A sales tenet screams:

Sell the sizzle, not the steak.

The above reads well on paper. However, if it were so easy to transform people, how is it that we often fail to push people beyond the level that they have set for themselves?

Can one teach a Rahul Dravid to be the wall? Can one motivate the motivators? Can one sell - to a sales person? The answer to the first question is Maybe! The answer to the next two is Surely!

Some of us could feel that great sales people are so good at convincing others, that it would be difficult to convince them. That's partly true. But, should that stop us from doing our bit to push the high achievers to even higher levels of achievement? Aren't the sales people also emotional beings with feelings, thoughts, aspirations, needs and dreams?  Salesmen are people too.

Managers in charge of a sales team should be highly self-motivated. I know a lady who looks after sales on a regional level for a pan-India company. This lady is so good at her job, that whenever she walks into one of her business centers, the sales for the day shoot up at that center.  The buzz about this phenomenon is that she has the Midas touch, and that wherever she goes, luck walks with her. I feel that the lady's charm, and her good luck is epitomized by the results that she has realized along her growth path up the corporate ladder, coupled with the positioning that she has and the connection she maintains with her peers and teams. Apparently, she has been able to utilize her personal brand as a manager, and that holds her in good stead in the minds of the members of her sales team.

How do some of the best companies motivate and inspire their sales teams?

Keep in mind that selling is a hard job, and only those who are thrilled by risk thrive in this line. Here are some of the more popular ways to motivate a sales team:

1. Money Talks: Most companies that are sales driven lean heavily on performance. The salary structure is a mix of a fixed component amounting to 15 - 25 %, and a variable component would make up the balance 75 to 85 %. Unless one is able to perform, the incentive (variable component) suffers. The high performers naturally earn more than their complacent colleagues, and this spurs the lazy ones to work harder, if they want to get earnings that are on par with the high performers.

2. Position and Power: These two P's listed above, constitute a major portion of the motivational factors that drive corporate performance. Men, in particular, are driven by the urge to sit behind a bigger table, or to have the biggest window (preferably at a corner location where there could be two windows in a room. Men are also driven by status symbols, in the form of the watch, or the pen that a male colleague uses. Female managers are generally driven by the need to be liked and to be fair. They may even compromise the corner office, if it is required for something of general interest, like a reading room.

3. Job Satisfaction: A buzzword that has gained importance over the past two decades is Job Satisfaction. This factor helps people feel good about their ability to contribute more to society in general and to the team in particular. Curiously, this factor also increases sales, and keeps the commitment to the team alive.

4. Flexibility and Trust: These are considered a bonus, especially in companies that are rigid in process and systems. However, this is something that can be very empowering. Trust is another popular word in the dictionary of today's business world.

5. Holiday packages and gift cheques: Performers enjoy a number of different options when being appreciated, and these, along with innovative perks are pretty welcome in today's corporate culture. Here there is a double benefit - one can feel good about the award, and one can feel good extolling the virtues of the last all-expenses-paid holiday.

6. Rewards and Recognition: This is the most effective way to acknowledge the contribution made to a sales person. It is recognition of his worth, and is the corporate equivalent of stripes on an officer's epaulettes. A glittering trophy or a plaque is also a constant reminder to the employee that he has basked in his moment in the sun. This in turn spurs him forward to the next big award.

While on one hand the sales person of today is a person who is driven by his own sense of achievement and purpose, we are all emotional entities waiting for a pat on the back, or an unexpected award that says "You are special!" While we might have known this all along, I am sure that none of us would relinquish something that we feel we actually deserve. 

Ian Faria is a Corporate Trainer and Motivator, and a counselor and writer. Feedback at peptalk@ businessgyan.com. 

Issue BG73 Apr07

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