Stay Motivated in Sales

Salespeople must work in a stressful environment, where they are asked to be energetic and inventive day after day. During difficult economic periods or low seasons, it can be difficult to motivate yourself when sales are rare. Even when sales are coming in, it is also easy to become exhausted and lose momentum. Sales reps needs to find motivation tactics that work for them, whether they are mental, environmental or physical changes. Try these new ideas this year and you may find that you are more mentally prepared to call leads and negotiate. Find out how to stay motivated in sales.

Steps

Motivating Environment

  1. Develop a healthy work and life balance. Make new efforts to leave work at the office and work harder while you are there. The more you enjoy your spare time, the happier and more motivated you will be to achieve more at work.
  2. Avoid other sales people who are negative. There are commonly 2 problems groups, the people who talk negatively about work and the people who are just negative about everything in their life. If you are unsure of how to broach the subject of their unhealthy negativity, simply say, "I need to focus on work now, let's have drinks or lunch soon to catch up."
    • If your good friends are negative, then make sure to control their effect on you. One negative session is better than allowing people to visit your desk or email about their problems during the work day.
  3. Avoid the Internet and social media during most of the work day. Even if your job allows you to surf the Internet at your leisure, most of the Facebook posts are either distracting or sensational, draining your energy. You will have a harder time getting back on the phone, if you allow this to be your main interaction with other people during the day.
  4. Walk around. Most everyone, and not just sales people, need to get their blood moving more than they do in an office environment. Take the stairs, walk around every 30 minutes to 1 hour and take a longer walk at lunch and you will have a fresh perspective when you return.
  5. Avoid regular use of drugs or alcohol. Sales environments often encourage drinking as a stress-relief activity. However, you are more likely to become negative about work and feel tired and unmotivated the next day.
    • If a hangover is the most un-motivating addition to the workplace, then try to adopt activities that reduce poor mental and physical effects, like a good diet, exercise and time outdoors.

Motivating Attitude

  1. Make a game of turning negatives into positives. Strategize how to turn a lower sales count into a more personalized process, or use the time you spend caught in traffic coming up with a fun new way to pitch something. Make it your mission to always find the positive.
  2. Take negative vocabulary out of your life. If a sale falls through, don't bad-mouth the company; make it your goal to move past it to a new opportunity. Avoid saying the word "hate," or similar words and you may start to feel more positive about the sales process.
  3. Think about why you are a salesperson when you feel unmotivated. Remember that salespeople often have better chances for income growth, better social skills, excellent opportunities for advancement and regular incentives. Remind yourself about the positive aspects of your chosen trade regularly.
  4. Set an interval schedule. Athletic trainers recommend that athletes do periods of hard work followed by periods of lower intensity. Take a cue from this and schedule an hour for cold calling, followed by an hour of admin.
    • Stick to your schedule, with at least 4 periods of intense activity per day. It is better to devote 1 hour to calling, 1 hour to emails, 1 hour for cold calling, 1 hour for research, etc. than it is to mix all of those activities. Studies have shown that multitasking results in lower levels of performance for many people.

Motivating Sales Activities

  1. Find someone to compete with. If your company does not provide you with daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal incentives, ask for them. Competition inspires you to get back on the phone and try 1 more call at the end of the day.
    • If your company is unwilling to make incentives, or you are the only person on the sales staff, challenge someone else in the company to a competition. Place a personal bet, such as a dinner or chores, to add motivation to your day.
  2. Have a large personal goal you are working toward. Give yourself consequences and rewards. For example, if you make this season's quota, you will book a vacation, but if you do not, you must walk the flight of stairs to your office 6 times per day for 1 month.
    • Tell people in your office and at home what your goal is. The more people who know and hold you accountable, the more real your goal will be.
  3. Set yourself a daily challenge. Make your first task during the day to set and write down the challenge. Always have a daily goal to work toward.
  4. Enroll in extra training. If your sales feel lacking, enroll in a training seminar to learn a new method. These seminars are highly motivating, with excellent tips from top sales consultants.
    • If you cannot afford a seminar, buy a DVD or a sales improvement book.
  5. Get a mentor. Starting a mentor relationship can expose you to new ways of thinking and selling. You will have a support network and a problem-solver that can help you motivate your sales to a new level.
    • You can find a sales mentor on blogs, through professional organizations or businesses like PivotPlanet. Offer a situation that will have a mutual benefit, such as time given to their business or charity, or a payment for meetings.
  6. Reward yourself for meeting your daily, weekly and large goals. Keep a commitment to treating yourself to something nice whenever you make the extra effort.

Things You'll Need

  • Interval work schedule
  • Positive company
  • Work/life balance
  • Physical activity
  • Positive vocabulary
  • Large personal goals
  • Incentives
  • Mentor
  • Sales training seminar/DVD
  • Daily challenges
  • Competition
  • Rewards

References

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