Inspire & Reward Your Sales Force Even When Times are Tough
It’s a tough time to be in sales no matter what your business. Whether you’re in B2B or B2C sales, people are just not as willing to open their checkbooks these days. That means it’s more difficult to close a sale, and it can be more difficult to keep your sales force motivated to go out and sell. But don’t forget: without a sales team, you won’t be in business for long.
There can be a tendency in a tough economy to “come down hard” on the sales force, demanding more calls and more hours in the hopes of generating additional sales. Savvy sales leaders, however, recognize it is better to inspire than to threaten.
Remember, no matter what the economy, the basics of good selling remain the same. Now is the right time for you and your sales force to brush up on these sales basics.
Make their pain disappear
Right now, when everyone is focused on the bottom line and cutting costs, your customers are probably not planning on spending any more money than necessary. That means that you need to find out about their immediate problems, their points of pain, and explain how you can make that pain disappear. How can using your product or service increase their bottom line? Make sure you and your sales team have all the relevant facts and figures before talking to a client.
Be the helping hand
Whether you are in a service-oriented or product-focused business, your salespeople need to build relationships. Coach your sales team to see themselves not as order-takers, but as a helping hand to each of your customers. Then it becomes easier to get that repeat sale.
Be tenacious
The average sales person gives up after three or four calls to one prospect, but studies show that it takes at least eight contacts with a potential client to make a sale. The best salespeople don’t give up.
Do you have some of these tenacious salespeople in your office? Make sure you reward their tenacity and encourage it in the rest of your team.
Get your sales team excited
It’s a lot easier to get up in the morning and go to work if you are excited about what you do and the same is true for each of the people on your sales team. You need to help them get excited about what they are selling.
The owner or sales manager who keeps his sales force excited about what they are selling will develop a winning team. Remind your salespeople about the benefits of what they are selling. How are they helping their customer? Share with them examples and case studies that they can use with their customers.
Change up sales comp
Your organization’s compensation package plays a major role in motivating your sales force. Now is a good time to review your performance measures to ensure they are still relevant. Are the goals you’ve asked your sales force to meet still realistic? You may need to consider restructuring your package so that your sales people are compensated for identifying new clients and pursuing them, rather than just completing sales.
It is a best practice to review your organization’s compensation packages every two to three years to ensure that they are still appropriate in the overall economic climate and your industry.
Giving you options
D.G. McDermott Associates has in-depth experience and expertise in helping to develop appropriate compensation packages for each company’s needs. Call today: 732-842-8634 and ask for Don McDermott. Or email him at dm@dgm.com.
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