Are your sales team in need of some inspiration? If your team’s morale is lagging or they need a boost these success stories are just what they need to hear. Science has proven that stories are the most powerful way to convey a message – our brain activity surges when we hear a captivating story. Also, as neuropsychologist, Donald Hebb puts it, “Neurons that fire together, wire together”, meaning that we are far more likely to remember information that’s given to us in a narrative form. Here are the top four stories that will motivate your team:
Joe Girard
Guinness World Records crowned Joe as “the world’s greatest car salesman” – rightfully earned as at the top of his game he was selling 18 cars a day. Once he’d earnt himself this title people would join a waitlist to have the honour of Joe Girard selling them their next car. What made Joe different and gained him so much respect was his ambition to remember small details about his customers. He kept a log of these little details, like their birthdays, their children’s names and their occupation. Joe would use these specifics to make them feel appreciated and special, which did wonders for his referral rate.
Remind your sales team that going the extra mile is as simple as learning personal details about their prospects. Also, consider that if they aren’t following up on their leads this is a key sign that your sales team is underperforming.
Oprah Winfrey
In 32 years, Oprah Winfrey went from her first job broadcasting at a radio station to being named the first African-American billionaire. She built her empire – which sells entertainment and lifestyle products – by focusing on her personal brand and nurturing a loyal community. But when she launched her own network, she faced disappointing ratings that forced her to rethink her vision. She knew she could make big-network decisions that would drive up her ratings but instead she focused on purpose-driven choices. Oprah set out to define what made her audience different and tweaked the content so that it serviced their needs while staying aligned with her vision.
Oprah shares that the secret of her productivity is giving full attention to her work: “That whole thing about multitasking? That’s a joke for me. When I try to do that, I don’t do anything well.” Take inspiration from Oprah and caution your team that multi-tasking impairs cognitive control.
Zig Ziglar
Ziglar began his sales career in the 1940s selling door-to-door. Sales were slow to begin with and after 10 days of selling nothing Ziglar vowed to quit if the next door he knocked on turned him away. Luckily for us, he made the sale and went on to be a motivational speaker for salespeople. Ziglar has given a lot of valuable advice to help your team close more sales, but his most important message is that sales people should continuously strive to learn and develop their methods. If you’re not offering your team training this could destroy their morale.
One of his four secrets to closing more sales is to be prepared. Encourage your team to write out what they’re going to say before their next conversation. They will notice any unnecessary wording and whether they stray from the point, helping to ensure that they keep the prospect engaged.
Erica Feidner
In just eight years Erica sold $41 million in Steinway pianos ranging from basic models up to ones costing $152,000. Therefore, Erica had to modify her approach depending on the client’s status, from novice to professional player. For those who were buying their first piano, Erica recognised she’d have to sell them on committing to learning a new skill. When selling to expert piano players Erica would take customers to try different pianos all around the world until they found the right one. This is how she gained her name as the Piano Matchmaker™.
Customers of Erica would refer to her as a “force of nature” because she awoke their passion and ambition for music. A reporter from The New Yorker explains, “These ambitions often include buying a specific piano that they feel they can no longer live without, even if it strains both their living rooms and their bank accounts.” While your team may not sell pianos, there are plenty of lessons they can take from Erica’s work ethic. For one, highly effective sales people are often those who take the time to understand their customers’ wants and needs and create solutions to suit.
Watch this short clip for more tips on how to motivate your team to hit their targets.
Build a successful sales team with BMS
At BMS, one of the best sales recruitment agencies for creatives amongst many other sectors, we know how hard sales recruitment can be, which is why we want to help. We’ll work with you to understand your business’ needs and use our 6 step sales recruitment assessment to ensure that we find the right person for your sales team. Contact us and a member of our team will be touch.
