Motivating a sales team boosts productivity substantially. Providing goals and encouraging salespeople to meet them by offering various types of incentive compensation for their efforts is an effective way to increase the volume of a business’s total sales.
A business can pump up its team using three different methods to incentive employees and bolster the company:
1. Have a contest
Sometimes a little healthy competition is exactly what a sales team needs to increase productivity. According to Business News Daily, organizing a contest is a fun way to involve all employees and inspire sales staff to reach a quota.
“We’ve tried running sales contests in the past, using various software and tools,” said Rick Hanson, vice president of worldwide sales and field operations at Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Security, according to Business News Daily. “There was a single goal and the reps who achieved that goal were rewarded, usually with money.”
While a financial incentive for the winner may be one way a business can motivate individuals to participate in the contest, there are other noncash alternatives that may work as well – potentially even better. Some potential prizes an operation may consider offering include:
- Tickets to a sporting event, concert or local festival
- Time off from work
- Dinner on the boss
- A prize basket
- The chance to become boss for the day
- Bragging rights
Performance and compensation management software may be a great way to keep track of progress throughout the duration of a contest. While this may be a good way to motivate salespeople, it may wind up awarding the same top-performing reps and discourage others from participating. Consider creating leagues to assign sales reps to based on past performance.
The Harvard Business Review noted offering prizes that aren’t cash may be especially beneficial if a business holds multiple contests among different groups of salespeople.
2. Create a fun environment
Making work something employees look forward to can serve as a fantastic motivator. A business can set group goals and offer a prize like a pizza party or ping-pong table for the office. Motivating all employees together is also a great way to unify staff and foster strong relationships among employees.
3. Recognize spouses, partners and kids
Businesses should also consider reaching out to the family of sales reps. Including them in on the fun can encourage them to motivate the team at home as well. This is a fun way to deepen the relationships a business has with its employees, according to Business News Daily.
