Motivating & Retaining Staff

When you think about it, the success of any facet of your business can almost always be traced back to motivated employees. From productivity and profitability to recruiting and retention, hardworking and happy employees lead to triumph.

Unfortunately, motivating people is far from an exact science. There's no secret formula, no set calculation, no work sheet to fill out. In fact, motivation can be as individual as the employees who work for you. One employee may be motivated only by money. Another may appreciate personal recognition for a job well done. Still another may work harder if she has equity in the business.

But you can boil down employee motivation to one basic ideal -- finding out what your employees want and finding a way to give it to them or to enable them to earn it.

  • Treat your sales team with respect. It's management's responsibility to respect them and treat them well. Never talk down to them or make them feel inferior in any way.
  • Let them know you appreciate their hard work. Competition has always been tough, but, today, competition is fierce. Your sales pros are under a great deal of pressure to sell. Alleviate some of that pressure by letting them know how much you appreciate their hard work.
  • Keeping them in the right frame of mind is not about being a "rah-rah" motivational cheerleader. It's about management continuously demonstrating their appreciation for their ability to sell.
  • Provide them with reward and recognition--both financial and personal.
  • Inspire them to reach even greater heights. Superior salespeople know they are a cut above the rest. Inspire them to be even greater through coaching. Help them to identify their strengths and help them to capitalise on those strengths.
  • Hold them accountable. Top performing salespeople welcome accountability. Make sure they know what they are being held accountable for. Set up clear standards, starting with an accurate job description, and expectations.
  • Listen to them. Many top salespeople leave their jobs because they feel they are not listened to. They know more about your company, your products or service and what needs improvement from what they hear in the field. Have them provide this valuable feedback, and if there's action that needs to be taken, let them know you have listened to them and have taken appropriate action.

Give them the tools, training, and support they need otherwise you can kiss your top sales person along with a high percentage of your customers ‘Goodbye!’

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