Motivating Salespeople:

By Allan Pulga

Every retailer knows that motivating a sales team takes a lot more than simply commissions and bonuses. Money can only drive people to do so much. To effectively keep your salespeople happy and eager to grow sales, you need to support them and recognize their efforts beyond the standard monetary incentives.

Here are a number of strategies, suggested by the experts at www.allbusiness.com, that could help you better motivate your salespeople everyday.

• Set goals

In sales, as in life, setting goals is the fundamental precursor to motivation. Who’s going to work if it’s not to work toward something?

Sales goals need to be realistic and structured to encourage employees to improve on their past performance. Establish both short- and long-term goals in collaboration with your salespeople, to ensure reasonable challenges are made and consistent accomplishment is possible. Little extras to reward accomplishment – like dinner on the company or concert tickets – can help motivate any commission-based employee to do better.

• Encourage and listen to input

Create an atmosphere of open communication, where salespeople can be comfortable in not only offering their two cents, but also in knowing their two cents will be heard. Hold regular staff meetings and one-on-one meetings to gather input and create an old-fashioned suggestion box. Remember to thank employees for sharing their ideas.

• Offer training; opportunities for growth

Investing in training is a way to show employees you value them and their knowledge. Not only does training freshen skills and re-energize morale, it can be used as a reward for performance – it’s a break from the everyday routine.

Training for higher levels of expertise also helps in goal-setting, as tiered employee sales positions offer salespeople upward mobility within the company. Opportunities for growth are powerful motivators, in every field.

• Provide feedback

Managers must provide advice and constructive criticism to the sales team, to foster a culture of constant employee self-improvement. Staying positive is vital; nobody is motivated by constant negative feedback. Offer guidance and suggestions to help staff achieve the goals you set together.

• Avoid pressure tactics

Some managers try to motivate to motivate through intimidation and fear, which may produce short-term results, but endangers the work climate of the entire store. Employees become more stressed out; the environment becomes unpleasant; everybody becomes less productive and more likely to leave.

• Build trust

Just as you trust your employees with the success of your business, they must trust you to be accountable to them. Follow through with your promises and you’ll see their commitment to you and the company grow. Leading by example is the best way to ensure your employees behave as you want them to, with their co-workers and customers.