The Ultimate Guide to Motivating Your Team

It’s that time of the year when many businesses see a downturn in sales; school holidays are here, many project start dates get pushed back to September, and - oh, yeah - it’s really, really hot. All of the above combined can make staying motivated a tough job, but there are ways to manage it.

It’s that time of the year when many businesses see a downturn in sales; school holidays are here, many project start dates get pushed back to September, and - oh, yeah - it’s really, really hot. All of the above combined can make staying motivated a tough job, but there are ways to manage it. So, here are my top ten tips to motivate your sales team:

Define your expectations

What are the goals? Are they different to what team members were used to last quarter? Right from the off, you need to be setting out clear expectations, targets and KPIs for every member of your team. Start the next quarter with the right attitude and energy.

Keep everyone in the loop

Nothing kills motivation like feeling you lack autonomy in your role. Keeping team members in the loop, and letting them know what’s going on and how they need to perform or adapt leads to motivated workers.

Lead by example

Your team will lose motivation exceptionally fast if they suspect you are not living up to the standards you expect of them. Setting a good example and leading from the front is key to keeping your team engaged.

Ask their opinion

Everyone loves the opportunity to express themselves. Creating a culture where feedback is both facilitated and welcomed helps you stay abreast of your team’s feelings and needs, and therefore better able to meet them.

Reward achievements

When a team member excels, especially in circumstances where the goalposts and expectations have changed, remember to acknowledge and reward them.

Keep up with training and opportunities for progression

If a team member wants to progress or needs bringing up to date with something, make sure you’re engaging with those needs and offering training where applicable. Regularly check in with staff members to ensure they’re happy.

Keep your praise flowing and your criticism constructive

This one speaks for itself!

Don’t micromanage

Especially if your team were working from home over the pandemic, they’ll have gotten used to managing their time and workload effectively. Returning to the office, or just to full capacity, and suddenly being micro-manged from above will do a lot of harm to morale and motivation.

Offer flexibility if you can

One of the best things to have come out of lockdown is new recognition of the value of flexible working. Many employees will be keen to maintain that dynamic if it’s something that’s worked for them. Unless you have a very good reason for not doing so, allowing staff to maintain some flexibility will do great things for your team.

Create a company culture that staff want to be part of

This goes without saying really, but creating a company culture that people want to be a part of is a wonderful way to ensure your staff stay engaged and motivated. I hope you’ve found something there that helps you to bring your teams back in successfully. As always, if you have questions, comments or training requirements get in touch: