Slumps in your level of motivation are a natural phenomenon. Lack of motivation, however, can have dire financial consequences such as a reduction in profit. Motivated salespeople sell more, no doubt. Going about your business looking like the weight of the world is on your shoulders has never helped anyone boost their sales. Attitude and mindset play significant roles in enabling you to reach targets and shoot your company to the heights you desire.
Complacency is the enemy of success. It is easy to become complacent over time, never pushing oneself and ceasing to go an ‘extra mile’ for the sake of your company and clients. Without a doubt, you know that you need to be motivated to succeed in sales, you want to be motivated but you find out that you just cannot attain and maintain that motivation. Is this the case?
Motivation is an in-house job; it begins and ends with you. Even if you fail to realize it, motivation is something you can control, an internal job. No one gets to determine your level of motivation. You need to take responsibility for your motivation – every second, every minute, hourly and daily.
While it is good to source for inspiration from motivational speakers, workshops, and mantras, the drive to increase sales must come from within you. Rekindling motivation starts with bearing in mind the reason why you started your company in the first place. Doubts and other issues can make you lose sight of why you started and your initial passion. It is the passion for what you do and an unreserved belief in what you’re selling that drives you to win clients over at the end of the day. Review the thank-you letters, calls, publicity and awards you have received from satisfied clients and rekindled that passion for what you do! It goes a long way towards renewing your enthusiasm for selling.
Motivating a team is one of the most important things that a leader can do. Without guidance, employees can fail and suffer, unsure of what to do next and how to succeed to their highest potential. While it is true that no one can truly motivate anyone (true gumption has to come from within), a good leader can do a tremendous amount to influence people and encourage their motivation and success.
Part of keeping your team motivated and excited about always improving is also ensuring that they don’t become complacent. We all know the type: arrive at work in a daze, clock in, and then sit at their desk doing the bare minimum to get by. Then, they leave as early as possible, never really committing to their career path, and worst of all—detract from, rather than add to, the success of the team. If these types are already satisfied with what they have, it can become increasingly difficult to engage them and motivate them to success.
Why do good people become complacent? Sometimes even the best workers can become complacent over time. Feeling happy and fulfilled in their career, some individuals can fall into the habit of quiet complacency, never pushing themselves and ceasing to go that ‘extra mile’ for their boss or their client. They do this without realizing that their co-workers and manager may be fostering a slowly simmering resentment toward their blasé attitude.
Are competitions motivating your team? Many managers decide to motivate their teams by setting up competitions and monetary incentives intended to encourage everyone to get back on board and do their very best. Team spirit! While these types of incentives can be a temporary measure that appears to work at first, money is not always the answer. Sometimes the very best motivating factors are interpersonal relationships—caring for the success of the team is an excellent way to boost morale and performance.
Focus on relationships with your team. We all know what it feels like to be managed skillfully versus being managed poorly. If you are in management, know that trying to intimidate your employees into respecting you will not work. A Drill Sargent won’t gain their employees’ respect. Instead of barking orders, counteract complacency by celebrating goals and accomplishments. Make a big deal out of it when they make a huge sale or land a new client! By warmly and regularly congratulating your team when they do well (and working on building them up when they are struggling) you will reach goals you have never dreamed of.
Nip negativity: get rid of cancerous employees Negative employees or CAVE dwellers (Consistently Against Virtually Everything) are a cancer in your organization. They will bring you down and destroy the morale of your other employees. Sometimes you can work with these individuals to get them back on track, but sometimes they just have to go.
Conversely, you may have a great employee who just isn’t getting the job done, consistently underperforming and bringing the team down. Don’t be too quick to dismiss these people— they may simply be in the wrong position in your company. Sit down and ask them, “If I had a magic wand, what position would you like to have in this company?” By listening to your employee, you will learn how to manage them better and bring your entire team to success.
Laugh and play with your team! Most importantly, you have to remember that we are all social beings. Saying thank you and laughing with your team can go much further toward a harmonious and successful business environment than any competition can. Spend time together, enjoy their company, and listen to what they have to say—these are the steps to managing your team with poise, enjoyment, and skill.