Ready To Use Motivational Tools
Incentive programs, which are sophisticated and long-term, work great to motivate your staff. However, you also have at your fingertips motivation tools and techniques that can get people pumped up almost immediately.
The key is to find a few things that work in your situation, and put them in your motivational toolbox. During my seminars, I usually focus on five to ten techniques that sales managers can use right away. Many of these executives contact me afterwards, and share their own discoveries of practical motivational tactics. I must have heard over a thousand.
One study of more than 1,500 employees in various work settings, discovered that the most powerful motivator was personalized, instant recognition from their managers. It stated that if a manager simply asks for employee involvement, that in itself is motivational. This study, conducted by Wichita State University and found in Bob Nelson's book, "1001 Ways to Reward Employees," went on to show that the top motivation techniques are manager initiated. At the head of the list are:
- managers who personally congratulate employees who do a great job;
- a supervisor who writes a personal note about good performance to an employee, and sends a copy to higher management;
- someone who publicly recognizes the employee for good performance; and
- manager that have ongoing morale-building meetings.
To help you get started, here are my top five personalized incentive keys that you can give to your salespeople any time or place:
1. A word of thanks. A sincere "thank you" from the right person at the right time can mean as much as a whole wall of plaques or a formal reward. Part of the power here comes from the fact that the manager took the time to notice the achievement, and then deliver it to the salesperson. For example, Nelson's book mentions a survey of American workers, conducted by the same university, that showed 63% of the respondents ranked a "pat on the back" as a meaningful incentive. You can call someone into your office just to say thank you--and not cover any other issue. Or you might put a thank you note on the door of the salesperson. If you really want to go the extra mile, drop a note to a spouse or family member of the salesperson and tell them how much you appreciate the work of so-and-so, and thank them also for their support. Here we take a lesson from what our mothers told us--say thank you.
2. Give praise. I once heard that "praise pays"--tell people what they did right and be specific about it. Tell them how important their contribution is and how it benefits the whole company. One of the great things I learned from Dale Carnegie is that the most beautiful sound to people is that of their own name. So greet people by their name. When discussing their ideas to others, give, credit and perhaps start a continuing recognition award after an outstanding job has been done. Mary Kay Ash, the founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, once said, "There are two things people want more than sex and money, and that is praise and recognition."
3. Moments of Truth. It's important to be creative and put thought into something, because when you do, it really tells the person that you care enough to take time. Try something that is clever, personalized, and unique. For example, one fun thing to do is to create a picture wall with interesting photos of top sellers, or create a book that will be on display in your department that contains all the salespeople's photos, along with their top sales achievements of the year. Maybe at your next sales meeting, you can also ask your salespeople how they would like to be rewarded for a job well done, other than monetary. Perhaps a half day off, or a dinner for two at a special restaurant, or a special place in the parking lot for a certain amount of time, or doing something really outrageous would be encouraging. You could also find out about someone's hobby, and give him/her an appropriate gift. It could be five golf lessons for a golf enthusiast, or tickets for a tournament, or a subscription to a magazine of interest.
4. Special work. Yes, another way of motivating a salesperson is to give him/her an exciting, new piece of business, or a special project to develop. Perhaps ask him/her to join a task force to work on, one that would be in the eye of higher management. Maybe a conference is coming up at an interesting location-and since someone must attend, turn it into a benefit for the person you wish to recognize. Or maybe your company will be doing a special video, or even a commercial--if so, use your salespeople in the commercials.
5. Be a publicist. Send information about someone's accomplishments to your trade publications. and also to the salesperson's hometown newspaper. In your company newsletter, be sure to highlight the salesperson of the month. Take the time to actually write a short article for the local newspaper on the salesperson you wish to promote. If possible, work out a barter or trade with one of your local papers or trade magazines, and develop a full page ad, thanking your sales staff by name for all of their contribution and support.
There are so many things that managers can do to provide that extra incentive with a quick return. It just takes a little time and effort on management's part. We all want to feel appreciated. Try some of these ideas at your company.
Andrea Nierenberg provides customized programs for sales training, customer service, and presentation skills. You can learn more about her advice at www.selfmarketing.com. Andrea is also the author of Nonstop Networking: How to Improve Your life, Luck, and Career. She can be reached at andrean@self marketing.com or at 212-980-0930.
