In the sales world, commission is a strong motivating factor — a hefty paycheck is a hanging carrot that allows many salespeople to deal with rejection after rejection before landing the big sale.
But how do sales managers motivate a team to keep crushing their quotas month after month? To start, Signpost Sales Manager Tristan Bolano said he makes sure his team members are all rowing in the same direction.
“The biggest motivator on my team is collaboration and being each other's biggest fans,” said Bolano.
Bolano, who has worked at the cloud-based marketing platform for five years, said his team frequently discusses strategy and blows off steam outside the office — both of which contribute to the success of the group.
At Latch, National Accounts Sales Manager Albert Ko said motivation starts at the top. Ko said at the keyless-technology solutions provider, leaders offer training sessions that arm the sales team with deep knowledge of their industry.
Bolano and Ko shared what innovative strategies they use to create sales cultures of support and continuous learning that ultimately push their teams to make a real impact on their businesses.
Latch National Accounts Sales Manager Albert Ko said he encourages salespeople to chase their career aspirations by arming them with industry knowledge and selling strategies to reach those goals.
What are some strategies you use to motivate your sales team?
Our team is motivated by being challenged, having fun and aiming for ambitious goals together. We believe in always getting better through training, conferences, mentorship and other practices. Our leadership team continually coaches us. They provide guidance through client visits, feedback and offsite meetings that refine our sales skills and teach us about how the real estate industry works.
We take time to understand where each individual wants to take their career and help them create a plan to get there. Then we execute on that plan and help them get back up if they fall.
Our leadership team continually coaches us.”
What does professional development look like for your salespeople?
Our salespeople come from very diverse backgrounds but have one commonality: the desire to build something while learning during the process. Because we are still a nimble company, we are able to hone in on development plans to help our salespeople succeed. They may want to learn executive presence, how to sell to senior executives, sales operations or how to build their own business one day. Each of them realizes how significant they are to the success of the business.
Tristan Bolano said one-on-ones are important tools managers can use to train salespeople at Signpost. Bolano said regular discussions surrounding an individual’s goals and performance are critical to keeping his team operating at a high level.
What are some strategies you use to motivate your sales team?
We love fun contests and prizes that can keep the energy high, but the biggest motivator on my team is collaboration and being each other's biggest fans. It’s all about collectively cheering on wins and picking each other up after losses.
Great energy is contagious. By regularly round-tabling new ideas as a group, going out together after work or just grabbing lunch after a long morning, we’re able to build a team-centric atmosphere and stay loose day in and day out.
Using one-on-ones to pave the path for personal and professional development is key.”
What does professional development look like for your salespeople?
Professional development here goes beyond the simple X’s and O’s of sales. It extends to bringing a great attitude to work every day, leading by example, being innovative and being an integral part of our culture of accountability. For our sales team, using one-on-ones to pave the path for personal and professional development is key.
I’m a big fan of raising the bar for yourself. By using past performance, goal-setting and forecasting, individuals can visualize a clear and attainable career path that keeps them pumped to close deals.
