Motivating a sales team

Motivating a sales team is not an easy task, since the routine of these professionals is very busy and the pressure for results does not make it any easier. In this article we will guide you how to motivate sales team?

All this is more than enough to discourage even the best of salespeople.

It is important to learn more about motivation for the sales team , not only for the advantages and profits that this can add to the company, but also for the mental health and coexistence of the team.

Sales motivation is a long-term strategy that should, and can, be applied at any time during your management, as it only adds to the coexistence of the sales team.

A motivated sales team is able to get along better and expose their difficulties without feeling like they are being judged or charged. And not to mention, of course, that when motivated, a team can achieve good results.

But, it is important to know how to motivate the sales team in the right way, since motivation when not well managed can sound like a kind of charge.

We have prepared content that will help you understand how to motivate your team and what advantages this practice can bring to your company.

How important is it to motivate the sales team?

Every job can be stressful, however, there is greater pressure for salespeople.

While it’s the sales team’s job to close deals, when leaders increase the pressure to get better results, the environment can become stressful and professionals can become discouraged and tired.

But not only that, stress can hamper salespeople’s performance and contribute to them making wrong decisions.

Our ability to solve problems and remember details accurately decreases dramatically when we are exposed to an environment surrounded by stress and pressure.

If you work in a stressful place, you’ve probably seen this happen to even the best salespeople .

When salespeople are under pressure to close deals, if they are not well trained, they can internalize such behavior and express themselves in a more aggressive way, which hurts their sales.

The insistence caused by the pressure that this professional is under and other desperate behaviors reduce the effectiveness of sales strategies.

Therefore, motivating the team is not only important for the team to be able to present better sales results , but also for them to feel comfortable and be able to perform their duties with greater security.

Motivation is directly linked to productivity, motivated team strives much more to achieve their goals, has more focus to focus on activities and business and more persistence.

An optimized sales department is able to keep energy and enthusiasm always at the same level.

Motivated teams are more likely to do well than teams that are constantly exposed to demands and pressure.

Demanding results from the sales team is important, however, when that’s all the team knows, results and coexistence can be doomed to failure.

Motivation can make a big difference within your company.

What can demotivate a sales team?

There are several factors that contribute to a team feeling demotivated , it is important to know a little more about them, since, to understand how to motivate a sales team, it is first necessary to identify and eliminate the factors of discouragement and demotivation.

The lack of trust in the company’s leadership is one of the most recurrent factors that demotivate teams. This can happen when a new sales manager is hired or when a leader demonstrates he doesn’t understand the business.

The team needs someone they can count on and turn to when problems arise, having someone who doesn’t fit can demotivate and make the entire team insecurity grow.

Also, personality incompatibilities and personal issues can affect you dramatically.

But not only that, when the structure of the sales team is not clear, the result is disorganization! Disorganized environments and tasks result in frustrated people.

It is important to clearly define the goals of the sales team, the roles of each professional and the company’s expectations in relation to them.

It is very important to define the functions well, because what we see most are companies that allocate professionals in functions that do not correspond to their strengths. This lack of analysis generates demotivation!

You also need to think about what motivates them. For some salespeople, money is the most important motivator. However, this does not apply to all sellers.

For some sales reps, money is a short-term motivator, instead they seek recognition and purpose.

Another crucial point is trust in the product. A sales professional can improve their performance when they trust the product or service they are selling.

That’s why it’s important to invest in strategies, such as training, so that they can understand and apply even more quick and efficient solutions.

How to motivate the sales team: 16 tips

There is something that needs to be taken into account when choosing techniques and/or approaches to motivate your team: the personality of each one.

Each person has a specific way of being, which means that what motivates one individual will not have the same effect on another. Therefore, you must understand what motivates each salesperson in a particular way.

It may be that a group feels motivated in a way that the rest do not, so, in addition to choosing how to motivate, it is the leader’s role to know each one of his team, because only then will he be able to motivate everyone.

To help you, we’ve separated 7 tips that meet different needs, understand how to motivate your entire team with this simple guide!

1. Have horizontal communication

When talking about horizontal communication, many people understand that it is treating the team as a small group of friends. Is not!

It is possible to be super close to your team, go out to celebrate together and talk about things that are outside the work item. However, when talking about horizontal communication, we are referring to transparency.

Your team should see you as a point of reference – someone to turn to for guidance, help and inspiration. To do this, make it clear what the goals are, how you expect them to get there, and what counts as success.

In addition, following up with your employees and talking to them about the best sales of the day, what problems they had and how they overcame them, that is, a daily ten or fifteen minute chat is enough to increase their confidence and motivate them. for the next day.

That way, if a problem occurs, such as not being able to close a sale due to lack of preparation, your team will be open to dialogue, since such a policy is already part of the company’s routine.

2. Build a feedback culture

Feedback is an extremely effective tool when used well, as both parties are free to express themselves and understand each other’s point of view.

Establishing a feedback culture starts with creating the follow-up routine, once you’ve done that, just build the habit of giving quick, constructive and effective feedback.

The moment you notice an error, immediately report the error to the employee. Show him where he’s going wrong, why it’s a mistake and what exactly he should improve on.

For example, you saw a salesperson making a customer record error. Call him privately and give him pertinent scores about the situation.

Explain the implications of this action, such a measure, has more results than simply entering goals and standards for no apparent reason.

Feedback is a light thing , it shouldn’t cause too much stress or pressure on sales team members.

And remember, the feedback culture works both ways, including from the seller to the manager. Ask your employees if you are conveying messages clearly and respectfully or if you have failed to help them in something they needed, after all, if you want your team to evolve, you need to evolve as a leader too.

3. Conduct ongoing training

No process is good enough that it cannot be improved, so it is important to provide the team with efficient training that will make them renew their knowledge.

Everyone can improve in some aspect, whether in speech, posture, or organization. And one way to renew this knowledge and at the same time motivate the team to evolve in specific points is to promote training.

In addition to helping team members improve their skills, training makes them feel more valued, as it shows that the company cares and is dedicated to the development of its employees.

The best type of training is one-on-one, which focuses on a particular employee’s weaknesses. It is more effective because the salesperson receives personalized guidance from the manager , who is also able to follow developments more closely. Include it in your calendar as a weekly or monthly appointment.

4. Work with commissions

Attractive compensation is a factor that weighs heavily and helps keep employees motivated.

When we talk about sales, the fixed work accidents with sick leave, and unpaid leave for personal matters. In the latter case, the firm may cut the employee’s salary is usually low in many segments. When most of the contributor’s income comes from commissions, money is even more important!

A top-of-the-line salesperson does not want to receive the same as a low-performing one, since, to achieve assertive characteristics, the salesperson invested in training, courses and improvements, therefore, he is more qualified for the position.

The best thing to do is to structure a commissioning model that rewards the best sellers. Thus, you encourage personal effort without encouraging competition among colleagues.

A commission system will keep the sales team focused on meeting their goals, this will motivate them to do the job in the best possible way, since what is at stake is a reward of personal value. This measure is highly valued by many professionals.

Another important factor is the seasonality of the payment. Commissions are generally passed on monthly in small companies and quarterly in large companies. In any case, evaluate the way that best suits your budget.

Both the commissioning structure and the seasonality of payment must be well defined and communicated to everyone on the team.

5. Set realistic and achievable goals

Management must set realistic goals and expectations so that their sales teams are not overwhelmed and discouraged.

Revenue depends on the performance of the entire company, not just sales. And the sales department can’t work miracles if external and internal factors get in the way.

But if you set realistic and manageable goals, based on reality, every small win will boost your sales team’s confidence and morale.

6. Prioritize collaboration over competition

Salespeople are competitive by nature and creating an environment where they have to compete with each other can be unhealthy, as it leads some to disregard their colleagues causing inopportune disagreements.

Therefore, it is important to prioritize an environment where collaboration is essential , in this way, they will feel part of the team and realize that they are not alone in this journey.

The goal is to compete against competitors, not each other! Encourage collaboration by rewarding mentorship, knowledge sharing, and efforts to work together to outperform the competition.

7. Encourage and recognize the initiative

The sales team are the professionals within the company who have the most contact with the market, so they are able to identify news and initiatives from competitors that can jeopardize the development of the company’s strategies.

That’s why it’s important to recognize and encourage when they come up with novelties and differentiated approaches. Whenever possible, give them time, freedom, and space to experiment with their ideas!

Reward them for coming up with new ideas to increase market share and find new customers. Motivating the team is not just saying words so that they reach goals, it is listening to what they have to say and welcoming those ideas.

When an idea is valued, the employee feels motivated

8. Set good examples

One of the ways to motivate your sales team is to set them good examples.

Motivation doesn’t always need to be talked about, as when they see you, the manager, practicing some activities and the result of them, they can feel more motivated to follow the same path.

There are many people who can better assimilate information in a practical way, so it’s good to also have this information in perspective, as it contributes to different situations.

9. Make them feel free

Before I start talking more about this tip, it’s important to start by saying that giving your sales team freedom doesn’t mean allowing them to do whatever they want.

Making them feel freer is important for them to be able to express themselves and get honest and motivating answers.

But remember that this freedom needs to be well managed.

10. Get to know your team more

It’s impossible to motivate your team when you don’t know them.

Take time to meet with your team and get to know each member who is part of it, only then can you understand what actions and strategies can be taken to increase team motivation.

This knowledge shows you the particularities of each one and which factor makes each one feel motivated.

11. Encourage and recognize the initiative

We talk about the incentive in the form of a commission, but there are other incentives.

Breaks, small pampering and even private and/or public recognition can be motivating factors for the sales team.

12. Don’t push too hard 

As we have already anticipated, depending on the way in which motivation is applied, it can be confused with a kind of pressure for results.

Motivation is intended to make the employee arouse desire and genuine interest in carrying out activities, regardless of the result, while pressure is just there to force and remind him about goals that need to be achieved.

Of course, goals are important, but quality must also be taken into account and this can only be achieved through genuine motivation.

13. Be transparent

There is nothing more motivating than being transparent.

When the sales team knows where they are going, how they are going and what tools and supports they can count on, everything automatically becomes motivating.

Uncertainty can frustrate and leave employees unmotivated, so always try to be as transparent as possible.

14. Make yourself available whenever possible

Manager who does not respond or has time to listen to the team is demotivating.

Being available does not mean stopping everything to hear specific complaints, but showing yourself available to contribute to the personal and professional development of the team.

If you meet individually or in groups to exchange some information and align expectations, it may not seem like it, but it helps the team feel safer and more motivated with the planned actions.

15. Take your team seriously

Unfortunately, there may be teams where the manager doesn’t take the sales team seriously, or who simply ignores the ideas and complaints they present.

Be open to listening and taking into account what they are pointing out to you.

16. Promote integration 

Integration, that is, uniting the team more, can be extremely motivating.

By having more sincere exchanges, the sales team can get to know each other better, but also acquire knowledge based on experiences lived by colleagues.

Having an integrated team motivates, as they understand that they are not going through adversity alone.

We hope you have understood that to motivate sales team.