Top Ways to Motivate Your Sales People by Jae-ann Rock

While there may be endless articles, books and videos filled with ideas on the topic of sales and motivation, in the end, selling is a tough job and not everyone is cut out for it.  But, for those who choose a career in sales, there are several key factors that are likely to motivate them to achieve great success.

Show me the money?  Although money may seem like the obvious motivator for sales people, this is certainly not the whole story…  While receiving a handsome compensation package can be motivating for many, it is by no means the SOLE (or primary) motivational factor to consider when trying to inspire your sales people to succeed. 

Top sales performers will expect a high rate of return for their efforts, but this is only part of the story.  Think of it this way: A top-earning sales professional working in a low morale or apathetic environment may still look for work elsewhere, despite receiving a handsome compensation package. 

So, what can you do to help motivate and retain your best sales people?  Read on…

1. Reward with Incentives. We have to start with a word about commission incentives – an often-used approach to motivate a sales staff.  

  • Be certain your commission structure is designed to actually incent desired outcomes.  Do you want to increase profit margins?  Push a new product line?  Develop a new market?  Be sure you are properly incentivizing those specific goals.  Be careful not to inadvertently create DIS-incentive programs, which can reduce people’s desire to meet or exceed sales goals. 
  • Sales management would be well-advised to ask their sales team for candid feedback about the commission structure.  Have you inadvertently created a diminishing commission structure that actually discourages people from blowing away their goals?  Find out what’s working and what’s not, and make adjustments accordingly. 
  • If needed, it could be well worth the investment to hire a compensation expert to help you develop a sales compensation structure that properly incents people.  A compensation system that motivates employees to improve performance and reach or exceed desired corporate outcomes can have a huge positive impact on your bottom line.

2. Peer pressure. Most sales people respond well to some degree of positive peer pressure. If done correctly, a friendly wager sponsored by the manager can often lift and motivate people. 

  • Be careful when using peer pressure to motivate: Never use peer pressure to make one person feel less than another.  Saying the following can be very disruptive and un-motivating to the team: “Bob did a great job hitting his goal this month. But Sean, what happened to you?”  That kind of comment only serves to make Sean feel terrible, while making Bob feel uncomfortable, at best. 
  • A better way is to simply publicly post goals, dials, conversion rates and other sales stats.  A friendly wager of a soda or a candy bar for the person who can “make X number of calls before lunch”, or “close X new customers by 3:00 PM”, or “talk to the most new prospects by the close of business”…can all lead to increased sales activity and productivity.  Using the reward of a simple candy bar or can of soda may not sound like much, but it can be all it takes to spur people on, creating a fun, enthusiastic environment in which everyone can participate and benefit from a little dose of positive peer pressure.

3. Align, Engage, Inform. Company alignment and employee engagement are critical motivating factors for most professional sales people.  

  • Inform employees of corporate plans and goals.  Knowing that the company is goal-driven and focused on improvement helps motivate and lift up all employees.  Working toward common, well-established corporate goals can mean all the difference in the job-satisfaction and motivation of your employees, especially your sales team.    
  • Align, align, align…  Be sure your company’s 1-year, 5-year and 10-year goals are publicly known and that each corporate division knows its role in reaching the overall company goals.  Involve employees in goal-setting dialogue to help everyone understand their individual role(s) in supporting and achieving those goals.  
  • Engage and involve your employees whenever possible.  Develop employee-led, goal-driven teams.  This can be a highly effective way to not only engage employees, but also to achieve corporate goals.  When employees are given a say in the company, they feel heard, thereby increasing employee motivation.  Keep them informed and involved.  Give them a say in a company steering committee or other important project or team that influences the direction of the company.  Ask for and incorporate employee feedback in your business plans and ongoing projects.  Make use of a suggestion box to consider people’s ideas.  Publicly reward people for helpful ideas.
  • (And remember, it is the employee closest to the “work” who usually knows how to best improve and streamline a process, for the betterment of all.)

4. Public Recognition. Publicly acknowledging a job well done to motivate your sales staff.  This may sound simple, but it does work.

  • Some managers believe that if a sales person is doing well and receiving proper monetary compensation for their efforts, this should be enough. 
  • However, it has been proven that public recognition and praise is highly rewarding for most people, especially when provided by top management.  So, take the time to publicly recognize people’s contributions and efforts – it means more than you might think.

5. Give Thanks. Similarly, a sincere and simple “thanks” for a job well done can also provide fuel for the motivational fire that burns within each of your sales reps. 

  • Be sure to give sincere thanks for a job well done.  Encourage and compliment individual efforts and contributions.  Who doesn’t like to be given positive encouragement or a heartfelt compliment now and then? 
  • When provided by key management personnel, these small gestures can have a big impact on employee motivation.  Sometimes, it’s the simple things that count the most.  So, remember to dish out a well-deserved compliment now and again.

6. Provide Growth Opportunities. Demonstrate interest in your employees’ long term development.  Show that you care. 

  • Discuss your employee’s goals and interests.  This kind of attention can boost morale as well as employee commitment to your organization.  Sales people feel understood and acknowledged when management demonstrates interest in a person’s need for challenge, achievement and professional growth. This helps create a sense of trust that draws out an employee’s commitment and best efforts. 
  • Provide opportunities for professional development, through classes or workshops. 
  • Offer leadership opportunities when possible, to help foster leadership growth and succession opportunities, helping both the individual and the company as well.  Identify key employee skills or talents. Determine if there is a project team or committee that could use those skills. 
  • Seek out and utilize an employee’s natural strengths to help build morale, commitment, job satisfaction and overall employee motivation.

7. Provide Meaningful Work.  Providing employees with meaningful work can be one of the greatest motivators for both individuals and teams alike. 

  • Work that is truly rewarding includes work that produces real results and impacts the company’s bottom line. This kind of work if often highly motivating for people. 
  • It is imperative that management review and streamline sales processes to reduce re-work or administrative work that is often required of top sales performers.  (We can help!)  Remove the waste in sales processes so that the sales people in your organization can do the important work they were hired to do – SELL.  

In summary, remember, despite the famous movie line, “Show me the money!” it’s really not ONLY about the money for most sales people.  Incorporating other key motivational factors can go a long way toward creating a positive, motivated, high-energy sales team…

When you decide you’re ready to improve your sales processes, give us a call.  We can help.  To view our client testimonials, please click here.

Do you have a favorite motivational technique that works?  Share it with us by posting a blog response…  We’d love to hear from you!