The pandemic has seen many office teams working exclusively from home. If this is true of your sales team, you might be wondering how you can keep your sales people motivated and productive while working remotely. We’ve put together our top four creative ways to motivate your remote sales team.
Make technology your friend
For the modern sales person, technology will already be a fundamental part of their everyday sales activity. Remote working presents the perfect opportunity to push this a bit further and really make the most out of the digital tools you have at your disposal.
Go beyond the simple communication platforms and CRM software you’re already accustomed to using and see if there are any more creative and engaging technologies and tools you can be using in your sales team. Research which AI tools can maximise your productivity, whether it’s automated meeting booking programmes or machine learning software that helps to identify sales leads. And when it comes to communication, don’t limit yourself to phone calls and email. Try out new platforms such as Trello – which can help you to visualise tasks and workflows – video conferencing apps, cloud storage and collaboration platforms such as Google Drive.
Don’t stop developing
Many businesses have hit pause on their training and development programmes, particularly if they are struggling with their bottom line. However, this is a sure-fire way to see sales people lose motivation and feel less valued. Even if you don’t have the resources to promote people or give bonuses, there are still plenty of ways you can develop your team. Look for online training courses that are aligned with your business goals, sales peoples’ personal goals or even something that they’d simply like to do (such as learning another language or learning how to write more concisely) and offer your team time to do this during their work week. Virtual mentoring and training, whether offered in-house or through a reputable provider such as BMS, can be a great way to ensure your sales people not only have the skills they need to be great at their job, but also that they feel valued and encourage to be the best they can be.
Nurture company culture
70% of managers said their biggest concern about working remotely was maintaining company culture. This is especially true for sales people who thrive off contact with clients and customers and love the social element of their jobs. If you’re worried about your sales people feeling less engaged and disconnected from your organisation during lockdown, it’s vital that you work harder than ever to maintain a positive company culture.
If you use communication software such as Slack or Microsoft Teams, implement a dedicated sales channel for business discussion and even a separate channel for general chit chat and socialising. Set your Slack channel to notify the business every time a sale is made, and encourage a culture of celebrations and congratulations where possible. Communication technologies make it easier to collect and share data about sales and successes, so use this to your advantage. Other tips to promote company culture include hosting regular video meetings, individually, as a team and with the wider company; and hosting non-work, social events for sales people to get involved with, such as virtual quizzes and games, awards evenings and coffee breaks.
Ask your sales people
What’s the easiest way to find out how you can motivate your sales team when they’re working remotely? By asking them! Many sales managers make the mistake of assuming they know what their sales people’s motivators are – and applying this across the whole team – rather than asking individuals what gets them out of bed in the morning. While money will always be a motivator for sales people, there are plenty of non-financial ways to keep your team engaged. Virtual sales leader boards might help those team members who are especially competitive, while dedicated development sessions are great for sales people who want to round out their skillset and think about career progression. Some motivators may have changed during lockdown and home working, so take the time to check in with your team members to find out what they need to be better.
Find the best remote sales people with BMS
Now that you know four creative ways to motivate your remote sales team while working, it’s time to make sure you have the best talent on board to push your business forward.
At BMS Performance, we can help you drive your business performance by helping you identify and recruit the market’s best sales people. Find out about our sales recruitment expertise and contact us to see how we can help.
