Keeping your sales staff FIRED UP! and KICKIN’ IT! is one of the fun and creative parts of leading the development of a supercharged QUALITY organization! (Just ask any coach of any professional team!)
So… you’ve hired ‘em! You’re training them carefully and faithfully! The results are starting to percolate all the way through your company! Gotta LOVE that! How are you going to keep them on top of their game – increasing the potential that was evident when you hired them?
Variety! Challenge! Excellence! Mastery! Reward!
Now we know because you have honed your skills, that you have expertise in motivating people and helping them to achieve new heights in greatness! So here’s a challenge for helping them to achieve new heights in greatness! That’s challenge for YOU! What sorts of team building activities and games and fun can you create for your sales people to cause that extra effort or push to increase their own productivity?
Perks such as coffee shop gift cards or movie theater tickets are relatively inexpensive tokens of appreciation. Arranging for meals to be “comped” at nearby eating establishments is a fun reward. Onsite snacks or treats can be helpful if your staff prefers “primary” (food) rewards. If your staff is more waist conscious or strength/cardio focused, how about setting up opportunities to work out/exercise? These can be as simple as having hand weights or therabands available in the back room! Simple “do anywhere” workouts might be a welcome challenge for your staff and they are generally available online.
Of course, extra cash is always a welcome incentive. But if their palms are greased too frequently with dollars, soon some of the allure wears a bit thin and the “cash effectiveness” dims a bit. Because you are clever, clever, clever it is obvious that you will lie awake nights dreaming up contests for the amusement of your salespeople! (I know, counting sheep is easier, but so mundane! The goal is to create excitement and newness with extreme frequency, so creativity is important!)
Given that you most likely are not a newbie to the sales game, you will be remembering the sales contests that were the most fun for you. IAS Training can be of help to you with this need (shameless plug) if you would like. Or you could check your online resources. Or you could enlist the help of your very own staff members to get creative here!
It is important for all of us to feel appreciated. Employees generally enjoy team building activities. Just ordering pizzas and soft drinks for those power hours can boost morale and motivation. Periodic events that create social opportunities create the atmosphere for increased camaraderie as well. Bowling, ropes courses, amusement venues and restaurants can impart the sense of bonding and working toward a common goal.
Really simple appreciations can be expressed to your employees by thank you notes (duh) or certificates of appreciation. Pretty much anything that acknowledges a job well done or a special effort in a positive way keeps those sales people rockin’ it and translates into cash in the till!
Keeping a bit of surprise in the mix creates anticipation. Costume days or theme days add interest for both your sales staff and your customers. If you give customers advance notice, you would be surprised at how supportive they are and how much they enjoy sharing in the experience.
Customers tend to enjoy being a part of your store having fun. In some stores, the camaraderie is a draw for customers who are just interested in diversions to their own days; many will remark that they like coming into your store because there is always something fun going on!
Creating “Magic Phrases” for certain levels of sales adds interest as well. The possibilities are only limited by your own imagination!
Author, trainer, consultant, and speaker Brad Huisken is President of IAS Training. Huisken has authored several books and training manuals on sales and produces a Weekly Sales Training Meeting video series along with Aptitude Tests and Proficiency Exams for new hires, current sales staff and sales managers. In addition, he publishes a free weekly newsletter called “Sales Insight” For a free subscription or more information contact IAS Training at 800-248-7703 or info@iastraining.com. Visit his website at www.iastraining.com.
