Motivation to increase sales

Motivation to increase sales conversions

Motivation is an area which can increase sale conversion.  As you know the world of sales can be a very daunting place, especially for newcomers.  Unless instant success if found, a sales person can suffer from a lack of motivation, feeling that the hard work of getting leads in and generating business is going unrewarded.  We are all motivated by different things, money, personal success, a good outcome for the customer, striving for promotion and I’m sure there are lots more out there as well.

What motivates you and your team?

Have you ever stopped to think what motivates you?  Or asked your sales people what drives them?  Many of you and your professionals will come straight back with the answer money.  Why do your sales team members say this?

1. It is what you expect them to say?
2. Because you have told them that they will be judge on the amount of   That is we often hear that sales people are rewarded by a percentage of turnover, profit and other money related KPI’s
3. Many sales positions are commission based and often a low salary or 100% commission only
4. Perhaps being driven by money is the only way they can measure their own success.

So from the above it is pretty easy to see how money becomes the centre of the classic motivation for most sales professionals.  So when leads and quotations aren’t turning instantly into orders and business, it is easy to see how an unsupported sales person becomes de-motivated very quickly.  Depending on your main products/services, there might be a very long lead in time for orders to start flowing.  Which of course makes the whole motivation problem worse.

Ideas of improving moral and motivation

We have established that many sales people and indeed sales managers judge success purely by the numbers of orders and the money these generate either for the bottom line or the bank balance of the sales person.  Yet there are some fairly simple ways to motivate yourself or your sales team.

• Measure small successes, like increased quotation numbers
• Distribute good feedback from customers to everyone concerned and not just the sales person responsible directly
• Thank your sales team for the efforts regularly, consider simple treats like buying breakfast or after work drinks
• Celebrate orders in a novel way, like “ringing the sales bell” or shooting basket ball in the office
• Above all make yourself or your team members feel great, wanted and confident

Taking personal responsibility to feel and look great

One way to ensure that you continue to feel good and keep a positive out look is to work at your appearance to others.  For example, arriving in a clean car and I mean clean inside and out.  I also find that shiny shoes makes a subtle but important statement for your outlook.  I am not suggesting that a flashy suit, big gold watch and shiny shoes will suddenly make you a super-charge, highly motivated sales person.  But it will make your feel good, give you confidence and portray a feel-good factor, which will without doubt be transferred to your prospect or customer.  Not everyone will agree with me on this, but I find that people gravitate towards success and giving off this success aroma with help you sell and increase sales.  However, a word of caution is that if this is over-done, then you will come across as cheesy, cocky and maybe even flippant.

So as a sales manager, creating a good working environment and this also includes the company car or the generous car allowance is all too important to be over-looked.  Do you really want your sales person arriving at a prospects office feeling under-valued and “a poor relation”?  The answer is no!  Managers and co-workers not indirectly in sales can’t usually understand why there is so much attention placed on company cars, laptops and fancy smart phones, but these are all status symbols and in someway indicate success.  As per the earlier point of money being the only true measure.  Let’s face it, most sales situations can be handled by a ten year old car, notepad and pencil and a good old fashioned sales presenter folder!!

Summary of motivation to increase sales

Motivation is a very important part to increase sales.  There are going to be times when sales people finding the going tough, due to market conditions, time of the year or the cycle of the sales funnel.  Keeping yourself and your sales team motivated is very important.  This can be done in a number of different ways, and money is only one way.  Remember a thank you and a pat on the back still goes a long way!