Keeping Your Sales Team Motivated
Sales managers frequently approach me for advice on how to keep
salespeople motivated, especially when sales reps get into a rut
- and seem to keep slipping deeper into it. Telling managers
what not to do usually solves the problem. Most managers do
things to de-motivate salespeople without even knowing it.
Let's take the idea of funnels and forecasts, for instance.
Funnels and forecasts are important aspects of running any sales
operation. Both salespeople and managers need to know where they
stand in terms of potential opportunities, and funnels serve to
track those opportunities. No successful business can operate
and properly plan for the future without accurate forecasting.
In theory, these are absolutely essential to the success of any
operation. In reality, however, few words strike terror in the
hearts of salespeople like "funnel" and "forecast."
For most salespeople, the term "funnel review" equates to
micromanagement, probation and performance improvement plans.
Just hearing the term is enough to shift a sales rep's frame of
mind from positive to negative. He or she suddenly loses
enthusiasm and doesn't know why. Many managers increase funnel
reviews as performance slips, which causes performance to slip
further, and in the end nobody wins. Endless funnel reviews,
especially if they're not positive, only serve to reinforce
salespeople's self-doubts and limiting beliefs.
Forecasts are a similar problem, but in different ways. Few
salespeople forecast accurately. Nobody wants to fall short on
their forecast, so they embellish, exaggerate and make sure the
numbers add up to where they should be rather than where they
really are. This results in managers who expect those numbers,
and salespeople who dodge managers because they know they aren't
going to perform as forecasted. Then there are salespeople like
myself who do the exact opposite - since I hated nothing more
than having a manager constantly ask me, "When is this one going
to close? When is that one going to close?," I intentionally
left good deals off my forecast. While it eliminated the problem
of constantly being asked when all those deals would sign, it
created another form of stress in having to deal with the
consequences of a funnel that fell short of expectations.
Another word that instantly de-motivates salespeople is
"activity." Unfortunately, in the absence of any other viable
advice, most managers simply blurt out, "You need to increase
your activity" to anyone who isn't at quota. This accomplishes
nothing other than setting up the rep to believe that a series
of funnel reviews and performance improvement plans are soon to
follow.
Finally, I see entirely too many managers pushing too hard to
spend extra time with salespeople who are falling short. While
it's necessary to spend time with these people, it's not a good
idea to keep asking them what they need help with and to insist
on riding along with them. This only turns up the heat another
notch on an already stressed-out rep. Nobody who is having
trouble likes to be singled out, especially when the extra
attention easily can be mistaken for micromanagement.
To keep a struggling salesperson motivated:
1. Keep the talk of funnels, forecasts and activity to a minimum.
2. Offer help without being overbearing.
3. Put your trust and confidence in that salesperson.
Stick with these guidelines and you'll not only do a better job
of helping those who are having difficulties, but you'll see an
overall increase in your sales team's motivation and enthusiasm.