I have yet to see ability win over motivation to succeed. Both are important, but a motivated, focused sales effort always wins the day (quarter, year and marketplace)! Here are six keys to keep your sales team motivated and getting them energized to overachieve.
1. Beliefs
When your team believes it can beat the dominant player, when they can see the multi-million-dollar positive impact your product will have on buyers, average deal size will grow, your team will develop swagger and your win rate will go through the roof. There is no more important job for leadership than to instill belief. Without it companies shrivel and people leave.
2. Income Comfort Zone
There are two types of sales overachievers: The more established sales professional who has the need to maintain a significant lifestyle, and the younger sales professional who is in search of a financial break out. This is called the income comfort zone. It is imperative to get them in the right zone and keep them there!
3. Salespeople are Motivated Either Internally or Externally
- Twenty-three and hell bent on breaking into the top! These professionals have something to prove. Quota has little influence on them. Knowing their INTERNAL why… buying a car, having their significant other stay home with the kids, or buying a new house in the swanky neighborhood is key to coaching them to success.
- President’s Club is an example of EXTERNAL proof positive your year of work is the best! A published leaderboard, a monthly dinner for two, a lunch with the President, these are all a reward for a job well done. These are but a few ways to fire up external motivation. When designed correctly, President’s Club is not a cost… it’s financially profitable.
4. Hiring Drive and Purpose First
What’s the sure way to bring down your top performers? Put up with underperformance and hire average salespeople. Top performers want to compete with the best and pride themselves on who they are associated with. Don’t allow underperformance to bring your team down.
5. Having a Comp Plan that Inspires Big Accomplishments
Having a comp plan that sets high expectations and delivers big rewards when big goals are met are key management tools to attract the best talent and keep them on pace. But IT IS NOT MORE EXPENSIVE if you design the comp plan correctly! High performance comes in an atmosphere of high expectations both from the company and the salesperson.
6. Having a Measurable, Repeatable Selling and Market Strategy
Can a new sales person consistently identify a problem with a significant consequence your prospect has, from a decision maker within your target market, that your product or service can address? That’s the first key indicator to knowing if you have a sales team you can scale. It is also the start of a meaningful sales cycle worthy of investment of your company’s time and resources. Without a selling system that gets your sales people consistently across this chasm along with effective opportunity management, your sales team could become stuck.