Sales is the life-blood of any business. But only one third of sales reps are motivated and engaged at any given time. And while the average company spends $10,000 to $15,000 hiring an individual, only $2,000 a year is spent on sales training. Here are some easy things you can do to give your sales team a leg up.
1. Announce a “Special of the Day.” Pick a product, service, or package and declare it the Product Du Jour. Provide a limited time discount – or don’t. The price is irrelevant. What matters is calling special attention to this particular item by highlighting the features and benefits – and making sure your customers and prospects know about it.
Grab a board (a whiteboard, chalkboard, or even a piece of poster board). Have your most creative and artistic employees design an eye-catching display that will draw the attention of patrons and give your team members an opportunity to tout the greatness of this special item.
2. Declare a spot challenge. Challenge your team members to a sales contest. The winner – whoever makes the most sales, or provides the most mentions, of your special product today wins. Offer some type of incentive – a gift card, a candy bar, a day off, simple bragging rights – whatever fits your budget.
Clarify the rules, track the results, and get started. Again, get creative and have fun. The idea is to engage the team in a focused effort to achieve a marked increase in sales today. The only rule is – everyone participates.
3. Model desired sales behavior. You’re the leader, right? Everyone is looking at you for guidance on how to sell. Like it or not, you are the role model. So you have to walk the talk. You can’t just announce a challenge and then disappear back into your office. No, today you are the sensei. You are the tip of the spear. You must show the team how this sales thing is done.
So put aside the paperwork and roll up your sleeves. Talk to customers and engage them in a sales conversation – the way you expect your team to do it. Don’t worry about looking foolish or getting rejected. Failing is part of life and part of selling. Your people need to see you fail in order to see you shrug it off and try again. And they will follow your lead.
4. Jazz up your sales meetings. You are having regular sales meetings right? If not, today is the day to start. Sales meetings are your opportunity to reinforce your expectations of the team, recognize top performers, and convey important information that helps the team achieve greatness.
But meetings have a way of getting stale. If your team huddles resemble kindergarten nap-time, today is the day to change things up. Introduce a new format, bring in a guest speaker, watch an inspiring video, crank up some dance music – whatever it takes to shake off the cobwebs and get the team focused. Team time is precious time. Don’t let it go to waste.
5. Revamp the way you communicate. Take a look at the last email you sent out. Does it grab your attention right from the start and make you want to keep reading? What about your memos, letters, and voicemails? Are they boring as well? Probably so.
Today is the day to change that. Today is the day to start communicating differently. Every time you communicate to a customer or employee impacts their perception of you. What do you want that perception to be? Put some energy into your writing and into your voice. Let your unique personality color the way you communicate. Craft each message so that both the message and your passion for it can’t be ignored.
If you’re serious about developing a vibrant sales culture, I’d like to help. Check out my blog for tips on developing your team into a confident, competent sales force. Then pick up the phone and give me a call. I’m ready to go to work for you.
-Scott
scottvoland.com 