A sales manager’s day-to-day life tends to focus on numbers, numbers and more numbers. It is easy to get bogged down in endless amounts of data and to fall into a pattern of constantly reminding your employees to reach, or even exceed, their quotas. Research shows, however, that focusing so heavily on the actual numbers is a disservice to employees and will not actually incentivize them to do a better job. Instead, managers should focus on a few key leadership strategies guaranteed to motivate employees and subsequently boost sales.
1. Say thank you
According to the Harvard Business Review, research shows that employees are far more motivated when they receive gratitude and appreciation for good work. Managers who regularly offer praise to those who deserve it will be more than likely to see employees work longer and harder to achieve their team’s goals. Salesforce wrote that it’s important to celebrate team successes because it not only relieves pressure but also provides employees with a little extra confidence.
2. Offer one-on-one support
It seems there is a large consensus among management experts to provide clear, consistent communication to each individual employee. It is important, explained Yesware, to act as a coach for your employees. A good coach focuses on developing talent and not only on reaching a specific quota. One-on-one training and mentorship can greatly improve performance.
In addition, sales training expert Keith Rosen wrote in Top Sales World that managers must take the time to find the root cause of an issue rather than just point it out. Data may display a problem, but it can’t show why that problem exists. Taking the time to speak with employees to receive feedback will help solve problems of both employee performance and dissatisfaction.
3. Be clear about team goals
Yesware emphasized the importance of making sure every single member of your team understands exactly what she is expected to achieve every day. The first step is to make sure employees understand the collective vision of what success means for that team. From there, consistent meetings and open communication should ensure each employee knows how she will contribute to making that vision a reality.
Iconixx compensation management software provides simple, efficient tools to not only tracksales performance metrics, but also to help employees track their own progress. Compensation management software is an easy way to incorporate incentive compensation management into your managerial strategy and motivate sales teams to improve.
