Hi seniors,
I need your valuable suggetion ,Iam working in a IT infrastructure providing Company since last 2 months attrition rate has gone up seniors and executives for what ever reasons left.
Sales team is our core department,every qtr we come up with some new ideas and schemes in order to motivate sales team.
In JAS for 20 days taken more than 50%of that qtr target for which our team could achieve and went for a week holiday sponsored from the company.
For OND- individual targets were given, this team if acheived again we had a trip to overseas for a week but none could achieve.
My business GM has asked me to come out with motivational factors or ideas to motivate our team members.
1)Give me some ideas how to know in advance which employee is planning to leave ,so that we can address his problem,Though the employees left were not performing well this year.
what are the various sources to find this?
2)Give me some new techniques to motivate the sales team.
Waiting for reply...
Viranchi
From India, Hyderabad
2I need your valuable suggetion ,Iam working in a IT infrastructure providing Company since last 2 months attrition rate has gone up seniors and executives for what ever reasons left.
Sales team is our core department,every qtr we come up with some new ideas and schemes in order to motivate sales team.
In JAS for 20 days taken more than 50%of that qtr target for which our team could achieve and went for a week holiday sponsored from the company.
For OND- individual targets were given, this team if acheived again we had a trip to overseas for a week but none could achieve.
My business GM has asked me to come out with motivational factors or ideas to motivate our team members.
1)Give me some ideas how to know in advance which employee is planning to leave ,so that we can address his problem,Though the employees left were not performing well this year.
what are the various sources to find this?
2)Give me some new techniques to motivate the sales team.
Waiting for reply...
Viranchi
From India, Hyderabad
I guess, its more like a Firefight, Every time there is a Bush fire you need to fight it, But You have an option of "Significantly" Reduce it where the problem is Manageable.
Its time You found them a Leader, Some one who dose not “Depart� in 3 months,
Understand “people work for People�
Money Motivates for Sure, a Few Fun filled Activities do too, Outings and Trips work But I Guess Somewhere everyone looks for an “Emotional Dependence� which backs a Sense of Security and Dependence among the Executive Team.
For intimidate Results you could Pull out a few Motivational Tricks Up your Sleeves, Like a few mentioned above or may be turn a Small event into an Occasion,
and a bit of Counseling would help for Sure.
and Simultaneously Either Start Building a “Culture� Which is Not A Leader Centric one ex: The Staff Knows “Performers� are not Just Rewarded but also Promoted,
and Build a Value around performance, or Find them an efficient Leader who Could Not Just Motivate them but also keep them Motivated.
Hear are a few Facts:
We all need Leaders.
When ever Leadership Changes it Would have its Impact.
People need a Sense of Security, They Either Find it in a Leader or the Organization
Now Let me Give You a Lengthy Write up....Try Putting up with this.
Motivation & Leadership
person's motivation is a combination of desire and energy directed at achieving a goal. Influencing someone's motivation means getting them to want to do what you know must be done. A person's motivation depends upon two things:
The strength of certain needs. For example, you are hungry, but you must have a task completed by a nearing deadline. If you are starving you will eat. If you are slightly hungry you will finish the task at hand.
The perception that taking a certain action will help satisfy those needs. For example, you have two burning needs - The desire to complete the task and the desire to go to lunch. Your perception of how you view those two needs will determine which one takes priority. If you believe that you could be fired for not completing the task, you will probably put off lunch and complete the task. If you believe that you will not get into trouble or perhaps finish the task in time, then you will likely go to lunch.
People can be motivated by such forces as beliefs, values, interests, fear, and worthy causes. Some of these forces are internal, such as needs, interests, and beliefs. Others are external, such as danger, the environment, or pressure from a loved one. There is no simple formula for motivation -- you must keep a open viewpoint on human nature. There is a complex array of forces steering the direction of each person and these forces cannot always be seen or studied. In addition, if the same forces are steering two different people, each one may act differently. Knowing that each person may react to different needs will guide your decisions and actions in certain situations.
Allow the needs of your team to coincide with the needs of your organization. Nearly everyone is influenced by the needs for job security, promotion, raises, and approval of their peers and/or leaders. They are also influenced by internal forces such as values morals, and ethics. Likewise, the organization needs good people in a wide variety of jobs. Ensure that your team is trained, encouraged, and has opportunities to advance. Also, ensure that the way you conduct business has the same values, moral, and ethic principles that you seek in others. If you conduct business in a dishonest manner, your team will be dishonest to you, for that will be the kind of people that you will attract.
Reward good behavior. Although a certificate, letter, or a thank you may seem small and insignificant, they can be powerful motivators. The reward should be specific and prompt. Do not say something general, such as "for doing a good job," rather cite the specific action that made you believe it was indeed a good job. In addition, help those who are good. We all make mistakes or need help on an occasion to achieve a particular goal.
Set the example. You must be the role model that you want others to grow into.
Develop moral and esprit de corps. Moral is the mental, emotional, and spiritual state of a person. Almost everything you do will have an impact on your organization. You should always be aware how your actions and decisions might affect it. Esprit de corps means team spirit - it is defined as the spirit of the organization or collective body (in French it literally means "spirit of the body"). It is the consciousness of the organization that allows the people within it to identify with and feel a part of. Is your workplace a place where people cannot wait to get away from; or is it a place that people enjoy spending a part of their lives?
Allow your team to be part of the planning and problem solving process. This helps with their development and allows you to coach them. Secondly, it motivates them -- people who are part of the decision making process become the owners of it, thus it gives them a personal interest in seeing the plan succeed. thirdly, communication is clearer as everyone has a better understanding of what role they must play as part of the team. Next, it creates an open trusting communication bond. They are no longer just the doers for the organization -- they are now part of it! Finally, recognition and appreciation from a respected leader are powerful motivators.
Look out for your team. Although you do not have control over their personal lives, you must show concern for them. Things that seem of no importance to you might be extremely critical to them. You must be able to empathize with them. This is from the German word, einfuhling, which means "to feel with", or the ability to perceive another person's view of the world as though that view were your own. The Sioux Indian Tribal Prayer reads, "Great Spirit, help us never to judge another until we have walked for two weeks in his moccasins." Also note that empathy differs from sympathy in that sympathy connotes spontaneous emotion rather than a conscious, reasoned response. Sympathizing with others may be less useful to another person if we are limited by the strong feelings of the moment.
Keep them informed. Keeping the communication channel open allows a person to have a sense of control over their lives.
Make their jobs challenging, exciting, and meaningful. Make each feel like an individual in a great team...rather than a cog in a lifeless machine. People need meaningful work, even if it is tiring and unpleasant; they need to know that it is important and necessary for the survival of the organization.
Counsel people who behave in a way that is counter to the company's goals. All the guidelines before this took the positive approach. But, sometimes this does not always work. You must let people know when they are not performing to an acceptable standard. By the same token, you must protect them when needed. For example, if someone in your department is always late arriving for work and it is causing disruptions, then you must take action. On the other hand, if you have an extremely good department and once in a while they are a few minutes late, then do the right thing...protect them from the bureaucracy!
Counseling
counseling has a powerful, long-term impact on people and the effectiveness of the organization. Counseling is talking with a person in a way that helps him or her solve a problem. It involves thinking, implementing, knowing human nature, timing, sincerity, compassion, and kindness. It involves much more that simply telling someone what to do about a problem.
Leaders must demonstrate the following qualities in order to counsel effectively.
Respect for employees - This includes the belief that individuals are responsible for their own actions and ideas. It includes an awareness of a person's individuality by recognizing their unique values, attributes, and skills. As you attempt to develop people with counseling, you must refrain from projecting your own values onto them.
Self-Awareness - This quality is an understanding of yourself as a leader. The more you are aware of your own values, needs, and biases, the less likely you will be to project your feelings onto your employees.
Credibility - Believability is achieved through both honesty and consistency between both the leader's statements and actions. Credible leaders are straightforward with their subordinates and behave in such a manner that earns the subordinates' respect and trust.
Empathy - or compassion entails understanding a subordinates situation. Empathetic leaders will be better able to help subordinates identify the situation and then develop a plan to improve it.
The reason for counseling is to help employees develop in order to achieve organizational goals. At times, the counseling is directed by policy, and at other times, leaders should choose to counsel to develop employees. Regardless of the nature of the counseling, leaders should demonstrate the qualities of an effective counselor (respect, self-awareness, credibility, and empathy) and employ the skills of good communication.
While the reason for counseling is to develop subordinates, leaders often categorize counseling based on the topic of the session. Major categories include performance counseling, problem counseling, and individual growth counseling (development). While these categories help leaders to organize and focus counseling sessions, they must not be viewed as separate and distinct types of counseling. For example a counseling session which mainly focuses on resolving a problem may also have a great impact on improving job performance. Another example is a counseling session that focuses on performance may also include a discussion of opportunities for growth. Regardless of the topic of the counseling session, you should follow the same basic format to prepare for and conduct counseling.
Steps for counseling
Identify the problem. Ensure you get to the heart of the problem. The Japanese use a practice called the Five Whys. They ask "why" five times when confronted with a problem -- by the time the fifth why is answered, they believe they have found the ultimate cause of the problem.
Analyze the forces influencing the behavior. Determine which of these forces you have control over and which of the forces the worker has control over. Determine if the force has to be modified, eliminated, or enforced.
Plan, coordinate, and organize the session. Determine the best time to conduct the session so that you will not be interrupted or forced to end too early.
Conduct the session using sincerity, compassion, and kindness. This does not mean you cannot be firm or in control. Your reputation is on the line...the problem must be solved so that your department can continue with its mission. Likewise, you must hear the person out.
During the session, determine what the worker believes causes the counter productive behavior and what will be required to change it. Also, determine if your initial analysis is correct.
Try to maintain a sense of timing of when to use directive or nondirective counseling (see below).
Using all the facts, make a decision and/or a plan of action to correct the problem. If more counseling is needed, make a firm time and date for the next session.
After the session and throughout a sufficient time period evaluate the worker's progress to ensure the problem has indeed been solved.
There are two type of counseling - directive and nondirective. In directive counseling, the counselor identifies the problem and tells the counselee what to do about it. Nondirective counseling means the counselee identifies the problem and determines the solution with the help of the counselor. The counselor has to determine which of the two, or some appropriate combination, to give for each situation. For example, "Put that cigarette out now as this is a nonsmoking area," is a form of directive counseling. While a form of nondirective counseling would be, "So the reason you are not effective is that you were up late last night. What are you going to do to ensure that this does not effect your performance again?"
Hints for counseling sessions:
Let the person know that the behavior is undesirable, not the person.
Let the person know that you care about him or her as a person, but that you expect more from them.
Do not punish employees who are unable to perform a task. Punish those who are able to perform the task but are unwilling or unmotivated to succeed.
Counseling sessions should be conducted in private immediately after the undesirable behavior. Do not humiliate a person in front of others.
Ensure that the employee understands exactly what behavior led to the counseling or punishment.
Do not hold a grudge. When it is over...it is over! Move on!
From India, New Delhi
Its time You found them a Leader, Some one who dose not “Depart� in 3 months,
Understand “people work for People�
Money Motivates for Sure, a Few Fun filled Activities do too, Outings and Trips work But I Guess Somewhere everyone looks for an “Emotional Dependence� which backs a Sense of Security and Dependence among the Executive Team.
For intimidate Results you could Pull out a few Motivational Tricks Up your Sleeves, Like a few mentioned above or may be turn a Small event into an Occasion,
and a bit of Counseling would help for Sure.
and Simultaneously Either Start Building a “Culture� Which is Not A Leader Centric one ex: The Staff Knows “Performers� are not Just Rewarded but also Promoted,
and Build a Value around performance, or Find them an efficient Leader who Could Not Just Motivate them but also keep them Motivated.
Hear are a few Facts:
We all need Leaders.
When ever Leadership Changes it Would have its Impact.
People need a Sense of Security, They Either Find it in a Leader or the Organization
Now Let me Give You a Lengthy Write up....Try Putting up with this.
Motivation & Leadership
person's motivation is a combination of desire and energy directed at achieving a goal. Influencing someone's motivation means getting them to want to do what you know must be done. A person's motivation depends upon two things:
The strength of certain needs. For example, you are hungry, but you must have a task completed by a nearing deadline. If you are starving you will eat. If you are slightly hungry you will finish the task at hand.
The perception that taking a certain action will help satisfy those needs. For example, you have two burning needs - The desire to complete the task and the desire to go to lunch. Your perception of how you view those two needs will determine which one takes priority. If you believe that you could be fired for not completing the task, you will probably put off lunch and complete the task. If you believe that you will not get into trouble or perhaps finish the task in time, then you will likely go to lunch.
People can be motivated by such forces as beliefs, values, interests, fear, and worthy causes. Some of these forces are internal, such as needs, interests, and beliefs. Others are external, such as danger, the environment, or pressure from a loved one. There is no simple formula for motivation -- you must keep a open viewpoint on human nature. There is a complex array of forces steering the direction of each person and these forces cannot always be seen or studied. In addition, if the same forces are steering two different people, each one may act differently. Knowing that each person may react to different needs will guide your decisions and actions in certain situations.
Allow the needs of your team to coincide with the needs of your organization. Nearly everyone is influenced by the needs for job security, promotion, raises, and approval of their peers and/or leaders. They are also influenced by internal forces such as values morals, and ethics. Likewise, the organization needs good people in a wide variety of jobs. Ensure that your team is trained, encouraged, and has opportunities to advance. Also, ensure that the way you conduct business has the same values, moral, and ethic principles that you seek in others. If you conduct business in a dishonest manner, your team will be dishonest to you, for that will be the kind of people that you will attract.
Reward good behavior. Although a certificate, letter, or a thank you may seem small and insignificant, they can be powerful motivators. The reward should be specific and prompt. Do not say something general, such as "for doing a good job," rather cite the specific action that made you believe it was indeed a good job. In addition, help those who are good. We all make mistakes or need help on an occasion to achieve a particular goal.
Set the example. You must be the role model that you want others to grow into.
Develop moral and esprit de corps. Moral is the mental, emotional, and spiritual state of a person. Almost everything you do will have an impact on your organization. You should always be aware how your actions and decisions might affect it. Esprit de corps means team spirit - it is defined as the spirit of the organization or collective body (in French it literally means "spirit of the body"). It is the consciousness of the organization that allows the people within it to identify with and feel a part of. Is your workplace a place where people cannot wait to get away from; or is it a place that people enjoy spending a part of their lives?
Allow your team to be part of the planning and problem solving process. This helps with their development and allows you to coach them. Secondly, it motivates them -- people who are part of the decision making process become the owners of it, thus it gives them a personal interest in seeing the plan succeed. thirdly, communication is clearer as everyone has a better understanding of what role they must play as part of the team. Next, it creates an open trusting communication bond. They are no longer just the doers for the organization -- they are now part of it! Finally, recognition and appreciation from a respected leader are powerful motivators.
Look out for your team. Although you do not have control over their personal lives, you must show concern for them. Things that seem of no importance to you might be extremely critical to them. You must be able to empathize with them. This is from the German word, einfuhling, which means "to feel with", or the ability to perceive another person's view of the world as though that view were your own. The Sioux Indian Tribal Prayer reads, "Great Spirit, help us never to judge another until we have walked for two weeks in his moccasins." Also note that empathy differs from sympathy in that sympathy connotes spontaneous emotion rather than a conscious, reasoned response. Sympathizing with others may be less useful to another person if we are limited by the strong feelings of the moment.
Keep them informed. Keeping the communication channel open allows a person to have a sense of control over their lives.
Make their jobs challenging, exciting, and meaningful. Make each feel like an individual in a great team...rather than a cog in a lifeless machine. People need meaningful work, even if it is tiring and unpleasant; they need to know that it is important and necessary for the survival of the organization.
Counsel people who behave in a way that is counter to the company's goals. All the guidelines before this took the positive approach. But, sometimes this does not always work. You must let people know when they are not performing to an acceptable standard. By the same token, you must protect them when needed. For example, if someone in your department is always late arriving for work and it is causing disruptions, then you must take action. On the other hand, if you have an extremely good department and once in a while they are a few minutes late, then do the right thing...protect them from the bureaucracy!
Counseling
counseling has a powerful, long-term impact on people and the effectiveness of the organization. Counseling is talking with a person in a way that helps him or her solve a problem. It involves thinking, implementing, knowing human nature, timing, sincerity, compassion, and kindness. It involves much more that simply telling someone what to do about a problem.
Leaders must demonstrate the following qualities in order to counsel effectively.
Respect for employees - This includes the belief that individuals are responsible for their own actions and ideas. It includes an awareness of a person's individuality by recognizing their unique values, attributes, and skills. As you attempt to develop people with counseling, you must refrain from projecting your own values onto them.
Self-Awareness - This quality is an understanding of yourself as a leader. The more you are aware of your own values, needs, and biases, the less likely you will be to project your feelings onto your employees.
Credibility - Believability is achieved through both honesty and consistency between both the leader's statements and actions. Credible leaders are straightforward with their subordinates and behave in such a manner that earns the subordinates' respect and trust.
Empathy - or compassion entails understanding a subordinates situation. Empathetic leaders will be better able to help subordinates identify the situation and then develop a plan to improve it.
The reason for counseling is to help employees develop in order to achieve organizational goals. At times, the counseling is directed by policy, and at other times, leaders should choose to counsel to develop employees. Regardless of the nature of the counseling, leaders should demonstrate the qualities of an effective counselor (respect, self-awareness, credibility, and empathy) and employ the skills of good communication.
While the reason for counseling is to develop subordinates, leaders often categorize counseling based on the topic of the session. Major categories include performance counseling, problem counseling, and individual growth counseling (development). While these categories help leaders to organize and focus counseling sessions, they must not be viewed as separate and distinct types of counseling. For example a counseling session which mainly focuses on resolving a problem may also have a great impact on improving job performance. Another example is a counseling session that focuses on performance may also include a discussion of opportunities for growth. Regardless of the topic of the counseling session, you should follow the same basic format to prepare for and conduct counseling.
Steps for counseling
Identify the problem. Ensure you get to the heart of the problem. The Japanese use a practice called the Five Whys. They ask "why" five times when confronted with a problem -- by the time the fifth why is answered, they believe they have found the ultimate cause of the problem.
Analyze the forces influencing the behavior. Determine which of these forces you have control over and which of the forces the worker has control over. Determine if the force has to be modified, eliminated, or enforced.
Plan, coordinate, and organize the session. Determine the best time to conduct the session so that you will not be interrupted or forced to end too early.
Conduct the session using sincerity, compassion, and kindness. This does not mean you cannot be firm or in control. Your reputation is on the line...the problem must be solved so that your department can continue with its mission. Likewise, you must hear the person out.
During the session, determine what the worker believes causes the counter productive behavior and what will be required to change it. Also, determine if your initial analysis is correct.
Try to maintain a sense of timing of when to use directive or nondirective counseling (see below).
Using all the facts, make a decision and/or a plan of action to correct the problem. If more counseling is needed, make a firm time and date for the next session.
After the session and throughout a sufficient time period evaluate the worker's progress to ensure the problem has indeed been solved.
There are two type of counseling - directive and nondirective. In directive counseling, the counselor identifies the problem and tells the counselee what to do about it. Nondirective counseling means the counselee identifies the problem and determines the solution with the help of the counselor. The counselor has to determine which of the two, or some appropriate combination, to give for each situation. For example, "Put that cigarette out now as this is a nonsmoking area," is a form of directive counseling. While a form of nondirective counseling would be, "So the reason you are not effective is that you were up late last night. What are you going to do to ensure that this does not effect your performance again?"
Hints for counseling sessions:
Let the person know that the behavior is undesirable, not the person.
Let the person know that you care about him or her as a person, but that you expect more from them.
Do not punish employees who are unable to perform a task. Punish those who are able to perform the task but are unwilling or unmotivated to succeed.
Counseling sessions should be conducted in private immediately after the undesirable behavior. Do not humiliate a person in front of others.
Ensure that the employee understands exactly what behavior led to the counseling or punishment.
Do not hold a grudge. When it is over...it is over! Move on!
From India, New Delhi
Hi
Viranci
First of all tell me the meaning of ur name
secondly u want to know how u can know that ur executive is leaving.
i think u r working as HR then best way to identify this is take part in ur team. I mean to say u should interact with ur team more often pracvtically sit in ur team then u ll b able to know from his/her clleagues that he/she is leaving
hav rapport with each n everyone n u could know abt this only from other team members
regards
jyoti
From India, Ludhiana
Viranci
First of all tell me the meaning of ur name
secondly u want to know how u can know that ur executive is leaving.
i think u r working as HR then best way to identify this is take part in ur team. I mean to say u should interact with ur team more often pracvtically sit in ur team then u ll b able to know from his/her clleagues that he/she is leaving
hav rapport with each n everyone n u could know abt this only from other team members
regards
jyoti
From India, Ludhiana
Thank You akm18 I Guess You could Consider Reading "The Art of War" and it Speaks About The same, Its the Best Book i have found So far For Management. Regards, Aks
From India, New Delhi
From India, New Delhi
VIRANCHI,
You have two problems
-people leaving the organization
-sales not climbing as per your targets.
I HAVE FOCUSED MOSTLY ON THE SALES SIDE OF THE BUSINESS.
HERE you need both short term / long term solutions.
MERE motivations may not help . Perhaps it can do more damage than good.
IN THE SHORT TERM,
-you need a short / sharp incentives to lift sales.
-the focal points on which this must be directed are
*PROSPECTING -- BUILDING ORDER BOOK
*CLOSING SALES
FOR THE LONG TERM,
-please note the points listed.
=================================================
1. PEOPLE ARE LEAVING FOR MANY REASONS , LIKE
1.DOMESTIC
-moving / shifting house
2.PERSONAL
-involves much travel or no travel
-long working hours
-dissatisfied with the boss
-achievment not recognized
-unsure of career progress
-dissatisfied with compensation package.
3.WORK ENVIRONMENT
-lack of advancement opportunity
-lack of equal opportunity
-lack of time flexibility
-lack of professionalism
-limited management contact
-dissatisfied with the work conditions
-not happy with colleagues
4.FINANCE
-lack of market orientation in pay package
-lack of / limited resources
5.JOB RELATED
-lack of skill variety
-lack of autonomy
-lack of feedback
-lack rewards risk
-lack of innovations
-lack of utilization of abilities
-emphasis on quantity / not quality
-not competency valued
-expertise not valued
-lack of teamwork
-lack of challenge in the job
6.HR POLICIES/ PRACTICES
-lack of training opportunity
-irregular work hours
-lack of vision/ mission
-lack of counselling
-lack of mentoring
-lack of employee welfare schemes
7.RECRUITEMENT
-highly loaded expectation at interviews
-promises made / not kept
8.COMMUNICATION
-no feedback from management
-no facility for upward suggestions
9.MOTIVATIONS
-lack of measurements of work
-lack of recognition
-lack of performance evaluations
-lack of learning opportunity
-lack of career opportunity
10.LIFE STYLE / PERSONAL VALUES
-lack of community involvement
-lack of support for family
ETC ETC
==============================================
YOU SHOULD CONDUCT A ''EXIT INTERVIEW''.
IN AN INFORMAL MANNER, WITH THE HELP OF
A STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE.
============================================
YOUR SALES DIVISION /team MAY HAVE PROBLEMS LIKE
-lack of understanding of the market .
Your market is a secondary market whose demand is a derived demand,
based on the growth development of the primary market.
-sales policies may be rigid, requires flexibility.
-lack of right sales skills for the team
-prospecting new customers in your business is a highly skilled job
are your sales team well equipped to manage it.
ETC ETC
TAKING THESE FACTORS INTO CONSIDERATION, YOU
MAY HAVE TO CONDUCT A SALES AUDIT--A QUICK ONE.
================================================== ==========
The Sales Audit can be defined as: A process which examines the entire sales effort of the company, systematically and critically.
Professional Sales Audits incorporate all the aspects implied in Sales Activities:
Sales Review
Market Review
Sales Policy Review
Product Performance Review
Distribution Review
Customer Service Review
Reseller (Trade) Review
Sales Organization Review
Sales Performance Review
Salesforce Review
Sales Management Review
Sales Promotion Review
Merchandising Review
Sales Support Review
Sales Territory Review
Sales Training Review
Competition Review
Pricing Review
The most important purpose and prominent characteristic of the Sales Audit:
It is a carefully programmed appraisal of the total sales organization including: objectives, policies, organization, methods, procedures and personnel.
It's aim is prognosis as well as diagnosis.
It is a search for sales strengths, opportunities and means of exploiting them, as well as for weaknesses and means of their elimination.
It is vitally concerned with determining and appraising what is being done and recommending what should be done.
It is a regular activity, not a crisis motivated activity.[ IN YOUR CASE, IT CAN BE A CRISIS ONE]
How the audit is organized depends to a large extent on your company operation, its size, its market/distribution and its product time.
In each of the 18 areas, you should look at the following:
A. Objectives - whether clearly stated/specific.
B. Policies -whether explicit.
C. Methods- whether appropriate.
D. Procedures - whether written/simple.
E. Personnel - whether the roles have been defined.
In each of the 18 areas, you should examine the strengths and weaknesses.
The purpose of the Sales Audit is not simply the analysis of the past with a view to apportioning blame. It's main purpose is to help build a better and more profitable future.
=================================
THE SALES AUDIT OBJECTIVES ARE
Identify the actions you can take to ensure that sales team members have high motivation levels.
Identify the functions of a sales compensation plan.
Identify the factors to consider when evaluating motivation levels.
Identify actions you can take to increase your sales team's motivation.
Sequence the steps for addressing substandard sales performance.
Unit 1: Building Motivation in a Sales Team
Identify the actions you can take to ensure that sales team members have high motivation levels.
Apply the appropriate actions to ensure that sales team members have high motivation levels.
Identify the functions of a sales compensation plan.
Identify the four benefits of having an effective sales compensation plan.
Simulation Overview
Unit 2: Improving Sales Performance
Identify the factors to consider when evaluating motivation levels.
Identify actions you can take to increase your sales team's motivation.
Apply the appropriate actions to increase your sales team's motivation.
Simulation Overview:
Unit 3: Addressing Substandard Sales Performance
Identify the factors you should consider when identifying opportunities for improvement.
Sequence the steps for addressing substandard sales performance.
Follow the steps for addressing substandard sales performance.
Identify the actions you should take when following up on substandard performance.
Apply the actions for following up on substandard performance.
Simulation Overview
==================================================
Just because sales may be down, doesn't mean that your reps have to be, too. Here are 10 techniques to jumpstart their motivation and their sales.
Many issues are dragging down the morale of outside sales representatives. They have to sell in a tough environment, characterized by "reactionary buying," in which customers buy goods and services only when absolutely essential. In addition, while they have always dealt with price resistance, it has grown more pronounced recently because of the economic and world events.
Not making enough sales to earn commissions is disheartening to many new sales employees.
Making the problem worse, many managers have no experience running a company through an economic TURNABOUTS, and many salespeople have never sold during trying times. "It can be like the blind leading the blind," . "It's having considerable impact because in tough times, salespeople must create opportunities, not just respond to them."
Sounds easier said than done? Here are ways you can boost your sales team's motivation and productivity:
1) Rethink your goals and incentive programs.
Don't just rely on same old system', same old way'.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) Don't rely on money to make the problem go away.
Simply increasing sales reps' INCOME won't necessarily make them perform better. THEY might need other
supports like sales aids / marketing support/ training/coaching/counseling/prospecting support etc etc
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) Pound the pavement.
SALES Managers can't energize their sales team from behind a desk. They must travel with sales representatives, not only to give salespeople the feeling that everyone is in the same situation, but also to let customers know that the company is stable.
In addition, sales managers should collect both quantitative and qualitative feedback when hitting the streets with reps, and focus on the qualitative to keep motivation and productivity high. While quantitative measures deal with total product numbers and gross margins, qualitative issues involve customer responses to sales calls.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) Train. A lot.
Many companies are surviving in this economy by pursuing new markets. As a result, training sales reps is even more important because they have to be equipped with the tools and know-how to break into new markets. Through training, reps can learn to talk knowledgeably about any relevant regulations and to address customer questions and concerns.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5) Keep in touch.
Sales reps are the manager's connection to end users, who have their own needs and issues. To gain an understanding of these needs and issues, sales managers should keep in contact with his sales reps regularly. Conduct weekly phone or in-person sales meetings, covering the results of the previous week, which major customers were phoned, the results of those calls, plans for the upcoming week, the status of the sales pipeline, and what measures reps are taking to build those pipelines.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6) Make sure they get a lot of customer face-time.
When times are tough, don't let your sales reps just sit at their desks, waiting for calls and discussing how slow business is with colleagues. Sales slumps actually represent an opportune time to leave the office and obtain greater face-time with existing and potential customers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7) Encourage them to sell more to current customers.
Acquiring a new customer is five times as expensive as serving a current one, so it makes sense to persuade your reps to work on expanding existing accounts.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8) Be supportive and reassuring.
When business is bad, sales teams often end up the scapegoat. AVOID SUCH ACTIONS.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9) Keep them in the know.
To keep motivation high , keep your reps in the loop about how the company is faring," . "While the reps read the papers and know the score, they also need constant reminders about how their own company is doing."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10) Be inspirational.
To help sales reps sell in an environment where customers demand more but would like to pay less for it, try to keep them inspired. "retain the faith that you can and you will prevail in the end, regardless of how difficult the situation is. At the same time, you must face the brutal facts of the reality that you're dealing in."
================================================== ===============================
================================================== ================================
Before you can evaluate the performance of your sales team, you must first analyze its components. Here is a simple formula you can use to analyze the performance of your team as a whole or of individual sales representatives:
Performance = Competence + Motivation + Opportunity
The components are independent of each other. In other words,
-a sales representative can be highly motivated but incompetent,
-poorly motivated but highly competent,
-poorly motivated and incompetent,
-or highly motivated and highly competent.
Regardless of your sales team's level of motivation and competence, if the opportunity component is weak, sales performance suffers.
After you evaluate the components of performance, evaluate another key measure of performance: sales results. After you complete all of your evaluations, you can take action for each sales representative.
1. Evaluate competence
Competence includes knowledge of your products, your sales processes and policies, your company, and your industry. It also extends to knowledge of your customers, their problems and opportunities, and their industry. Additionally, it includes a basic understanding of how business operates.
Background knowledge
Depending on your industry, sales representatives might need to have a certain amount of knowledge in technology, finance, engineering, manufacturing, or human resources. They should be able to ask informed questions of their customers and to perceive gaps in their own knowledge so that they can call in a technical expert at the appropriate time.
Sales skills
The second element of competence is sales skills. These skills include:
Knowing how to prospect for business
Knowing how to prepare for a sales call
Knowing how to build rapport and trust with customers
Knowing how to qualify prospects and assess their needs
Knowing how to write a proposal and deliver a sales presentation
Knowing how to overcome objections and close the sale
When you evaluate representatives who manage key accounts, look at their skills in building relationships at multiple levels of the customer organization, managing change, communicating back into your company, influencing, negotiating, and thinking strategically.
Skills tests
There are also online selling-skills tests that measure various sales traits or aptitude. Many tests claim to measure competencies, and they might even produce a report that reads like a competency assessment. But, in fact, they measure only aptitude — useful for the selection of sales representatives, but less useful for evaluating performance.
Observations in the field
The most effective method of evaluating your sales team's competencies is to accompany them into the field and observe them in action. Use a competency assessment as a guide, and record what you see. Your representatives will appreciate the time you spend with them, and they will be much more likely to accept your assessment.
2. Evaluate motivation
Motivation is the desire to succeed. It can come from within or from incentives.
Assessing your representatives' motivation is much more subjective than assessing their competencies. Observe them in the field and around the office, and note the following:
Are they giving 100 percent effort?
Do they have a positive attitude?
Do they enjoy seeing their customers?
Do they celebrate their sales successes?
Do they closely track their sales results and commissions earned?
Also look at past performance. A decline in performance might indicate a motivation issue rather than a competency issue.
3.Evaluate opportunity
Opportunity is the availability of goals, territory, tools, products, and support.
Performance evaluation starts with you. To evaluate the opportunity component of performance, ask yourself the following questions:
Have you set the right sales strategy and goals?
Does your team understand and accept the goals?
Are territories clearly defined?
Do you have the right salespeople in the right territories?
Does your team understand and accept the territory assignments?
Does your sales team have sales collateral, product samples, portable computers, and electronic communication devices?
Does your sales team have marketable products?
Are the products positioned, promoted, and priced effectively?
Is adequate product training available?
Do you support your representatives in the field?
Do you coach your representatives, team up with them on joint calls, empower them, and provide a winning sales culture for them?
Do you create effective sales incentive programs, partner with marketing to generate leads, and partner with production to coordinate delivery?
A negative response to any one of these questions might affect the performance of your sales team.
4.Evaluate sales results
At this point, you have evaluated the competencies and motivation of your representatives. You have also considered the role that opportunity might have played in your representatives' performance. Now it is time to look at the most important measure of performance: sales results.
5.Evaluate performance against sales goals
The fairest way to evaluate sales results is to measure them against goals. Keep track of whether your representatives achieve or exceed the goals that you set for them.
Be sure to set goals that support your sales strategy. If your growth strategy is to get more revenue from existing customers, it's a good idea that your sales representatives' individual goals state the source of the revenue. Your evaluation measures might include a percentage of total revenues from existing customers, and an increase in revenues from existing customers compared with last year. You would not give much weight to any decline in the total number of accounts.
6.Measure sales results rather than sales activities
Be careful of the activity measures trap. If you measure sales activities (for example, number of calls or number of proposals), you get activity from your representatives, but it might be at the expense of results. Instead, measure results such as revenue, profit margins, number of new accounts opened, and increases over last year.
7.Evaluate teamwork in complex sales
High-value, complex sales with lengthy sales cycles present a different challenge. Consider measuring the financial value of opportunities uncovered during the needs assessment, the cost of proposed solutions, the amount of profit protected during price negotiations, and the value of additional business created during follow-up after the sale.
Remember that complex sales require team efforts. Consider and measure the contribution each team member makes to these sales.
Take action
After you complete your evaluations, use the following four categories to decide which action to take with each of your salespeople.
Category Performance analysis Action
Top performers Competent and motivated Keep and delegate
High potentials Incompetent but motivated Keep, coach, and train
Underachievers Competent but unmotivated Keep and counsel, or redeploy
Unacceptable performers Incompetent and unmotivated Consider redeployment or termination
Sound evaluations deliver results
A fair and accurate evaluation of your sales team's performance helps you get the best from your team. By evaluating performance against goals, measuring results rather than activity, and choosing the optimal development strategy for each sales representative, you can ensure that your team is always ready to deliver maximum performance and results.
================================================== =============
================================================== ==============
Energizing your Sales Department
Here are some tips to help your sales team keep motivated when sales are down and morale needs a lift:
Contests. Most true salespeople are competitive by nature. Contests are great ways to motivate salespeople to strive harder to achieve success, especially if they are competing against each other. Most contests need to be short-term, as the immediate gratification of a contest pay-off is critical for salespeople to stay engaged in the contest itself. The shorter contests are also easier to measure for sales managers, and keep them focused on helping their salespeople generate higher sales success. It is also critical to remember that tracking the success of each sales rep during the contest is very important, and sending out weekly updates to the sales team will keep each sales rep on track and motivated to win!
Monthly / Quarterly Cash Incentives. Sometimes, a simply monthly/ quarterly cash incentive will be the boost you need for your sales reps. Base it on the number of contacts made that week, the highest dollar amount of sales in a given month , or the one who closed the most future business that month. Whichever it is, make sure all your salespeople are aware of the incentive in advance and can prepare to win the cash incentive. Also be sure to make the incentive lucrative enough to motivate the sales reps.
Trips. A longer term incentive, trips are a great way to ensure salespeople stay focused on keeping a steady pace to hit their sales numbers for the year. Trips can be exotic, like a cruise or overseas. Something exciting that will keep the salespeople motivated and focused on hitting the end goal. To ensure the sales reps don’t give up, make sure you have “milestone” incentives throughout the course of the year, such as t-shirts, hats, keychains, etc that have logos of the trip destination on them.
Recognize success. Schedule specific times throughout the year to recognize successes of the key sales individuals. Salespeople love to be recognized for their accomplishments—so make sure you take the time to recognize them for their efforts, and they will willingly go out on the edge to make sure they hit their sales numbers. Great salespeople will do whatever it takes to be recognized—and will support you in the process.
Training. Continue to teach your salespeople how to be better. The more time you spend teaching and coaching your salespeople, the better equipped they will be to be successful. The training will also ensure your salespeople know that you care about them, their success, and that you will continue to invest in their careers. Key training on topics which are difficult for salespeople to grasp will help them overcome some of their biggest sales fears as they grow more confident in their sales careers.
Overall, knowing your salespeople as people is the first key to understanding how to keep them motivated and energized. Once you know your salespeople, you will be able to develop a strong incentive plan to keep them motivated to achieve success all year.
building confidence for motivation
Learning something new and completely different liberates the mind. Facing a challenge, meeting it and mastering it helps build confidence. Build a library of new sales concepts/ideas/techniques/skills and use it
during the sales meetings.
motivational team building
When you break down barriers, misunderstandings, prejudices, insecurities, divisions, territories and hierarchies - you begin to build teams. Get a group of people in a room having fun with juggling balls or spinning plates and barriers are immediately removed. Teams unite and work together when they identify a common purpose . Competition in teams or groups creates teams and ignites team effort.
USE THIS CONCEPT FOR QUARTERLY SALES CONFERENCES.
motivational coaching and training motivation
SALES COACHING BY SALES MANAGERS IS A MUST, WHETHER IT IS
DONE INSIDE THE CLASSROOM OR ON THE JOB FIELD COACHING.
IF REQUIRED , LET THE SALES MANAGERS LEARN THE
'' THE ART OF ONE-TO-ONE COACHING''.
Breaking new tasks down into stages, providing clear instructions, demonstration, practice, time and space to make mistakes, doing it one stage at a time..... all the essential training and coaching techniques can be shown, whether juggling is the vehicle or some other team-building idea, and the learning is clearer and more memorable because it is taken out of the work context, where previously people 'can't see the wood for the trees'. Games and activities provide a perfect vehicle for explaining the training and development process ('train the trainer' for example) to managers.
personal motivation styles and learning motivation
Everyone is different. Taking part in new games and activities outside of the work situation illustrates people's different strengths and working style preferences. Mutual respect develops when people see skills and attributes in others that they didn't know existed. Also, people work and learn in different ways, SO ARE THE SALESPEOPLE.
continual development and motivation
Learning and taking part in a completely new activity or game like juggling demonstrates that earning is ongoing. The lessons never finish, unless people decide to stop learning. Introducing SALESpeople to new experiences opens their minds to new avenues of personal development, and emphasises the opportunity for continuous learning that is available to all.
improving empathy and communications for motivation
To communicate we must understand the other person. Empathy and intuitive skills are right-side brain. Conventional classroom training or distance learning do nothing to address this vital area. Juggling and playing spontaneous or creative games definitely promote development and awareness in the right-side of the brain, which we use when we communicate and understand others. Team activities and games promote communications and better mutual understanding - essential for good organizational performance.
motivation and creativity
Creativity and initiative are crucial capabilities for modern SALES effectiveness. Juggling and other games activities dispel the notion that actions must be according to convention, and that response can only be to stimulus. Successful SELLING comes from staff that initiate, create, innovate, and find new ways to do things better, without being told. Using mind and body together in a completely new way encourages pro-active thought and lateral thinking, which opens people's minds, and develops creative and initiative capabilities. USE BRAINSTORMING, which integrates well with team building activities and workshops.
motivation for problem-solving and decision-making
Problem-solving is integral to decision-making . Learning to juggle or taking part in new challenging stimulating activities uses the intuitive brain to solve the problem, the same part that's vital for creatively solving work problems. People who can solve problems creatively can make decisions - and organizations need their staff and employees to have these abilities.
physical activity is motivational
Team building activities like juggling, construction exercises, or outdoor games, get the body moving, which is good for general health and for an energetic approach to work. Physical activity also provides significant stress relief, and stress management is part of every organisation's duty of care towards its employees. People concentrate and work better when they have had some light exercise and physical stimulus. Physical activity energises people and reduces stress and tension.
team building workshops are empowering and motivational
Workshops are good vehicles for team building games and activities, and also great for achieving team consensus, collective problem-solving, developing new direction and strategy, and to support the delegation and team development process.
saying thanks is hugely motivational
Saying thanks and giving praise are the most commonly overlooked and under-estimated ways of motivating people. And it's so easy. Saying thanks is best said naturally and from the heart, so if your intentions are right you will not go far wrong. When you look someone in the eye and thank them sincerely it means a lot. In front of other people even more so. The key words are the ones which say thanks and well done for doing a great job, especially where the words recognise each person's own special ability, quality, contribution, effort, whatever. People always appreciate sincere thanks, and they appreciate being valued as an individual even more.
Reinforce your organization's purpose in the marketplace. With so many things to sell, the key question that a sales person consciously or subconsciously asks is "Why?". "Why do I do what I do? Sell what I sell? Does the outcome justify the effort?" Although financial compensation is important, there are lots of ways to make money and lots of company to work for. Give your staff an ongoing reason to be proud of what they do. How is your product contributing to society? Making the world a happier, healthier, saner, safer, more accessible and productive place to live? Use your weekly sales meetings to reinforce the organization's or division's purpose.
Post success stories via email, voicemail, in-house newsletters. These can be stories of how a salesperson cracked their quota for the month to 'X' CO. Better still, encourage your sales staff to solicit success stories from people who are using the product or service.
Consider connecting the organization by hosting monthly lunches of multiple departments, especially if these departments don't generally see each other face to face. It's very powerful to be able to associate a face with a name and reaffirms that the sales team is not alone.
Sales managers need to go to bat for their people. Take personal responsibility when earnings aren't met, rather than blaming it all on the sales force. Are forecasts realistic? Are your people getting proper and ongoing training? Are sales and marketing tools current and strong? Is the rest of the organization (marketing and PR, order fulfillment and distribution, clerical, accounting) supporting the sales staff? If not, the sales manager should become a catalyst for change and make things happen. Show your staff that you support them. Be a coach and mentor. Accountability starts at the top and works its way down.
Respect your team's need for personal time. With wireless communications and the Internet, we're becoming too accessible. The line between work time and home time is dangerously blurred. Although we never stop representing the companies we work for, there must be a clear demarcation. That might mean having a policy in place that says beepers, emails and cell phone numbers are not given out unless approved by the salesperson. One that says when you punch out at 6:00, you're done for the day. Encourage your sales team to get a life! Nothing nurtures the soul, boosts morale and keeps stress to a minimum like being able to spend time with friends and loved ones or engaging in activities that have nothing to do with work.
Treat your sales staff equitably. Avoid the temptation to give your star salesperson preferential treatment. If you have deadlines, they apply to everyone. The same applies for procedures and policies. Consider streamlining certain policies that prevent your sales team from being effective or closing the deal.
BREAKFAST SESSIONS EVERY QUARTER
Invite a key customer / supplier or board member to address the sales people.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE WAYS [ THERE ARE PLENTY MORE] BY
WHICH YOU ENERGIZE THE SALES TEAM MEMBERS WITH
-MOTIVATION
-BUILDING CONFIDENCE
-DEVELOPING SKILLS
-EMPOWERING WITH KNOWLEDGE
-TEAM BUILDING
-SENSE OF PURPOSE
ETC ETC.
REGARDS
LEO LINGHAM
From India, Mumbai
You have two problems
-people leaving the organization
-sales not climbing as per your targets.
I HAVE FOCUSED MOSTLY ON THE SALES SIDE OF THE BUSINESS.
HERE you need both short term / long term solutions.
MERE motivations may not help . Perhaps it can do more damage than good.
IN THE SHORT TERM,
-you need a short / sharp incentives to lift sales.
-the focal points on which this must be directed are
*PROSPECTING -- BUILDING ORDER BOOK
*CLOSING SALES
FOR THE LONG TERM,
-please note the points listed.
=================================================
1. PEOPLE ARE LEAVING FOR MANY REASONS , LIKE
1.DOMESTIC
-moving / shifting house
2.PERSONAL
-involves much travel or no travel
-long working hours
-dissatisfied with the boss
-achievment not recognized
-unsure of career progress
-dissatisfied with compensation package.
3.WORK ENVIRONMENT
-lack of advancement opportunity
-lack of equal opportunity
-lack of time flexibility
-lack of professionalism
-limited management contact
-dissatisfied with the work conditions
-not happy with colleagues
4.FINANCE
-lack of market orientation in pay package
-lack of / limited resources
5.JOB RELATED
-lack of skill variety
-lack of autonomy
-lack of feedback
-lack rewards risk
-lack of innovations
-lack of utilization of abilities
-emphasis on quantity / not quality
-not competency valued
-expertise not valued
-lack of teamwork
-lack of challenge in the job
6.HR POLICIES/ PRACTICES
-lack of training opportunity
-irregular work hours
-lack of vision/ mission
-lack of counselling
-lack of mentoring
-lack of employee welfare schemes
7.RECRUITEMENT
-highly loaded expectation at interviews
-promises made / not kept
8.COMMUNICATION
-no feedback from management
-no facility for upward suggestions
9.MOTIVATIONS
-lack of measurements of work
-lack of recognition
-lack of performance evaluations
-lack of learning opportunity
-lack of career opportunity
10.LIFE STYLE / PERSONAL VALUES
-lack of community involvement
-lack of support for family
ETC ETC
==============================================
YOU SHOULD CONDUCT A ''EXIT INTERVIEW''.
IN AN INFORMAL MANNER, WITH THE HELP OF
A STRUCTURED QUESTIONNAIRE.
============================================
YOUR SALES DIVISION /team MAY HAVE PROBLEMS LIKE
-lack of understanding of the market .
Your market is a secondary market whose demand is a derived demand,
based on the growth development of the primary market.
-sales policies may be rigid, requires flexibility.
-lack of right sales skills for the team
-prospecting new customers in your business is a highly skilled job
are your sales team well equipped to manage it.
ETC ETC
TAKING THESE FACTORS INTO CONSIDERATION, YOU
MAY HAVE TO CONDUCT A SALES AUDIT--A QUICK ONE.
================================================== ==========
The Sales Audit can be defined as: A process which examines the entire sales effort of the company, systematically and critically.
Professional Sales Audits incorporate all the aspects implied in Sales Activities:
Sales Review
Market Review
Sales Policy Review
Product Performance Review
Distribution Review
Customer Service Review
Reseller (Trade) Review
Sales Organization Review
Sales Performance Review
Salesforce Review
Sales Management Review
Sales Promotion Review
Merchandising Review
Sales Support Review
Sales Territory Review
Sales Training Review
Competition Review
Pricing Review
The most important purpose and prominent characteristic of the Sales Audit:
It is a carefully programmed appraisal of the total sales organization including: objectives, policies, organization, methods, procedures and personnel.
It's aim is prognosis as well as diagnosis.
It is a search for sales strengths, opportunities and means of exploiting them, as well as for weaknesses and means of their elimination.
It is vitally concerned with determining and appraising what is being done and recommending what should be done.
It is a regular activity, not a crisis motivated activity.[ IN YOUR CASE, IT CAN BE A CRISIS ONE]
How the audit is organized depends to a large extent on your company operation, its size, its market/distribution and its product time.
In each of the 18 areas, you should look at the following:
A. Objectives - whether clearly stated/specific.
B. Policies -whether explicit.
C. Methods- whether appropriate.
D. Procedures - whether written/simple.
E. Personnel - whether the roles have been defined.
In each of the 18 areas, you should examine the strengths and weaknesses.
The purpose of the Sales Audit is not simply the analysis of the past with a view to apportioning blame. It's main purpose is to help build a better and more profitable future.
=================================
THE SALES AUDIT OBJECTIVES ARE
Identify the actions you can take to ensure that sales team members have high motivation levels.
Identify the functions of a sales compensation plan.
Identify the factors to consider when evaluating motivation levels.
Identify actions you can take to increase your sales team's motivation.
Sequence the steps for addressing substandard sales performance.
Unit 1: Building Motivation in a Sales Team
Identify the actions you can take to ensure that sales team members have high motivation levels.
Apply the appropriate actions to ensure that sales team members have high motivation levels.
Identify the functions of a sales compensation plan.
Identify the four benefits of having an effective sales compensation plan.
Simulation Overview
Unit 2: Improving Sales Performance
Identify the factors to consider when evaluating motivation levels.
Identify actions you can take to increase your sales team's motivation.
Apply the appropriate actions to increase your sales team's motivation.
Simulation Overview:
Unit 3: Addressing Substandard Sales Performance
Identify the factors you should consider when identifying opportunities for improvement.
Sequence the steps for addressing substandard sales performance.
Follow the steps for addressing substandard sales performance.
Identify the actions you should take when following up on substandard performance.
Apply the actions for following up on substandard performance.
Simulation Overview
==================================================
Just because sales may be down, doesn't mean that your reps have to be, too. Here are 10 techniques to jumpstart their motivation and their sales.
Many issues are dragging down the morale of outside sales representatives. They have to sell in a tough environment, characterized by "reactionary buying," in which customers buy goods and services only when absolutely essential. In addition, while they have always dealt with price resistance, it has grown more pronounced recently because of the economic and world events.
Not making enough sales to earn commissions is disheartening to many new sales employees.
Making the problem worse, many managers have no experience running a company through an economic TURNABOUTS, and many salespeople have never sold during trying times. "It can be like the blind leading the blind," . "It's having considerable impact because in tough times, salespeople must create opportunities, not just respond to them."
Sounds easier said than done? Here are ways you can boost your sales team's motivation and productivity:
1) Rethink your goals and incentive programs.
Don't just rely on same old system', same old way'.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) Don't rely on money to make the problem go away.
Simply increasing sales reps' INCOME won't necessarily make them perform better. THEY might need other
supports like sales aids / marketing support/ training/coaching/counseling/prospecting support etc etc
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) Pound the pavement.
SALES Managers can't energize their sales team from behind a desk. They must travel with sales representatives, not only to give salespeople the feeling that everyone is in the same situation, but also to let customers know that the company is stable.
In addition, sales managers should collect both quantitative and qualitative feedback when hitting the streets with reps, and focus on the qualitative to keep motivation and productivity high. While quantitative measures deal with total product numbers and gross margins, qualitative issues involve customer responses to sales calls.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) Train. A lot.
Many companies are surviving in this economy by pursuing new markets. As a result, training sales reps is even more important because they have to be equipped with the tools and know-how to break into new markets. Through training, reps can learn to talk knowledgeably about any relevant regulations and to address customer questions and concerns.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5) Keep in touch.
Sales reps are the manager's connection to end users, who have their own needs and issues. To gain an understanding of these needs and issues, sales managers should keep in contact with his sales reps regularly. Conduct weekly phone or in-person sales meetings, covering the results of the previous week, which major customers were phoned, the results of those calls, plans for the upcoming week, the status of the sales pipeline, and what measures reps are taking to build those pipelines.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6) Make sure they get a lot of customer face-time.
When times are tough, don't let your sales reps just sit at their desks, waiting for calls and discussing how slow business is with colleagues. Sales slumps actually represent an opportune time to leave the office and obtain greater face-time with existing and potential customers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7) Encourage them to sell more to current customers.
Acquiring a new customer is five times as expensive as serving a current one, so it makes sense to persuade your reps to work on expanding existing accounts.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8) Be supportive and reassuring.
When business is bad, sales teams often end up the scapegoat. AVOID SUCH ACTIONS.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9) Keep them in the know.
To keep motivation high , keep your reps in the loop about how the company is faring," . "While the reps read the papers and know the score, they also need constant reminders about how their own company is doing."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10) Be inspirational.
To help sales reps sell in an environment where customers demand more but would like to pay less for it, try to keep them inspired. "retain the faith that you can and you will prevail in the end, regardless of how difficult the situation is. At the same time, you must face the brutal facts of the reality that you're dealing in."
================================================== ===============================
================================================== ================================
Before you can evaluate the performance of your sales team, you must first analyze its components. Here is a simple formula you can use to analyze the performance of your team as a whole or of individual sales representatives:
Performance = Competence + Motivation + Opportunity
The components are independent of each other. In other words,
-a sales representative can be highly motivated but incompetent,
-poorly motivated but highly competent,
-poorly motivated and incompetent,
-or highly motivated and highly competent.
Regardless of your sales team's level of motivation and competence, if the opportunity component is weak, sales performance suffers.
After you evaluate the components of performance, evaluate another key measure of performance: sales results. After you complete all of your evaluations, you can take action for each sales representative.
1. Evaluate competence
Competence includes knowledge of your products, your sales processes and policies, your company, and your industry. It also extends to knowledge of your customers, their problems and opportunities, and their industry. Additionally, it includes a basic understanding of how business operates.
Background knowledge
Depending on your industry, sales representatives might need to have a certain amount of knowledge in technology, finance, engineering, manufacturing, or human resources. They should be able to ask informed questions of their customers and to perceive gaps in their own knowledge so that they can call in a technical expert at the appropriate time.
Sales skills
The second element of competence is sales skills. These skills include:
Knowing how to prospect for business
Knowing how to prepare for a sales call
Knowing how to build rapport and trust with customers
Knowing how to qualify prospects and assess their needs
Knowing how to write a proposal and deliver a sales presentation
Knowing how to overcome objections and close the sale
When you evaluate representatives who manage key accounts, look at their skills in building relationships at multiple levels of the customer organization, managing change, communicating back into your company, influencing, negotiating, and thinking strategically.
Skills tests
There are also online selling-skills tests that measure various sales traits or aptitude. Many tests claim to measure competencies, and they might even produce a report that reads like a competency assessment. But, in fact, they measure only aptitude — useful for the selection of sales representatives, but less useful for evaluating performance.
Observations in the field
The most effective method of evaluating your sales team's competencies is to accompany them into the field and observe them in action. Use a competency assessment as a guide, and record what you see. Your representatives will appreciate the time you spend with them, and they will be much more likely to accept your assessment.
2. Evaluate motivation
Motivation is the desire to succeed. It can come from within or from incentives.
Assessing your representatives' motivation is much more subjective than assessing their competencies. Observe them in the field and around the office, and note the following:
Are they giving 100 percent effort?
Do they have a positive attitude?
Do they enjoy seeing their customers?
Do they celebrate their sales successes?
Do they closely track their sales results and commissions earned?
Also look at past performance. A decline in performance might indicate a motivation issue rather than a competency issue.
3.Evaluate opportunity
Opportunity is the availability of goals, territory, tools, products, and support.
Performance evaluation starts with you. To evaluate the opportunity component of performance, ask yourself the following questions:
Have you set the right sales strategy and goals?
Does your team understand and accept the goals?
Are territories clearly defined?
Do you have the right salespeople in the right territories?
Does your team understand and accept the territory assignments?
Does your sales team have sales collateral, product samples, portable computers, and electronic communication devices?
Does your sales team have marketable products?
Are the products positioned, promoted, and priced effectively?
Is adequate product training available?
Do you support your representatives in the field?
Do you coach your representatives, team up with them on joint calls, empower them, and provide a winning sales culture for them?
Do you create effective sales incentive programs, partner with marketing to generate leads, and partner with production to coordinate delivery?
A negative response to any one of these questions might affect the performance of your sales team.
4.Evaluate sales results
At this point, you have evaluated the competencies and motivation of your representatives. You have also considered the role that opportunity might have played in your representatives' performance. Now it is time to look at the most important measure of performance: sales results.
5.Evaluate performance against sales goals
The fairest way to evaluate sales results is to measure them against goals. Keep track of whether your representatives achieve or exceed the goals that you set for them.
Be sure to set goals that support your sales strategy. If your growth strategy is to get more revenue from existing customers, it's a good idea that your sales representatives' individual goals state the source of the revenue. Your evaluation measures might include a percentage of total revenues from existing customers, and an increase in revenues from existing customers compared with last year. You would not give much weight to any decline in the total number of accounts.
6.Measure sales results rather than sales activities
Be careful of the activity measures trap. If you measure sales activities (for example, number of calls or number of proposals), you get activity from your representatives, but it might be at the expense of results. Instead, measure results such as revenue, profit margins, number of new accounts opened, and increases over last year.
7.Evaluate teamwork in complex sales
High-value, complex sales with lengthy sales cycles present a different challenge. Consider measuring the financial value of opportunities uncovered during the needs assessment, the cost of proposed solutions, the amount of profit protected during price negotiations, and the value of additional business created during follow-up after the sale.
Remember that complex sales require team efforts. Consider and measure the contribution each team member makes to these sales.
Take action
After you complete your evaluations, use the following four categories to decide which action to take with each of your salespeople.
Category Performance analysis Action
Top performers Competent and motivated Keep and delegate
High potentials Incompetent but motivated Keep, coach, and train
Underachievers Competent but unmotivated Keep and counsel, or redeploy
Unacceptable performers Incompetent and unmotivated Consider redeployment or termination
Sound evaluations deliver results
A fair and accurate evaluation of your sales team's performance helps you get the best from your team. By evaluating performance against goals, measuring results rather than activity, and choosing the optimal development strategy for each sales representative, you can ensure that your team is always ready to deliver maximum performance and results.
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Energizing your Sales Department
Here are some tips to help your sales team keep motivated when sales are down and morale needs a lift:
Contests. Most true salespeople are competitive by nature. Contests are great ways to motivate salespeople to strive harder to achieve success, especially if they are competing against each other. Most contests need to be short-term, as the immediate gratification of a contest pay-off is critical for salespeople to stay engaged in the contest itself. The shorter contests are also easier to measure for sales managers, and keep them focused on helping their salespeople generate higher sales success. It is also critical to remember that tracking the success of each sales rep during the contest is very important, and sending out weekly updates to the sales team will keep each sales rep on track and motivated to win!
Monthly / Quarterly Cash Incentives. Sometimes, a simply monthly/ quarterly cash incentive will be the boost you need for your sales reps. Base it on the number of contacts made that week, the highest dollar amount of sales in a given month , or the one who closed the most future business that month. Whichever it is, make sure all your salespeople are aware of the incentive in advance and can prepare to win the cash incentive. Also be sure to make the incentive lucrative enough to motivate the sales reps.
Trips. A longer term incentive, trips are a great way to ensure salespeople stay focused on keeping a steady pace to hit their sales numbers for the year. Trips can be exotic, like a cruise or overseas. Something exciting that will keep the salespeople motivated and focused on hitting the end goal. To ensure the sales reps don’t give up, make sure you have “milestone” incentives throughout the course of the year, such as t-shirts, hats, keychains, etc that have logos of the trip destination on them.
Recognize success. Schedule specific times throughout the year to recognize successes of the key sales individuals. Salespeople love to be recognized for their accomplishments—so make sure you take the time to recognize them for their efforts, and they will willingly go out on the edge to make sure they hit their sales numbers. Great salespeople will do whatever it takes to be recognized—and will support you in the process.
Training. Continue to teach your salespeople how to be better. The more time you spend teaching and coaching your salespeople, the better equipped they will be to be successful. The training will also ensure your salespeople know that you care about them, their success, and that you will continue to invest in their careers. Key training on topics which are difficult for salespeople to grasp will help them overcome some of their biggest sales fears as they grow more confident in their sales careers.
Overall, knowing your salespeople as people is the first key to understanding how to keep them motivated and energized. Once you know your salespeople, you will be able to develop a strong incentive plan to keep them motivated to achieve success all year.
building confidence for motivation
Learning something new and completely different liberates the mind. Facing a challenge, meeting it and mastering it helps build confidence. Build a library of new sales concepts/ideas/techniques/skills and use it
during the sales meetings.
motivational team building
When you break down barriers, misunderstandings, prejudices, insecurities, divisions, territories and hierarchies - you begin to build teams. Get a group of people in a room having fun with juggling balls or spinning plates and barriers are immediately removed. Teams unite and work together when they identify a common purpose . Competition in teams or groups creates teams and ignites team effort.
USE THIS CONCEPT FOR QUARTERLY SALES CONFERENCES.
motivational coaching and training motivation
SALES COACHING BY SALES MANAGERS IS A MUST, WHETHER IT IS
DONE INSIDE THE CLASSROOM OR ON THE JOB FIELD COACHING.
IF REQUIRED , LET THE SALES MANAGERS LEARN THE
'' THE ART OF ONE-TO-ONE COACHING''.
Breaking new tasks down into stages, providing clear instructions, demonstration, practice, time and space to make mistakes, doing it one stage at a time..... all the essential training and coaching techniques can be shown, whether juggling is the vehicle or some other team-building idea, and the learning is clearer and more memorable because it is taken out of the work context, where previously people 'can't see the wood for the trees'. Games and activities provide a perfect vehicle for explaining the training and development process ('train the trainer' for example) to managers.
personal motivation styles and learning motivation
Everyone is different. Taking part in new games and activities outside of the work situation illustrates people's different strengths and working style preferences. Mutual respect develops when people see skills and attributes in others that they didn't know existed. Also, people work and learn in different ways, SO ARE THE SALESPEOPLE.
continual development and motivation
Learning and taking part in a completely new activity or game like juggling demonstrates that earning is ongoing. The lessons never finish, unless people decide to stop learning. Introducing SALESpeople to new experiences opens their minds to new avenues of personal development, and emphasises the opportunity for continuous learning that is available to all.
improving empathy and communications for motivation
To communicate we must understand the other person. Empathy and intuitive skills are right-side brain. Conventional classroom training or distance learning do nothing to address this vital area. Juggling and playing spontaneous or creative games definitely promote development and awareness in the right-side of the brain, which we use when we communicate and understand others. Team activities and games promote communications and better mutual understanding - essential for good organizational performance.
motivation and creativity
Creativity and initiative are crucial capabilities for modern SALES effectiveness. Juggling and other games activities dispel the notion that actions must be according to convention, and that response can only be to stimulus. Successful SELLING comes from staff that initiate, create, innovate, and find new ways to do things better, without being told. Using mind and body together in a completely new way encourages pro-active thought and lateral thinking, which opens people's minds, and develops creative and initiative capabilities. USE BRAINSTORMING, which integrates well with team building activities and workshops.
motivation for problem-solving and decision-making
Problem-solving is integral to decision-making . Learning to juggle or taking part in new challenging stimulating activities uses the intuitive brain to solve the problem, the same part that's vital for creatively solving work problems. People who can solve problems creatively can make decisions - and organizations need their staff and employees to have these abilities.
physical activity is motivational
Team building activities like juggling, construction exercises, or outdoor games, get the body moving, which is good for general health and for an energetic approach to work. Physical activity also provides significant stress relief, and stress management is part of every organisation's duty of care towards its employees. People concentrate and work better when they have had some light exercise and physical stimulus. Physical activity energises people and reduces stress and tension.
team building workshops are empowering and motivational
Workshops are good vehicles for team building games and activities, and also great for achieving team consensus, collective problem-solving, developing new direction and strategy, and to support the delegation and team development process.
saying thanks is hugely motivational
Saying thanks and giving praise are the most commonly overlooked and under-estimated ways of motivating people. And it's so easy. Saying thanks is best said naturally and from the heart, so if your intentions are right you will not go far wrong. When you look someone in the eye and thank them sincerely it means a lot. In front of other people even more so. The key words are the ones which say thanks and well done for doing a great job, especially where the words recognise each person's own special ability, quality, contribution, effort, whatever. People always appreciate sincere thanks, and they appreciate being valued as an individual even more.
Reinforce your organization's purpose in the marketplace. With so many things to sell, the key question that a sales person consciously or subconsciously asks is "Why?". "Why do I do what I do? Sell what I sell? Does the outcome justify the effort?" Although financial compensation is important, there are lots of ways to make money and lots of company to work for. Give your staff an ongoing reason to be proud of what they do. How is your product contributing to society? Making the world a happier, healthier, saner, safer, more accessible and productive place to live? Use your weekly sales meetings to reinforce the organization's or division's purpose.
Post success stories via email, voicemail, in-house newsletters. These can be stories of how a salesperson cracked their quota for the month to 'X' CO. Better still, encourage your sales staff to solicit success stories from people who are using the product or service.
Consider connecting the organization by hosting monthly lunches of multiple departments, especially if these departments don't generally see each other face to face. It's very powerful to be able to associate a face with a name and reaffirms that the sales team is not alone.
Sales managers need to go to bat for their people. Take personal responsibility when earnings aren't met, rather than blaming it all on the sales force. Are forecasts realistic? Are your people getting proper and ongoing training? Are sales and marketing tools current and strong? Is the rest of the organization (marketing and PR, order fulfillment and distribution, clerical, accounting) supporting the sales staff? If not, the sales manager should become a catalyst for change and make things happen. Show your staff that you support them. Be a coach and mentor. Accountability starts at the top and works its way down.
Respect your team's need for personal time. With wireless communications and the Internet, we're becoming too accessible. The line between work time and home time is dangerously blurred. Although we never stop representing the companies we work for, there must be a clear demarcation. That might mean having a policy in place that says beepers, emails and cell phone numbers are not given out unless approved by the salesperson. One that says when you punch out at 6:00, you're done for the day. Encourage your sales team to get a life! Nothing nurtures the soul, boosts morale and keeps stress to a minimum like being able to spend time with friends and loved ones or engaging in activities that have nothing to do with work.
Treat your sales staff equitably. Avoid the temptation to give your star salesperson preferential treatment. If you have deadlines, they apply to everyone. The same applies for procedures and policies. Consider streamlining certain policies that prevent your sales team from being effective or closing the deal.
BREAKFAST SESSIONS EVERY QUARTER
Invite a key customer / supplier or board member to address the sales people.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE WAYS [ THERE ARE PLENTY MORE] BY
WHICH YOU ENERGIZE THE SALES TEAM MEMBERS WITH
-MOTIVATION
-BUILDING CONFIDENCE
-DEVELOPING SKILLS
-EMPOWERING WITH KNOWLEDGE
-TEAM BUILDING
-SENSE OF PURPOSE
ETC ETC.
REGARDS
LEO LINGHAM
From India, Mumbai
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