Inspiration is the brother of motivation, if not at least close cousins. Some would even argue that inspiration trumps motivation. One could simply say that inspiration provides the high octane gas that can fuel your motivational drive. In some circles, inspiration implies a higher calling, something divine that propels one to keep pushing on against the odds. Individual inspiration plays a crucial part in sales, however we are going to examine collective inspiration of the entire sales team as a whole. Sales managers sometimes struggle with inspiring their team.
It can be a difficult task day in day out, however they must find a source of inspiration. The sales team should see the value they are providing to their clients, they must see how they are really solving problems and taking away client pains. It goes beyond just believing in the products they sell. Inspiration means they believe in the organizational cause. The money or rewards factor serves as a byproduct of bringing value to the client. Knowing that they played a crucial part in helping their client companies accomplish their goals and compete in a tough business climate can go a long way. You will find that inspired sales reps seldom look at the clock or make a dash at the door at closing time. You will also notice that their clients are well aware of this fact and are only happy to generate referrals.
Sports teams are usually inspired to accomplish a championship or some sort of goal that serves to galvanize everybody to put in maximum effort. Sales managers need to get reps bought into a shared vision of success for both themselves and the organization. Like it or not, the sales reps determine the measure of organizational success. The superiority of your value proposition against your competitors doesn't matter if their sales reps are better and more effective than your sales team. Inspiration will lead to achieving results. Inspiration opens doors even after a hundred rejections. Inspiration invites team work and collaborative effort, after all the sales manager and the sales team want to see the company thrive and succeed. Team inspiration will overshadow personal motivations and egos. The force of a group trumps that of the individual.
Even though the reps must of course maintain the individual competitive fire within them, inspirational forces are generally positive and can build momentum. One cannot understate the importance of building momentum as an entire sales organization. You begin to exploit new opportunities you may not have known existed. Inspiration fuels creativity, you'd be surprised how effective the inspired sales mind can be. Embarking on a goal of collective success serves to keep everyone's eyes on the prize. Collective inspiration serves as a positive force within the organization. You will have less negative talk and anxieties that drain people's energy. In this highly competitive environment, that could be the difference between ability to take advantage of emerging opportunities or downsizing and blaming the economy. A well balanced sales team should be like a championship team, you have your natural superstars, but the key ingredient could be the hard work and effort of the supporting cast.
Henry Okwo is the Founder and CEO of SalesGymUSA, a Targeted Sales Training company. Henry is a graduate of University of California, Berkeley where he was a 2-time National Champion. He has over 15 years sales and management experience and has developed a specialized sales training program based on sports performance development to boost sales. Find out more targeted sales strategies to increase your sales results at www.salesgymusa.com Henry also conducts a daily mental workout on his blog, www.salesgymusa.com/blog