How to Motivate Your Teams Out of Recession

A manager his sales team stand in front of a graph of sales in which is a straight-line over the whole year with a sudden peak in the summer.  One of the team comments: That was the month you were on holiday! The picture is not new, but it captures something many people do not know, that the greatest de-motivating influence on a sales team comes from their immediate superior.

When sales staff feel de-motivated by their superior, it is usually because of the same patterns of behaviour. These are:

1. The sales manager takes decisions on their own without involving the team.
2. Criticisms are objective and includes personal characteristics.
3. In discussions the manager hardly allows sales staff to get a word in edgeways.
4. Sales staff only ever get information which is inadequate, one-sided, too late or narrowly related to their situation.

If any of these management shortcomings seems somewhat familiar, here are four ideas that will improve performance:

1. Do not be pedantic!  Avoid obsessive love of order. Being pedantic reduces co-operation.  Nor should you make remarks like that is absolutely out of the question! Whenever a question of principle is involved, things can become very irrational in otherwise rational organisations!

2. Be credible! The image of the agile streamlined manager, who shows no feelings, has no weaknesses and does not admit to problems, is now outdated.  Attempt to show credibility, integrity and clarity.  If you talk about your own feelings - even those of doubt and helplessness - then your team will understand you and therefore you will not continually have to motivate them in the face of daily chaos.

3. Have confidence in people’s performance!  Any manager that does not have confidence in his/her sales people will de-motivate them and subsequently receive poor performance. These low expectations can be conveyed in many communicative signals. Minor put-downs which may not necessarily be dramatic will have an effect. One might forget to reply to an initiative from an employee, fail to pick up a proposal that they have made or give an indulgent, meaningful smile - all this de-motivates the sales people.

4. Do not be hyperactive! Try not to manipulate, intervene or breathe down the sales person’s neck.

Start now by helping to motivate your team out. If you want further help to develop your management skills, attend a good sales management training course to learn more motivational techniques.

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