Increasing Sales – A Manager's Dilemma
Increasing Sales – A Manager's Dilemma
The manager claims that he cannot get his team to care about the sales quotas...he says, "this Gen X sales staff is not concerned about meeting the sales goals because it is too much work for them, and they would rather set lower goals that are easily achieved, than reach higher and try for more.”
The Carrot and the Stick
Is he wasting his time? If commissions won't motivate this sales team are they just lazy? As a salesperson you know that commissions, bonuses, and travel incentives are a critical part of what motivates you. But is that really the only thing that keeps you going?
The manager in this example thinks it's the only thing that matters, and he is perplexed that it doesn't seem to be enough. He creates incentives and threatens to punish under-performance. Nothing works. He interprets the apathy of the sales team to mean that they are hopeless—he believes nothing will motivate these employees. But is that the truth?
I'll Motivate Myself – Thank You
These salespeople are simply pushing back against what they see as heavy-handed management. Think, Glengarry Glen Ross, that classic movie about cutthroat sales. Do you remember the sales contest? "First prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired!" That's carrot and stick motivation at its most extreme.
Sales people want to be rewarded for their work, but they don't want to be "motivated." They find it offensive. In an environment where they feel like they are being pushed, they will push back.
Sales people won't produce just because they are told they have to. They want to know what they get out of it and they want more than financial incentives. GenXers in particular won't be pushed. This is a generation that watched their parents pour their hearts and souls into their work and then be laid off when it was economically expedient for the employers. The enticement of the “carrot” (a bonus) and the threat of the “stick” (losing their jobs) just doesn't cut it.
Creating a Motivating Environment
So does that mean there is nothing the sales manager can do to help motivate the sales team? Of course not! For sales people to be most productive, they need to work in a motivating work environment. The manager in this example needs to discover what his people already care about and cultivate that. He needs to remove obstacles and create an environment that makes it easy for employees to motivate themselves.
Productive individuals are all motivated by pretty much the same things. They want access to the resources they need to do their job, they want to know that they are a contributor to the success of the organization, they want to like the people they work with, and they want an opportunity to grow.
If, instead of using a carrot and stick approach, the sales manager asks for the opinions of team members on how to improve sales, asks them what they would like as incentives, shows them respect, and trusts them to do the right thing he will have far better results. He needs to become part of their team.
If you are a sales manager, focus on building relationships with employees. Help them motivate themselves. You'll be far more effective than if you rely on the carrot and the stick.
© Copyright Cindy Ventrice 2003
Sidebar
Sales People Work Best When…
They have good, updated information. A salesperson's most important resource is information. Competitive comparisons, statistics, pricing structures – the more they know the better they will be. Knowledge is power. In companies with a motivated sales force, people have the information they need.
They don't have to deal with office politics. Favoritism, back-stabbing, and kissing up are exhausting! In companies where politics reign supreme sales people are too exhausted to be productive! What can you do? If you are a manger, explain the rationale behind decision-making and make sure decisions are made objectively. Don't leave room for speculation.
They feel appreciated. Adequate compensation and incentives are an important component of whether or not a salesperson feels appreciated, but they are not everything. Sales people love praise. They also like to be thanked occasionally. There are lots of ways to show someone that they are a valued part of your sales organization.
They can trust management to do what it says. Nothing damages morale like dealing with managers who go back on their word. It's like trying to build a house on a sandy foundation. It’s shifting underneath you all the time. How can you focus on reaching your goal when you're afraid to take your eyes off your feet?
Increasing Sales A Managers Dilemma - To learn more about this author, visit Cindy Ventrice's Website.
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A sales manager recently emailed me with a question. He was frustrated and wanted to know what to do. He told me his dilemma: his company sets the sales goals for his department, and it is his job to rally his sales team to meet those goals.
The manager claims that he cannot get his team to care about the sales quotas...he says, "this Gen X sales staff is not concerned about meeting the sales goals because it is too much work for them, and they would rather set lower goals that are easily achieved, than reach higher and try for more.”
The Carrot and the Stick
Is he wasting his time? If commissions won't motivate this sales team are they just lazy? As a salesperson you know that commissions, bonuses, and travel incentives are a critical part of what motivates you. But is that really the only thing that keeps you going?
The manager in this example thinks it's the only thing that matters, and he is perplexed that it doesn't seem to be enough. He creates incentives and threatens to punish under-performance. Nothing works. He interprets the apathy of the sales team to mean that they are hopeless—he believes nothing will motivate these employees. But is that the truth?
I'll Motivate Myself – Thank You
These salespeople are simply pushing back against what they see as heavy-handed management. Think, Glengarry Glen Ross, that classic movie about cutthroat sales. Do you remember the sales contest? "First prize is a Cadillac El Dorado. Second prize is a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired!" That's carrot and stick motivation at its most extreme.
Sales people want to be rewarded for their work, but they don't want to be "motivated." They find it offensive. In an environment where they feel like they are being pushed, they will push back.
Sales people won't produce just because they are told they have to. They want to know what they get out of it and they want more than financial incentives. GenXers in particular won't be pushed. This is a generation that watched their parents pour their hearts and souls into their work and then be laid off when it was economically expedient for the employers. The enticement of the “carrot” (a bonus) and the threat of the “stick” (losing their jobs) just doesn't cut it.
Creating a Motivating Environment
So does that mean there is nothing the sales manager can do to help motivate the sales team? Of course not! For sales people to be most productive, they need to work in a motivating work environment. The manager in this example needs to discover what his people already care about and cultivate that. He needs to remove obstacles and create an environment that makes it easy for employees to motivate themselves.
Productive individuals are all motivated by pretty much the same things. They want access to the resources they need to do their job, they want to know that they are a contributor to the success of the organization, they want to like the people they work with, and they want an opportunity to grow.
If, instead of using a carrot and stick approach, the sales manager asks for the opinions of team members on how to improve sales, asks them what they would like as incentives, shows them respect, and trusts them to do the right thing he will have far better results. He needs to become part of their team.
If you are a sales manager, focus on building relationships with employees. Help them motivate themselves. You'll be far more effective than if you rely on the carrot and the stick.
© Copyright Cindy Ventrice 2003
Sidebar
Sales People Work Best When…
They have good, updated information. A salesperson's most important resource is information. Competitive comparisons, statistics, pricing structures – the more they know the better they will be. Knowledge is power. In companies with a motivated sales force, people have the information they need.
They don't have to deal with office politics. Favoritism, back-stabbing, and kissing up are exhausting! In companies where politics reign supreme sales people are too exhausted to be productive! What can you do? If you are a manger, explain the rationale behind decision-making and make sure decisions are made objectively. Don't leave room for speculation.
They feel appreciated. Adequate compensation and incentives are an important component of whether or not a salesperson feels appreciated, but they are not everything. Sales people love praise. They also like to be thanked occasionally. There are lots of ways to show someone that they are a valued part of your sales organization.
They can trust management to do what it says. Nothing damages morale like dealing with managers who go back on their word. It's like trying to build a house on a sandy foundation. It’s shifting underneath you all the time. How can you focus on reaching your goal when you're afraid to take your eyes off your feet?
Increasing Sales A Managers Dilemma - To learn more about this author, visit Cindy Ventrice's Website.
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
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