Because a job in selling is relatively easy to get, many sales managers these days are faced with abnormally high turnover ratios. The primary reason for this is often related to management and their motivational techniques, as opposed to bad hiring decisions. Although there have been a countless number of books written on motivational sales techniques, there are some basic methods to inspire salespeople.
Product Knowledge Is Power
Teaching your sales staff every aspect of the service and product you are offering inspires confidence and enables them to make a more effective presentation. Additionally, many potential prospects will ask tough questions and it's essential that the salesperson is prepared in advance. Having this extensive product knowledge leads to more trust from prospects as well.
Enthusiasm Is Key to Success
Instilling a high level of enthusiasm and desire for selling and catering to a customer's needs is highly important. The sales staff should have a desire to cater and sell to customers based on their requirements and desires. Additionally, it should be done with the idea of benefiting the client. Having high levels of enthusiasm, a sales professional often can inspire the same feeling with the prospect they are trying to close on.
Rewarding Good Performance
Every salesperson wants to set goals and achieve them. When this occurs they should be recognized and rewarded accordingly. Many sales organizations will have a variety of reward programs and contests. This could range from monetary incentives such as bonuses whenever certain sales targets are reached, to other incentives and perks including vacations. These types of rewards can inspire a sales staff to work harder and meet their sales goals.
Emphasizing Teamwork
Although individual sales goals will always be important, creating a team oriented environment is essential as well. Sharing success stories and discussing selling techniques as a group can set a sales organization apart from their competitors. It's important to have regular meetings and discuss different strategies together. Sharing ideas can be highly motivational.
Establishing Realistic Goals
A sales management team should always set goals their personnel can achieve. This allows the employee to have a sense of achievement along with striving to do even more. This approach is much better than frequently becoming frustrated due to impossibly high targets. Intimidation should never be used as a method to motivate your staff either. This can create a negative environment leading to mistrust and resentment.
Doug Dvorak assists clients with productivity training, corporate humor and workshops, and other aspects of sales and marketing management. Doug’s clients are characterized as Fortune 1000 companies, small to medium businesses, civic organizations, service businesses, and individual investors and entrepreneurs.
Doug Dvorak is a certified sales trainer, management consultant and corporate humorist. Learn more about the corporate humorous keynote speaker at http://www.dougdvorak.com