DealerElite blogstar Stephanie Young reached out again and asked me to post for the site.  I hope it can help some sales and marketing types out there in the auto world!

Summertime. 

Everyone is out and about with the kids, going on vacation, hitting the pool, and grilling out.  Schedules are booked with parties and other social obligations…and you can’t understand why your sales team’s motivation level seems to come to a screeching halt.

While the summer doldrums are inevitable this time of year, there is a great opportunity to harness the energy of the season and keep your team’s motivation level running high.

The key to motivating others is to understand that you cannot do anything to motivate others, except  to tap into their own sense of motivation.  Focus on your sales team as individuals that make up a team and you’ll be much more effective in your efforts.


Seven Methods for Motivating Your Sales Team


1)  Know what they think is important:  Don’t assume that you already know what is important to your salespeople.  Ask each of them personally and keep a prioritized list of individual and team needs, based on their own words.


2)  Communicate:  Keep your team up to speed on what is going on in the organization.  Make them feel connected to the company as a whole and always encourage them to provide input without any fear of judgment or unjust retaliation.


3)  Expect the best:  Clearly communicate the goals of the company and the highest expectations of each of your salespeople.  Show them a good reason to strive for those expectations and you’ll be surprised how well they can rise to the occasion.


4)  Get moving:  One of the simplest ways to directly influence motivation is to create action and involvement among everyone on the team.  Encourage them to participate and provide input on company projects and show them that you value their opinions.


5)  Provide the necessary tools:  This may be a no-brainer, but people tend to work more effectively when given the proper tools.  Be sure your team has access to all necessary information, training, marketing materials, and technology to get their job done correctly.


6)  Manage the lower performers:  Take extra care to address the team member who has any negative or draining effects on the rest of the team.  This person may be disruptive, full of gossip, individualistic, or perhaps just the shy one of the group.  Regardless of who they are on your team, they ultimately affect everyone’s results.  Assert your authority and deal with these people quickly and directly.  You’ll earn the respect of the rest of the team and they will be more likely to rally around you and the common goals of the company in the future.


7)  Give credit when credit is due:  Recognition, appreciation, and thanks for a team member’s efforts may be the most direct way to influence motivation.  When doing so, remember to recognize the efforts of a person and not necessarily the results.  While good results are important in the short run, recognizing and appreciating the individual goes much further in the long run.


Take some time this month to review your team’s motivation level.  Implementing even one of the techniques above will have tremendous effects and help create a better workplace atmosphere overall.



Andy Stansfield is the President of Revolutionary Marketing, a full service marketing agency, and also participates in Business Network International, which specializes in the training of referral marketing.  To learn more about Revolutionary Marketing, visit their website at www.revolutionarymarketing.net.