How to motivate when the going gets tough
Slumps happen in sales. Sometimes your team is on fire and other times motivation is…well.. lacking. It happens and is part of the human experience. It’s on you as a leader, though, to help them overcome such periods of stagnancy. It helps to keep the following in mind:
Place the emphasis on behaviors, not results
Tying success purely to sales goals is not sustainable because the wins might not come often enough and therefore some people don’t feel rewarded. It’s a feedback loop. When sales are low, so is motivation. However, closing a deal can put you on an upward trajectory. Instead of putting so much weight on this metric, you might consider acknowledging other markers like number of appointments booked, for example. After all, it’s the seemingly small actions that can add up to big wins over time.
Come together
No sale is made in a vacuum — it’s usually a team effort. Each and every person has valuable feedback they can contribute to the larger success. For this reason you might consider hosting a brainstorming session, whether virtual, in person or a hybrid, to promote knowledge sharing. Your sales team might walk away with new ways of tackling old problems. Everyone needs to hit the reset button every now and then and a team huddle can inspire such positivity and change the current.
Inspire competition
Many salespeople are naturally competitive so leveraging that can help them restore their inner drive. Perhaps you present some sort of challenge. Like whomever brings in the greatest number of new accounts in a two-week period could win a gift card.
Call out wins
When your team members do something well, make it known. Such recognition drives team spirit, boosts positive competitiveness and make everyone feel valued.
Give and request feedback
An open culture can be a positive force because it lets employees know they’re appreciated and can seek out coaching and support. At the same time. make it known that you equally value their opinions about your leadership and will take action to address any concerns.
Don’t forget your sales team is your biggest asset. With that in mind, you need software that helps them succeed. If you’re looking for reliable, high-end technology services, please contact us at Thatcher Technology. Our Prowess platform supports improved MLM retention by making the experience better for your salesforce and customer base. Contact us today for a demo: (630) 696-4545