eventually higher profits, come at the cost of reduced worker happiness.
Make sure you look out for any routinized or monotonous work. If you find this, be sure you take steps to make it engaging, challenging, and meaningful.
Autonomy
Many people are not aware they have autonomy in their jobs. Make sure you remind your employees of this. What freedoms do these salespeople have that they are not utilizing or taking advantage of?
If you are looking for new and effective ways to motivate your sales team while keeping them happy and engaged, the tips and information here should help you get started. Being informed and knowing what to expect are the best ways to ensure that the desired results are achieved and that your salespeople are not only happy but also highly engaged and productive.
