Inspiring A Sales Team

By Alisa Walser

As a seasoned sales manager, the key challenge in my role was to develop new ideas or creative ways to inspire and challenge my team as a whole.  My most recent team was very diverse in age, interests and backgrounds.  Finding common ground for a diverse group of direct reports was not easy.  I asked each member of the team to set reachable goals for themselves.  They were to clearly post a picture of what they wanted to accomplish were they to hit their minimum sale requirements and what they could purchase if they exceeded their numbers.   We had the old idea of a team thermometer that we would fill in each month as the numbers were validated.  The old thermometer idea was just not enough. 

I realized that we needed a fresh, common goal for the team.  While it was somewhat unconventional, my idea was certainly fresh and unique.  I chose what I wanted to do when my team hit their goal.  I had decided to remodel my kitchen.  I hung the plans on the wall in my office.  At the end of each month after the numbers were validated, I then put a name on each cabinet that the individual reps had effectively purchased for me.  At years end, we had a party to celebrate their accomplishments.  The party was held in the bare room at my home that was soon to be my new kitchen.  Each person signed the bare concrete floor with something personal for their contribution to the new construction. 

At the end of Q1 the following year, I held another celebration party.  Each team member was able to come back to see what the fruits of their labor had produced.  I was very proud of what they had accomplished and the person who exceeded their quota by the most cut the ribbon to the new kitchen. 

While I am not suggesting you remodel your kitchen to inspire your sales team, I am suggesting that you create a new and unusual way to get them involved and inspired.  My team really enjoyed having their name assigned to the cabinets and they turned it into a personal challenge amongst themselves.  60% of the team exceeded quota and the remaining 40% just missed a full 100% for the year.  This certainly puts to shame the 80/20 rule that states 20% of sales reps will sell 80% of the business. 

Here’s to you creating your unique, inspiring sales program that brings out the best and success of all your sales team members!