Should you motivate your staff?

Or should you simply avoid DE-motivating them?

It’s Monday morning, and the regular 0830 sales meeting is about to start.  As a Sales Manager, you have just gone over your figures and stats for the team.  Targets are close but they need to be closer…it is near month end and the team bonus could be at stake.  You need one final push for the week…the team sense this coming…they know by now what to expect…the energy before the sales meeting is, well, normal.  Same as it is every sales meeting.  Not particularly buzzed!  No matter how you try and motivate the team for that final push, they go away feeling like they haven’t achieved, de-motivated, and in areas possibly scalded from the pressure of targets.  The banter they have been having 5 minutes before the meeting has now faded away, and they go back to their stations in a slumped state, rolling their eyes at the first customer/task approaching…

Does this situation sound familiar?  I hope for you and your team it doesn’t, but, for some, this will resonate.  And it’s completely normal.  Target pressures, as well as sometimes being a driving force, can take away a lot of motivation, especially as the Sales Manager has to monitor and push on these targets, possibly making them a lot of the time, unintentionally, the DE-motivator. 

It can be difficult to continually motivate your staff, especially as everyone’s driving force is different, but if you work this alongside avoiding DE-motivating them, the response to succeed should be much more ‘willing’.

I invite you to think about how differently you and your team would feel and perform if there was an element of fun and inspiration built in to your meetings…and your daily culture!!  Do you celebrate the small things?  Do you provide recognition when someone achieves something?  If not, what small thing can you do to change this immediately?  

These things don’t have to cost!  If someone gets a win or an appointment…can you have a score chart up to show this win, can you sound a bell and let them have a dip in the sweet jar?  After so many wins, an individual treat…or an early finish after hitting this target?  I think we can all agree that time off is a big motivator for most.  Again, is this motivator something that can be changed with the right culture?  Something as small as sharing a funny quote at the beginning of each meeting, which is relevant to what’s going on that week, can quickly change the dynamic of engagement in the room, creating attention and energy.  Can they share their ideas/suggestions…give them some responsibility, allow them to add value and make a difference?  Maybe the best suggestion gets a dip in the sweet jar…it doesn’t have to be something big.  Whatever it is, try and make it light…simple and fun.  Who doesn’t want to work for someone fun!

Praise, recognise, ENGAGE your staff…create positive consequences, and if you can’t motivate…avoid DE-motivating where you can.

Let me know your ideas…I’d love to hear them!

Laura Booth

Business Development Associate