A motivated sales staff is critical to the success of
your company. The relationships they build with your clients and customers
create the foundation of your organization — not just in terms of individual sales,
but also your overall reputation and growth.
There are many different ways to motivate a sales
team. Some companies use quota programs with bonuses and other financial
rewards. Others go the "fun" route with contests, trips, tickets,
dinners and other innovative rewards. But sales professionals need more
than gift cards or event tickets; they want to succeed in their chosen
profession by climbing up the ladder.
You also need to keep in mind that not all employees
are motivated by the same things. Develop top performers by combining different
rewards that will keep all of your staff motivated.
Money
Cold, hard cash is a tried and true motivator. Many
sales teams hold weekly, monthly and quarterly contests on both the individual
and team levels. You can set the parameters to fit your business, such as the
number of widgets sold, the total sales in dollars or the number of new
accounts opened.
But here's the trick: Everyone is used to the system
that rewards the top sales performer. Try a system that rewards the individual
that tries the hardest. For instance, Dan McGraw, founder and CEO of Fuelzee, said that
one of the best ways his company learned about motivation was by rewarding the
sales team for "no's."
"Every time someone got a no, we tracked it in
our system, and the person with the most no's received a $100 gift card every
week," McGraw said. "This might sound crazy, but you get a lot of
no's when doing sales. The more no's you get, the closer you are to getting a
yes. The prize of getting a yes is way larger than $100, so you still wanted to
get there. This nearly doubled our outbound calls and motivated the whole
team."
Games and
perks
For some salespeople, the ability to have a little fun
during work time is even more of a motivator than money. Common rewards for
reaching sales goals or benchmarks include leaving work early, attending a
happy hour or maybe giving a trip to reward success over a long period of time.
But fun in small spurts can be just as rewarding. Rick
Hanson, a vice president for worldwide sales and field operations with
Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Security, said his company uses FantasySalesTeam to
award points to "players" (sales reps) for carrying out their daily
tasks, like increasing a pipeline or closing a deal. The unique twist is that
the reps don't just compete as individuals, Hanson said; they build teams just as
in fantasy football.
"Reps earn points for their FantasySalesTeam
based on the performance of their chosen peers and friends, and this creates an
environment of encouragement and pressure amongst the players," he said.
"To win the game, they must rely and push on each other to
perform. Even more exciting is just how many reps in our sales
organization can, and want to, participate."
Another way to make sales fun is to reward reps with
office/desk gadgets and games, said Kevin Baumgart, vice president of
sales at Hireology.
"You might not think that a ping-pong table for
the office would push people and drive behaviors," Baumgart said.
"Try it. From my experience, chair massagers, beanbag chairs, stand-up
desk converters, cube art, etc. can all be motivational rewards as well."
Career
experiences
Fun and financial rewards often work, but for some
employees, the ultimate reward is the opportunity to get ahead in their
careers. Managers should offer incentives that help employees develop skills to
move to the next level, including your own time, said Jeff Hoffman, a sales
executive, educator and founder of Your Sales MBA.
"Try a sales contest where the prize or a midway
bonus is you," Hoffman wrote on HubSpot. "Work for the leading rep
for a few hours, doing whatever they direct you to — calls, demos,
presentations, etc. Not only does this motivate your team; it also shows you
aren't afraid to roll up your sleeves and get in the trenches."
The whole team will see you leading by example,
creating an inspirational ripple effect, Hoffman said.
Another reward is lunch with a C-level executive. As
Hoffman wrote, "Most sales reps crave one-on-one time with a senior leader
to share their thoughts and get an inside look into company strategy." The
chance to impress or relate to an individual on a mentorship level will pay
dividends for everyone, Hoffman added.
By offering a variety of rewards, you stand a greater
chance of having a motivator for every personality type on your team and
developing all of your salespeople into top-tier team players. When your goals
and their goals align, only the best things can happen.
Written by: Marci Martin
Credit: businessnewsdaily.com
.jpg)
0 comments:
Post a Comment