Managers are not all created equal. Some stink at their job while others have a loyal team, meeting and surpassing their sales goals.   The secret is that successful sales managers create a motivating environment where salespeople can thrive!

I’d like to share some of our research as well as one of our sales management tools to help you and your salespeople reach their full potential. Our research shows the following are the top 10 motivators for salespeople today:

  1. A sense of achievement/closing business
  2. Recognition
  3. Competition
  4. Opportunity for promotion
  5. Challenging work
  6. Good working conditions
  7. The “thrill” of the chase
  8. Opportunity for growth/educational opportunities
  9. Being asked their opinion
  10. Flexible work hours/Work from home

You can motivate salespeople when you don’t have money to give them a raise or a bonus.  It isn’t always about the money!  Here are some best practices to create a motivating environment for your salespeople:

Set clear goals
Goals need to be realistic, but they also need to be structured so that they encourage employees to improve on their past performance. You need a clearly written set of goals for each position within your organization.

Encourage and listen to input
Create an atmosphere in which Reps feel they can offer their input…and in which that input will be acknowledged and respected.

Offer professional development opportunities
Training can be used to reward performance because it provides a nice break from the daily grind. It also shows that you value them by your willingness to invest in their professional development.

Provide feedback
Managers should provide ongoing guidance and advice to help Reps as their performance goals are continually evaluated.

 Avoid pressure tactics
Don’t try to motivate through intimidation and fear.

Build trust
Do what you say you will do when you said you would do it! Let your Reps know that you will have their backs.

One of our most popular sales management tools is called SNAP Shot.  SNAP Shot is a developmental coaching tool and is useful as a personal approach to growing, developing and motivating individual team members. It’s important never to assume that what is important to one team member will be meaningful to the next. SNAP Shot identifies and prioritizes eight, important motivational areas for an individual by posing these questions:

  1.  What do you do well?
  2. What do you enjoy doing?
  3. What would you like to do better?
  4. How can I help you get there?
  5. What do you want to accomplish this year?
  6. What are your performance goals?
  7. What would you like to learn this year?
  8. What’s the best way for you to learn?

Learning the answers to these questions will give you the keys to personal motivation.  This will allow you to customize your developmental coaching for each individual team member.   This way motivation will never become an issue on your team!

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