How to motivate salespeople to bring in more sales

From your experience what is the most effective way to motivate salespeople to bring in more sales? -Frankie

everybodys different so it depends on the sales person imho -BobSales

Give the salespeople more of what they want [money, time, fun, etc.] as an incentive. -Houston

Help them to set goals, not just what they want, but why they want it. "It's in the want to, you'll find the how to".

The best motivation is self motivation. -Jim Klein

To motivate salespeople you first need to find out what motivates them i.e recognition, cash, career movement...

The rest is easy.

In my time as a Sales Manager, I've had people driven by money so I've used extra cash/incentives from my own pocket to increase productivity. Others have loved the recognition, so I've shown them weekly score sheets and had higher management within the business contact them saying job well done.

ETC -MrCharisma

IMO motivate them and sometimes give them bonus or attractive scheme for increase sales, one day trip for refreshment and friendly environment. -Team Building FL

Motivating salespeople is a process not an event.

As a manager you have to provide your sales staff a clear picture of the department's long, medium, and short range goals.

As a manager you have to help your sales staff plan and work to meet those goals. -neto-

I agree wholeheartedly.

I would add that as a manager you also have to help your sales staff indentify the opportunities as they arise. -Ace Coldiron

Good points, Jim. -Ace Coldiron

I think it might be important to note that it's often not just an issue of "motivating salespeople" but also an issue of not demotivating salespeople.

Skip Anderson -Skip Anderson

Yes!! Sometimes managers get so caught up on how to motivate, they don't even realize the things that happen that DEMOTIVATE the salespeople. Get rid of those first, and any steps you take towards motivation will be MUCH more effective.

Michael -mcobb533

Motivating salespeople is easy, but most managers or business owners 'don't or won't' take the time to do it.

Sit down with your sales person, find out from THEM, what they don't have enough of NOW, that they want in the next 6 - 12 months. Break it down into smaller monthly pieces and build your compensation plan around it.

Motivation is an internal driving force that will cause actions to happen with the goal of accomplishing an end result.

You can't motivate someone else, but you CAN create a compensation plan that will give incent someone to work to accomplish something, and in the end, get what they also want.

That is then a win/win.

But most managers or owners, just raise the salespersons 'quota' hoping that will get the job done. -Paulette Halpern

Well said! thmbp2; -Polysquared

Make a 'bonus board' (big white wipe off board) and place it in a high visibility area where your sales meetings are held.

Salspeople are each motivated to different degrees by:

1. Security
2. Recognition
3. Achievement
4. Response

Security means they know their posistion in solid and that they are earning a decent living.

Reconition means they are seen by their peers to be a performer.

Achievement means they feel good regarless of what their peers think.

Response is the nice feeling of being congratulated by others (especially the 'boss')

Award points each day or week for different aspects of the job.

Make the points awardable for things like.

Most new contacts in a day/week
Most revenue generated
Best conversion rate
Most activity
Least cancellations
etc etc

This means that everyone in the team can be seen as a performer in 'some' area. You are now appealing to the 4 motivational areas in your salespeople.

They will start to compete....stuff happens.....try it. -helisell

How is motivating a salesperson to bring in more sales different from motivating a prospect to take action now? -Seth

Threaten to fire them... -Andrea

I would like to reopen this for discussions to see more responses.

Personally I like the idea of goals or obejctives. Discover what the staff wants and help them get it.

I know the company objectives must be clear and precise with a plan to get there and this must a shared responsibility to reach the objective. -rich34232

"Threatening to fire them" and then 'following through on it" may leave you with hiring an even less motivated or capable individual....and you as the 'manager or owner' have not learned how to motivate the new sales person.

Vicious treadmill....for a company.

Instead, learn HOW to motivate each of your people to create their own 'internal drive' that will deliver to you the ability to get closer to reach your compan goals, and at the same time, get the employee to set his own goals and be working to achieve them. -Paulette Halpern

Good topic, Rich.

Motivation obviously comes from the word motive. It's an inside job. Motivation is an overused and much maligned word. When someone asks how to motivate another, they are using the wrong word. Induce, incentivize, spur, or even goad are the external forces that might prompt constructive action in another person.

The internal force that "motivates" is a feeling of well being. Psychologists have pointed out that our feelings of well being are directly related to the amount of Control we feel we have over our lives. When we prepare ourselves, organize ourselves, and become our own person, we gain control, and we are able to act because we are acting from a feeling of well being even in difficult tasks. -Gary A Boye

Management needs to learn how to 'induce, incentivize or spur on to action' their sales team, by finding out exactly what will do that for each individual sales person.

If a person is too 'content' with the level of sales they are bringing in that corresponds to the amount of earnings they are making....they probably won't have the same 'incentive' to further grow their 'territory or sales in general' as much as if they, 'aren't living the lifestyle they want or are struggling to give their family what they need'.

But management needs to work together with their sales team to get everyone to have, goals that they are 'constantly reaching for on a personal level'...then everyone does better in the end.

Most managers, just don't know how, so they raise 'quotas' instead and use 'fear' as a motivator. -Paulette Halpern

our feelings of well being are directly related to the amount of Control we feel we have over our lives.

I like this. I have just been given the keys to drive the company and my first act was to empower the staff and have them contribute. I want them to take ownership and feel directly invovled with the company.

I asked them 5 questions.

You all can help me with other ideas.

1. What do you feel are your strengths
2. What area of sales would you like to become stronger or improve
3. What is 1 thing you want to purchse for you or your family in the next twelve months
4.What role do you want me to play in helping you achieve
5. What resources do you need or want me to make available to you to achieve -rich34232

Creating a culture of motivated, high-performing sales reps starts and ends with leadership...leadership at the C-level, sales manager level, to the individual sales reps. It is what happens when managers truly lead and focus on coaching and developing their reps toward positive short term and long term outcomes...as opposed to a "quick fix" mindset to artificially incentivize reps to hit their quota this month, quarter, etc.

Creating such a culture requires an ongoing commitment to leadership development for sales managers who want to create strong results consistently. To do so requires that managers shift their mindset from the quick fix culture that is so prevalent today. -CoachMaria

In my opinion, one of the best ways to motivate your sales staff is through training. Show your sales team how it's done. Role playing is a great way to build confidence. A salesperson might not be motivate due to a lack in confidence in certain areas of this profession. Training...effective continuous training is the key to motivating your sales team. A salesperson that knows what to do in response to a prospect's needs is going to be a successful salesperson. -DanKhan

I have been on both side of the sales desk either in management or in sales. I have worked in a happy sales staff and an unhappy one. Stop for just a moment to consider what a happy Sales Staff means to you? A happy staff means lots of Happy SALES! Remember, sales is an attitude driven profession. If your attitude stinks so goes your sales!

More often than not a sales manager will lack the “self confidence” it takes to allow their team the individuality to grow according to each sales person’s talents and abilities. Please understand what I just said! To be a good Sales Manager you cannot be a Cookie Cutter manager. “Get to know your staff”. Spend time with each one of them. Ask questions and listen. You must learn what it takes to motivate “each” one and, once you learn just what it takes to motivate each one, use that knowledge FREELY. One sales person may be motivated by money, the other by praise, the other by recognition or a pat on the back. As for myself, I am motivated by accomplishment. Being number one! Being the best! Doing something no one else has done or can do or, selling more than anyone else. I need to set sales records! I cannot bear to be number two! In my eyes being number two makes me the number one loser! I have yet to work for a manager who has asked what motivates me, yet the more I am motivated the more I sale! It is good that I am self motivated but many others are not! They need that motivational shot in the arm from their leader! -MPrince

Obviously, motivation is a huge topic in the success business. In addition, it seems to be a pretty huge topic in this forum.

Me personally, I think motivation is internal. We cannot motivate others, but only provide the incentives for them to motivate themselves. Keeping that in mind, there have been a lot of great suggestions posted here. The essential ones, in my opinion, are listed below:

1) Allow the sales person to be apart of setting objectives. Not just personal, but big picture business objectives as well. This gives them "buy-in" to the over all mission of your organization and promotes a team environment.

2) Once you have engaged them in the goal setting process, hold them accountable in a positive way. The days of embarrassing or blasting a sales person for a crappy day are over.

If they have a bad day/week/month, it is our job as Managers/supporters to look for ways in which WE can assist them in increasing their numbers.

Yes, you need to explain the possible negative consequences of continued failure, but positivity should be the over all tone of the conversation.

Rinse, Wash and Repeat.

That's my two Cents,
Wes Herndon -wesman70