How to Motivate Your Sales Force During the Recession
- 1). Gather your team and come up with some realistic sales objectives for the next year or two. Make sure your team has an input into this process, as this will help to make them feel more valued. It may be that you have to take another look at base salaries and commission bonuses, with a view to increasing the bonus but decreasing the salary; if this is the case, your team will want to be consulted.
- 2). Take your staff out on a cheap activity to boost team spirit, such as a free lunch, or free movie tickets. Your team will need rewards and encouragement to get through this difficult time, and even though expensive days out will no longer be an option, small perks will help to increase workplace happiness.
- 3). Identify anyone within the team who is spreading rumors about future cuts or generally bringing everybody else down through a miserable mood. Speak to them privately about their actions, and try to get to the root cause for their actions. You may be able to help them resolve any underlying issues.
- 4). Call a brainstorming meeting where your team can make suggestions on how to alter processes and procedures in the changing market. There may be some innovative ideas, and allowing the team to give feedback will help keep them motivated.
- 5). Encourage your team to recognize that during times of recession, your competitors will be seeking to shore up their client base by focusing solely on their long-term, most profitable clients. Use this opportunity to swoop in and poach some of their other clients to help give you more leads—and, hopefully, more income.
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