Learn how to keep yourself fired up and driven for success with time-proven tactics that have been proven to work in the high-pressure world of sales. Read our blog post!
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Well, well, well. Let’s say you have a perfectly functioning sales team – they’re hitting their targets, customers are happy and everything is running as it should be.
But your team itself isn’t as motivated as you’d want them to be. You’ve tried various initiatives, but nothing seems to work – so what’s the solution?
This might be the perfect time to introduce some new sales techniques, which your team may not have come across yet. Here are 11 sales motivation techniques that will help spice up your team’s performance.
Sales Motivation Techniques
Make sure to reward successes
It’s no secret that people work harder when there is a reward at the end of their efforts. Sales motivation techniques are especially effective when rewards are included, as they reinforce a sense of hard work and intrinsic satisfaction; you’ve done the job, now get rewarded for it!
When salespeople feel like their hard work is recognized and rewarded, it doesn’t just encourage them to continue their efforts on any given day or task, but also builds their confidence so that they can continually grow and reach greater successes. After all, recognition and incentive do more than just keep employees motivated- they make sure that everybody knows someone has achieved something!
Key takeaway: Rewarding successful sales efforts can help maintain motivation and enthusiasm throughout your team.
Coach your team
Coaching your sales team is a surefire way to increase motivation and get the results you desire. It’s no secret that when team members feel supported and inspired, they go above and beyond to produce positive outcomes.
Taking time to actively coach individuals on their strengths and weaknesses, as well as providing space for employees to share ideas about how to succeed will help you reach goals faster. Not only does coaching sharpen skills and cultivate growth, but it also boosts productivity and morale on an individual and group level. Take initiative today, show your team that you’re eager and willing to invest in them – it’ll pay off in the long run!
Key takeaway: Providing detailed guidance and coaching to each member of the team can help them achieve their goals faster.
Celebrate small wins
Achieving goals is always a great feeling, and when it comes to sales, celebrate the small wins – because they all add up! Celebrating each victory, small or large, instills a sense of purpose and pride within your team which can have a lasting impact in keeping them motivated. Everyone likes to feel rewarded for their efforts, so if you recognize even the smallest successes you create an environment of mutual respect that’s conducive for further success. Take time to acknowledge the little things – because ’life is a journey, not a destination!'
Key takeaway: Acknowledging success, even in small amounts, will help keep spirits up and motivate employees to continue working hard.
Mix it up
Want to motivate your sales team in a way that keeps them on their toes and provides something new, creative and inspiring? Mix it up! Encourage friendly competition with incentive rewards for attaining goals, break the day up with some team building activities or change of style meetings, personalize individual motivation and recognize successes – no matter how small.
Take regular breaks for some fun in the sun or lunchtime group cookouts. A light-hearted, varied approach can provide increased motivation and inspire creativity while also offering a much needed relief from each team member’s normal schedule. Get outside the box and you might be surprised at just how effective this mix it up approach can be.
Key takeaway: Varying tasks between different employees will help maintain interest and engagement by providing something new and challenging for everyone.
Use incentives
Keeping your sales team motivated is always a challenge, and rewarding them for a job well done can be one of the best techniques to keep their performance levels up. One great way to incentivize salespeople is to create a fun point system – according to Statista, 89% of US employees surveyed in 2019 said they’d likely have greater productivity were their work more game-like.
Armed with this motivation-inducing system, you can customize goals and rewards that work best to keep your team coming back for more. Think of it as turning success into a game—the higher the stakes, the bigger the prize and the greater sense of accomplishment achieved. An effective points-based reward system gives employees something tangible to strive for that will in turn easily translate into great sales results.
Key takeaway: Incentives such as bonus payments or awards can provide a great motivation boost for employees who perform well.
Set challenging goals
It’s no secret that setting meaningful goals is one of the best secrets to achieving success. Goals can be a powerful motivator, especially when they are realistic and challenging. They provide direction and they help employees stay focused by allowing them to track their progress towards fulfilling those goals. Building on this concept of goal-setting, sales teams should set ambitious but achievable objectives in order to maximize motivation. This is not only an excellent way to incentivize the team but also inspire them to go above and beyond. With engaging goals that challenge your team, you’ll have motivated and ambitious sales people who will be more likely to exceed expectations!
Key takeaway: Challenging, but achievable goals will allow employees to feel a sense of accomplishment once they have completed them successfully
Take periodic breaks
To make sure you are in the best position to close those deals, taking periodic breaks throughout your day is key. Much like a runner needs time to refuel so they can push through the last portion of the race, you need to take a break to continue charging forward with sales goals. Give yourself permission to rest in between marathon-like sales sessions; utilize the break to refresh, refocus, and come back even more motivated! It’s amazing how much more effective you will be after even just an enjoyable 5 minutes away from your desk that promises success in making those sales targets. However, the ideal ratio is apparently 52 minutes of working followed by 17 of rest repeatedly throughout the day.
Key takeaway: Allowing some time away from work during the day will help recharge batteries, allowing individuals to finish tasks more effectively afterward
Track performance & progress
Sales teams can be motivated to reach higher goals through tracking performance and progress. Consequently, sales managers will be able to better understand their successes and opportunities.
Through a suite of software tools (consider contacting an IT support provider such as Mustard IT if you need help with this), sales teams can also see how their daily activities are taking them closer or further from major objectives. This is something that you can keep organized with a task management solution. With goal setting tools and visualized analytics, success is easier to monitor – an invaluable technique for keeping motivation in the workplace high!
Key takeaway: Tracking performance over time can be a great way to make note of any improvements made by an employee that may not have been noticed before
Listen & respond to feedback
Great salespeople understand that their success depends upon the satisfaction of their customers. To cultivate relationships with them, they must keep a close ear to their feedback and constantly be adapting in order to meet the ever-evolving needs of the customer. The best way to do so is by paying attention not just to what they’re saying, but how they’re saying it as well.
Through active listening and quick responses you can craft your own unique sales motivations while also reinforcing appreciation to your customers. When done right, being an attentive listener can really take your sales approach to the next level.
Key takeaway: Listening carefully to feedback from employees can often help uncover issues which otherwise may go unnoticed
Lead by example
While books, articles, seminars, and workshops are all great ways to ensure your team stays motivated and on track when it comes to sales, there is no greater way than leading by example. When a manager or supervisor leads the charge by hustling to acquire prospects, sell confidently and serve customers with a smile, the rest of the team will follow suit.
Showing that you not only believe in these techniques but also practice them should be enough motivation for your team to master their own sales techniques. Your example can be used as a reference point as they continue along their sales journey!
Key takeaway: Demonstrating a positive attitude and working hard yourself as an example for others is one of the most effective ways for motivating your team
Encourage collaboration
Keeping sales teams motivated and engaged can be a challenge, but one of the most effective tricks is to encourage collaboration between team members. Studies show that when individuals are given the opportunity to share ideas and contribute in a meaningful way, they tend to become more productive and have higher job satisfaction. Working together on objectives not only creates a sense of purpose, it also creates a bridge for building relationships with each other. Managers can lead by example, fostering an environment of support and open dialogue among the team. When employees realize that their peers are willing to help them succeed, they’ll strive to do their part as well. Good teamwork makes everyone come out ahead in the end!
Key takeaway: Collaboration among team members can lead to better ideas, improved communication and increased job satisfaction
Over to you
It comes as no surprise, then, that keeping sales teams motivated can be a daunting task. That said, when managers and supervisors understand the importance of staying involved with their employees, they can create an environment where success is within reach.