Are you wondering how to motivate a sales team when sales are down? Have you ever felt like your sales team is losing the zeal and that their morale is quickly going downhill? If so, it’s important to take action immediately because a team is only as strong as its weakest link.
No one likes to see their sales numbers go down, especially the sales team who is responsible for bringing in the sales and generating revenue.
When your team has low motivation, you must take time and take a look at each of the team members and refocus their efforts.
Here are some tips on how to help motivate your sales team when sales are down:
1. Make sure everyone is on the same page
When your sales team feels discouraged or lacks enthusiasm, you want to make sure they are all on the same page. And all of them have a clear understanding of their role and expectations, as well as the goals of the company and how they fit into that.
Focus on successes, no matter how small — one key way to ensure morale stays high is to focus on small successes, no matter how insignificant.
Celebrate each success and reinforce that the team is still making progress even when sales targets are not met.
2. Look for things that went well
When sales targets are missed, it’s easy to discuss the negatives however, looking for the things that went well during sales calls, or emails or throughout the sales journey, can help inspire confidence and motivation. Look for positives in the sales process that the team was able to implement and use these as a starting point to encourage your team to keep going.
For example, if a sales rep was able to close a sale on a completely new product, acknowledge this and use it as an example of success. Then if other team members have been struggling with a similar product, they can learn from sharing best practices.
3. Provide constant feedback
Consistent feedback is essential for any successful sales team. When they feel low, it’s even more necessary to provide feedback regularly. Make sure that each salesperson knows what they’re doing well, areas where they need to improve, and strategies to reach their sales goals.
With regular feedback, sales representatives will be more motivated and understand how their work affects the team’s performance.
How to Give Feedback Effectively
While feedback to your sales team is essential, it has to be done constructively. Ask questions that open up dialogues and provide the salesperson with options for improving their performance. Also, provide specific examples of where they went wrong, or what they can do to improve communicating with their prospects.
Giving feedback doesn’t have to be a negative experience if it’s done in the right way. When your team receives an honest assessment of their strengths and weaknesses, they’ll be more motivated to make changes and push forward to reach their goals.
4. Get to the core of what’s the distress
Get to the root of what’s causing the problem when your team feels low. It might be that there is an issue with the product or service, or it could also be a lack of sales training, or it could be an underlying fear of failure/rejection.
When you sit down with your sales team and discuss each of their individual challenges, it will help to identify the root cause of their struggles. Once you have identified the problem, you can then come up with a plan to overcome those sales challenges and get back on track.
With a proper understanding of the problems confronted by your sales teams and appropriate solutions, motivating the salespeople should be easier.
5. Communicate more
Normally, sales managers are the ones who communicate with their team and assign tasks. However, when sales are low, managers need to take a more active role and reach out to their team members, listen to their problems, ask for suggestions, and address any concerns. A sales team that feels supported and understood is more likely to be motivated, even when times are difficult.
6. Make sure your team has the right incentives
Incentives can be an effective way to motivate a sales team when sales are down. Offering financial rewards for reaching specific targets is a great way to get the team motivated and working hard.
When creating sales incentives, make sure that they are achievable but challenging. You also need to ensure that your team understands how each incentive works. Regardless of the size of the incentive, it needs to be rewarding and motivating for your sales team.
Finally, make sure that you provide additional rewards for excellent performance. An extra bonus or even a simple recognition can go a long way in helping to bring your sales team’s morale up.
7. Break Down the Targets
Breaking down large targets into smaller, achievable goals is a great way to help them recover their lost motivation. Set weekly and monthly goals that are achievable and celebrate the team’s success when they meet these targets.
When your sales team feels like they can succeed, smaller tasks will help to build their confidence and make them more likely to reach their higher targets. Daily objectives could involve initiating five new sales conversations or advancing four deals to the following pipeline stage.
Accomplishing this individual task can give them an immediate boost of confidence, helping them to break away from the pessimistic outlook caused by solely focusing on the large overall goal.
