How to Motivate your Sales Team: Pick a Goal to Accomplish

Looking to motivate your sales team?  All sales teams have specific goals to reach each month but if you are looking for a way to motivate your sales team, identify a single goal to focus on rather than multiple ones.  The selection of a specific goal is important and this article will give you as a sales manager some tips on how to pick a good one that will help motivate your sales team.

Identify a growing trend

Lets say your team has recently been excelling at gaining new customers and the trend is showing that future growth in this trend is possible.  Recognize this trend and communicate to your team what a great job they are doing and set a specific goal to accomplish for the next 2-3 months that is in line with the positive trend they are seeing.  In doing so, you are piggy backing on the momentum that the team is already realizing and by setting up a specific and single goal, your team will be motivated by the success they have already been seeing and by setting a realistic goal, a sense of accomplishment will be felt when they accomplish it.

Pick a goal that strengthens an area of development:  If you team is doing well in all areas other than one, pick that development challenge and set up a goal to overcome it.  In doing so, you strengthen your team’s weaknesses while leveraging their strengths.

Let your team pick

Start a contest and let your team pick the criteria and measurements.  In doing so, you will have the team communicate and take ownership on the goals they have set for themselves.  Ask them for their suggestion on the reward if the goal is accomplished as well.

Open up the goal to others in the organization or other teams

Fuel the competitive fire by including other teams in the company.  Sales professionals are naturally competitive and with more competition, you will see increased motivation to win.

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Remember to keep it simple and to focus on one specific and attainable goal.  With focus and frequent communication of the goal, you will help motivate your team members to be aware of accomplishing a goal that has attention from you and others in the company.