3 Ways to Break the Grind & Make Sales Fun

Sales doesn’t have to be all targets, hard slog, and spreadsheets. Sometimes, a little fun factor can shake things up and deliver tangible results. Now, before you think I've gone mad and stop reading, this approach is backed by science and used to train world-class athletes!???

Curious? Read on!???

Ironically, I feel that I have learned so much about sales from sports coaches! Athletes train daily for years; many lose their passion for that grind. The leading coaches have a smart trick up their sleeve, which we can borrow in sales. They engage their athletes in “deliberate play” and swear by the rule—no dull workouts!?This could mean always having a time or target to beat. ?

Just like in sports, sales can have its own challenges—so why not make it fun? ?

Our brains thrive on variety and novelty, and studies show people improve faster when they mix up their skills (a technique called interleaving).???

Deliberate play not only keeps motivation high but also speeds up skill development. Plus, it helps keep our passion for our sales role alive!??

Here are some of my favourite fun factor examples in sales:??

1. Create a Celebrity Scorecard

One of my favourite memories with my national sales team at IBM was creating a scorecard featuring celebrity lookalikes to see who was leading—was Mr Incredible ahead, or was it Sienna Miller?

Why does this work? We tend to approach things differently when there’s a score to keep. The authors of The 4 Disciplines of Execution (4DX) site keep a compelling scorecard, which is one of the top principles for successful execution.???

Besides, it adds a bit of fun just by including celebrity lookalikes. As humans, we’re also driven by the progress principle—we love to see our progress.??

Top Tip: Consider introducing a scorecard for accountability on your key priorities. Make it visible, but make it FUN!??

2. Bring in Virtual Team Fun with Prizes

For team sales enablement, I love creating a dedicated Teams or Slack channel for the activity to embed learnings and keep the momentum post-session.???

Throwing in a few fun prizes, building energy, team banter, and team spirit translates to sales results. This has worked wonders, particularly with virtual teams.???

The prizes don’t need to be extravagant—even funny ones can have an even better effect! This kind of channel also creates a little FOMO (fear of missing out) for anyone slow to jump on board.??

Top Tip: Try an activity like a pipeline builder challenge or use this approach to make “Follow-up Friday” a consistent and fun sales habit.??

3. Raise Your Own Standard??

I have a whiteboard in my home office where I set my goals and keep a scorecard to track progress and maintain constant focus. I check it daily, and one of the success factors I borrowed from 4DX is making the scorecard highly visible, so I see it multiple times throughout the day. I’m essentially competing against myself and my goals, with a reward in mind to keep me motivated. By tracking my progress, I keep myself focused and energised.??

Top Tip: Make your scorecard highly visible and create rewards for milestones!?

Ready to Put the Fun Back in Sales???

Transforming the daily grind into an engaging, energising sales workout could be the key to a more motivated AND successful sales team. Start small, try one of these strategies, and watch how it boosts both performance and morale! ?

If you’d like more personalised tips, reach out—I’m here to help you redefine your sales game!