If you run a direct sales team, you will already understand the need for motivation, especially as cold-calling involves a high degree of rejection, and when the figures are down, that is when team motivation is really needed, and with that in mind, here are a few tips to keep your team players on the ball.
- Have weekly meetings – It is important to get everyone together and there are affordable meeting rooms in Yangon, with state-of-the-art conference room facilities, and you can motivate your sales force every Monday morning. Setting achievable sales targets and offering prizes is a great way to fire up your salespeople, plus you can hand out the rewards during this meeting, and everyone will want to be on the receiving end of the weekly award, whatever that might be.
- Closing the Deal Training – You should have regular workshops that teach your salespeople how to perfect their closing techniques, as this the crux of the matter with sales, getting the prospect to commit to a purchase. If everyone sits in a circle and discusses recent appointments, this very often reveals the reasons why sales were not made. Here is an article on how to integrate social media marketing into your business plan.
- Cash Prizes – Without doubt the biggest motivator of all, waving wads of cash at the Monday meeting will inspire every team member, and if you calculate the amount of commission you receive, you can invest some of that in the form of cash prizes for those who meet their targets. Successful sales managers present their team with prizes at the weekly meeting, as there is no better way to motivate salespeople than offering good old cash prizes.
- Lead By Example – If you are consistently out-selling your team, you will have their total respect and they are more likely to follow a leader who sells every week. This proves to everyone that the business is out there, and with constant support and motivation, each team member will put in good figures.
- Low-Season Competitions – If your industry is seasonal, you should set up a short sales competition during the quiet season, to spur your team onwards, with realistic targets and attractive prizes like holidays to exotic destinations. It might be a 2-month duration, and the winners are those who write the most business for the length of the competition.
- Providing Qualified Leads – Every direct salesperson loves to receive qualified leads, so you could save some and offer them as an incentive for high-performers. If, for example, you have one salesperson who has not made a sale for a while, you could give them a very strong lead and that should boost their self-esteem. Here is some UK government information on direct selling, which you should read.
It is a very difficult thing to maintain a high level of motivation in a direct sales team, and we hope that the above tips will help you to keep your key players on the ball. Weekly meetings are essential, and if the team is spread out across the country, then you can host a video conference call that allows you all to communicate.
