Think Customers: The 1to1 Blog

Thanks to a very useful and insightful LinkedIn network, I received many great ideas about how to keep sales staff motivated. The overarching theme is that companies need to take the time to build relationships with their clients and find out their needs, then be flexible to try to meet them in unique ways. Internally, senior management needs to be flexible as well about incentives, rewards, and recognition. It's not just sales that should be recognized.

Valerie Peck, a Peppers & Rogers Group alumni, says that it really does come down to relationships. "Consider having [salespeople] focus on whats needed most: Retention and TLC," she says. "Rather than having them pound frustratingly along running up against brick walls, re purpose them and let them ensure that your best customers are loving you and ensuring that they have no problems. It will ensure that you don't lose revenue in these tough times, build relationships, give the 'hunters' a bit of experience 'farming' and prepare them for better times."

Inside sales trainer Geoff Alexander agrees, saying "the key is ensuring that salespeople remain enthusiastic, and a good way to do it is for them to learn as much about their prospect's/customer's business as possible."

From Malcolm Wicks, reminds sales leaders to focus on the positive, and use every available resource within the company.

Step one, do not beat them up and tell them how bad they are doing. Step two, take the opportunity to engage other parts of the business to discuss what can be done to increase sales. Talk to Customer Services, Marketing and yes even Finance. Get a different take on customers that can be used to change how things are done. This current environment is a great opportunity to pull together the whole organisation to help and support Sales. With this extra knowledge and support Sales staff will be able to build better relationships with customers and improve results. Another key benefit is that top Sales staff will be more encouraged to stay with a company that helps them rather than just beats them up.

In addition, Chris Dargiewicz, a personal Apple advisor, emphasizes that "people within your organization already have all the answers, even in tough economic times." It's just a matter of getting their information out to everyone else.

Tim Wright, an employee engagement expert, says that the goal is to inspire employees, not just motivate them. Motivation is someone pushing from behind, while inspiration lets employees pull themselves forward. Wright breaks it down into four elements he calls "CORE" -- communication, opportunity, resources, and engagement. Managers and leaders need to overcommunicate at a time like this, to be honest and develop a team culture. They need to create opportunities that provide engagement inspiration, such as brown bag lunches to discuss new opportunities or learnings from bad ones. They need to provide resources to employees that allow them to grow and develop, and they need to show their staff that they are engaged in the sales process and the overall company.

These are just some thoughts about how to keep your chin up in this bad economic state. How are you keeping sales motivated at your company?