By definition, Internal Motivation is the ‘engagement in’ or ‘attraction to’ an activity for the sake of enjoying the activity. In sales – how do you do that with yourself, and with your team?
This is a BIG topic – so I am only going to cover the top 3 things that I suggest you can do – but there are wayyyyy more than this…
- Give What You Do A Deeper Meaning.
That means that the sales that you make not only drive your success, but also the company and the story behind the company.
For example, if you work at a community station – you know that the work you do in bringing in a sale not only helps you, the station and the community by:
A) Keeping the station running
B) Supporting the community
C) Ensuring that the stations mission and values are kept including the purpose of the station.
How do you therefore… give what you do, a deeper meaning when you work for a commercial station?
Simple – look for the stories behind your clients and your listeners.
Collect them (this is where testimonials are a perfect thing to ask for, to not only motivate you, but other staff members too) and ask clients about what they’ve achieved, and how your products or your service delivery made their lives easier.
How that prize made an impact on their life, etc.
As I said, share these with everyone in the organization, not just sales, as it’s important for people outside of sales to share in the meaning. At one workplace I saw a pin-up board with testimonials and thanks addressed to sales members, jocks on-air, the street team, even management.
All of this means that there is a deeper meaning to what you do and why you should do it well. - Make Your Fellow Team Members Feel Valued
While some salespeople need to feel that their work is valued by their boss and company to stay motivated, it should be noted that praise is a good start, and explaining why what they’ve done matters is a stronger finish.
I can highly recommend the FISH PHILOSOPHY books, and also The Carrot Principle books to give you a start.
3. Collaborate Before Competing
I cannot lay claim to this as an old sales manager of mine used to say this to the sales team all the time – and it stuck with me.
Because salespeople are competitive by nature, it can lead to conflict in the office, and negative results.
Instead, be the example of showing how collaborating with your fellow team members, sharing contacts, helping (but not carrying) people who are struggling.
Doing this is more likely everyone will be motivated.
The goal for the office team is to ‘compete against competitors, not each other’.
We used to have and encourage this by rewarding staff members who mentored, shared knowledge, and pulled together to overcome the competition.
And that’s it for this week: next week we will look at more ideas (as I said there are A LOT of them)
