How to Build and Motivate a Sales Team
- Highly motivated by money
- Eager to learn
- Self-confident
- Appreciative of a challenge
- Persistent
- Competitive
- Able to cope with rejection
- Great listening skills
- Physically and mentally energetic.
Spell out your expectations. Be sure to discuss sales goals. It might help to draft a contract that lists what your company will do for the salesperson, and vice versa.
Train, train, train. The more you train your salespeople, the better they'll be at answering customers' questions and making sales. Your sales professionals should possess detailed knowledge of your products, the competitors' products, and the market in which those products are sold. They'll also need the training it takes to understand their customers' needs, practices, and concerns. Hold regular training sessions, and encourage your team to attend outside training classes, as well as sales and industry-related seminars.
Motivate your team with a strong compensation system. Design your company's compensation plan before you hire anyone. A commission-based approach usually works best, but it should include a base salary. That way, a salesperson is guaranteed a minimum income — which can help morale during slow times. You can find compensation standards by contacting your industry's trade association. Be sure to read Compensating Your Salesforce for a good overview of this topic.
Make the most of nonfinancial motivators. Employees like to be recognized for good work, and to feel that their supervisors listen to and act to solve problems. It's also important to make your employees feel as though they're part of a team. And don't forget the power of benefits — paid holidays, or a good maternity leave package, or medical and dental benefits — can go a long way toward retaining the best people.
For more advice on how to develop your salesforce into a winning team, be sure to read Managing and Motivating Salespeople.
