Sales motivation tips include cash incentives, commission structures, public recognition, and a positive relationship between salespeople and management. Cash incentives alone can discourage some reps, while public recognition and professional development opportunities can be effective motivators. A healthy relationship between management and staff is also crucial.
The best sales motivation tips involve a combination of cash incentives, appropriate commission structures, public recognition, and a positive relationship between salespeople and management. While each rep will be motivated by a unique set of awards, sales associates tend to enjoy working for organizations that recognize their accomplishments immediately. Cash incentives can be an effective motivator if they are structured in a way that most perceive as fair.
Many believe that cash is the best way to motivate sales. A potential financial reward can prove to be a strong motivator when used with non-financial incentives. Research shows, however, that using cash incentives as the only type of reward for good performance can discourage some sales reps’ efforts. This is due to the fact that financial rewards only satisfy a person’s basic physical needs and neglect his needs for achievement, belonging and self-development.
Public recognition is an effective tool for sales motivation as it provides reps with an affirmation of their performance. Positive feedback also sends a message of appreciation and validates a representative’s place in the organization. Those in the sales profession tend to be competitive, and being ranked high among their peers can be a strong motivator in terms of self-esteem. Repeated public recognition can also help establish certain representatives as mentors in the eyes of their peers, who can provide opportunities for further professional development.
Many sales professionals are motivated by development opportunities, making it an effective sales motivation technique used by managers. Some offer high-performing salespeople the opportunity to develop how-to guides, train new hires, and develop and showcase best practices. This method of staff motivation helps relieve monotony and satisfies the need to learn new skills. Professional development opportunities might also motivate a sales associate to raise his or her performance level if he or she thinks it will lead to a promotion.
A healthy and open relationship between management and staff is an important factor when it comes to sales motivation. If representatives don’t feel that their concerns are being heard and addressed, morale can suffer. When morale is lowered, performance can also decline as staff feel their efforts don’t matter. Managers can establish trust by soliciting feedback from sales representatives on which processes are working and which are not, communicate expectations and results, and follow up on staff concerns.
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