10 Ways To Motivate A Sales Force When Sales Are Poor

10 Ways To Motivate A Sales Force When Sales Are Poor

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Management takes a special function in times of tough market conditions. Delegates attending management training programs usually talk about the fact that when sales are falling, sales people tend to react by slowing down and the level of sales falls accordingly. There is therefore a real danger of becoming a vicious circle.

So that they break away from vicious cycle and provide a motivation for your salespeople try the following managerial ground rules:

1. Inform the sales department about the situation (company, branch and economic). Do not keep bad news to yourself. If your salespeople have to read in the press about companies going into liquidation and sales departments going under, it is understandable that they will lose faith in you.

2. Do not propagate any doom and gloom. Do not feel drawn to make any overly pessimistic statements, which might make your sales staff feel even more insecure. Show that you are the boss. Lay down the new sales policy guidelines regarding conditions, product range, service and distribution and be consistent in implementing these. Nothing demotivates or makes people insecure than constant changes in direction, reducing discounts one day and increasing them again the next.

3. Discuss your concepts, plans and guidelines with your salespeople. Get their opinions on these matters and discuss with them any future action. Do not shy away from setting yourself high objectives. Salespeople who are aware of the hard, brutal facts will be able to do the impossible.

4. If you want to increase sales efficiency you will have to decide on drastic measures. Crisis management does not mean streamlining your product range and reducing your client base one day, changing your prices and sales routes the next and extending your sales areas the next again. Managers attending management training course often admit to this problem. Provide a summary of the required measures in a Sales Development Plan.

5. If you appeal to your salespeople to tighten their belts you must lead by example. If the salespeople's company cars have to be cut back, the boss should also dispense with his. If you are reducing expense accounts the sales manager cannot be staying in hotels at £250 a night.

6. Consider the individual care of the sales force as being of utmost importance. Those people that are maybe doing more work for less return need their souls massaged. Discuss with them the conceivable negative effects this commitment is having on their private life. Assist to resolve the issues, that inevitably appear.

7. Do not leave your salespeople alone at the front line during difficult times. Accompany them more frequently on client visits.

8. If you delegate additional responsibility also make sure that they are freed from less important, time-consuming administrative duties. Therefore, check to see which tasks could be transferred to other departments.

9. Increased responsibility motivates salespeople. Let them have a say in all new regulations governing sales policy during times of crisis. Extend their negotiating scope concerning the elaboration of orders, client selection, conditions and dealing with complaints.

10. Let your sales team know about product innovations and improvements in good time.

Good performances by your salespeople in times of crisis deserves particular recognition. Let the salesperson know about the positive effects this has had and encourage them to keep up the good work.

Implementing these points will help to motivate your team in difficult times. Good motivational ability that can be readily learnt from management training is imperative for increased amounts of sales force motivation and improved performance.

About the Author:
Richard Stone (richard.stone@spearhead-training.co.uk) is a Director for Spearhead Training Limited that offers management training programmes to improve business performance. You can see more ways to motivate a sales force at =>
http://www.spearhead-training.co.uk/FreeTrainingMaterials/articles-section.php



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