I have met with different business owners and they always mention that they don’t know how to motivate their sales staff. They have trained their staff, but their staff just doesn’t seem motivated to go the extra mile.
If you don’t have a structured commission plan (money is always a great motivator), there are other ways to motivate a sales staff. One option is rewarding your sales staff for increased monthly sales. Take your staff out for dinner or have a party to congratulate them for their work. A little friendly competition also works well. Track each sales staff member and give prizes to your top salesperson. Something as little as a $40 gift certificate and bragging rights can really boost your staff’s motivation. I have seen other business owners have daily and/or weekly sales meetings that go over sales strategies and praising of employees for specific occasions where they went above and beyond the call of duty.
Acts of gratitude show your sales team that you appreciate their efforts and acknowledge their hard work. You will have to be consistent when it comes to these types of rewards, because as soon as you drop the ball, so will your staff! Also, you want to be clear on what you’re rewarding and how you will be measuring sales. And remember, not everyone is meant for sales. If you see that someone is just not able to make the sales goals, you may want to talk to them and decide if a sales job is the right fit for them. They may do better in another position in your company.
Be creative and think of things that would motivate you if you were in your staff’s shoes.