Keeping Your Sales Team Motivated
By Frank J. Rumbauskas, Jr. |
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.
About the Author
Frank Rumbauskas is the
author of Cold Calling Is a Waste of Time: Sales Success in the Information Age.
He is the founder of FJR Advisors LLC, which publishes training materials on
generating business without cold calling. He also owns a nationwide insurance
agency. For more information, please visit http://www.nevercoldcall.com
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