As we get ready to close out another calendar year, you may be looking at your sales staff and the goals you set this year. Maybe you hit your goals, maybe you missed your goals. One thing that remains is the ability to push forward next year and keep your sales team motivated. So how do you keep your team motivated going into the next year?
Listen
“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” – Stephen R. Covey
In order to truly understand your sales staff you must listen with the intent to understand, not to respond. If your sales staff knows that you are going to listen they will work harder because they know you are in their corner and willing to help. There are going to be times when your best salesperson just need to vent and be heard. As a sales manager, it is your job to listen to concerns. You may even uncover a piece of information that helps the entire team.
Provide A Great Place To Work
A clean, safe environment will take an distractions out of the equation for you and your sales staff. This will let your sales team focus on what is important, growth and new client acquisition. Give your employees a place that they want to work and let them enjoy the office. A great place to work will motivate your sales staff to work harder and longer. Set your team up for success with a great place to work.
Offer Career Development
Your top sales professionals want to grow and develop. The problem is that most companies do not offer career advancement programs. A great career advancement program will motivate your sales staff to get better everyday and continue to push for long term growth. The skills your sales staff will not only help them grow, but will also help your business grow through their new skills.
Set Obtainable Goals
One way to get rid of great sales professionals is to set goals that are not obtainable. If your goals are not in reach, the motivation to achieve these goals will go out the window. Unobtainable goals will have the best sales person looking for the new job, most likely with your competition.
Avoid Useless Meetings
We have all been there. Let’s have a meeting to have a meeting. Nothing kills moral like unnecessary meetings and time wasters. Use meeting time wisely and get things done. Use your meetings to discuss important issues that will help your sale staff be more productive and achieve their goals. Avoid meetings just for the sake of having a meeting.
Develop Your Purpose
For the most part, your sales team will be motivated by one thing, money. However, money is not the only way to motivate your sales team. The power of caused-based selling, or motivation to help others can give your sales team another way to stay motivated. Helping others is a great way to give your sales team a way to give back and feel good about themselves. Just make sure that you are not replacing a great commission structure with caused-based selling.
Conclusion
It can be very difficult to keep your sales team motivated. Start by listening, having a great place to work, provide advancement, set obtainable goals, and avoid useless meetings. Setting your sales staff up for success is a start to building a lasting business.