Samuel M. Jones certainly knew how to motivate his staff. Back in the 1890’s, Jones was owner of the S.M. Jones Company, an oil tool manufacturer in Toledo, OH. He led his workers with 3 rules: work hard, be honest, and treat others as you would like to be treated. In return, Jones gave all his employees a living wage, implemented an 8-hour workday, and even built a park for employees to enjoy. His progressive leadership paid off—he served 2 terms as Mayor of Toledo and was immortalized as “Golden Rule Jones” for his advocacy of the Golden Rule. Motivating your staff is something that can make or break your leadership legacy. Below are 6 tips for motivating your team to achieve their quotas, improve their lead tracking, or tackle any sales goal you have in mind.
1.) Give Employees a Motivation Beyond Winning
As the saying goes, winning isn’t everything. NBA basketball coach Pat Riley said, “There’s always the motivation of wanting to win. Everybody has that. But a champion needs, in his attitude, a motivation above and beyond winning.” Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist best known for his creation of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, placed self-actualization at the peak of people’s needs, and said that people’s desire to achieve self-actualization could be a strong motivating force to work on causes “outside their own skin.” Other motivating forces include:
- A need to be recognized and acknowledged
- An innate desire to produce a worthy product or accomplish a task for self-gratification or self-fulfillment
- Desire to make a social or cultural change or contribution
2.) Make it a team effort
There’s no “i” in “team!” Many people working together and focusing their talents on one project can accelerate the accomplishment of your goal. Pat Riley said, “Being a part of success is more important than being personally indispensable.” Stress to your sales team the importance of a team effort.
3.) Offer Incentives/rewards
Rick A. Morris, PMP, suggests offering, “incremental bonuses or incentives for the team.” Some people can be motivated when they have a prize in mind. Even a simple “thank you” and acknowledgement of an individual contribution could be all the difference in motivating employees in the future.
4.) Attend to Both the Individual and the Team
A team is made up of many individuals moving towards a collective goal. Andrew Carnegie, one of the world’s greatest “captains of industry” suggested that leaders “capture and keep the heart of the original and supremely able man before his brain can do its best.”
5.) Bring Your Own Passion to the Project
Passion and excitement, just like yawning, are infectious. Pat Riley said, “To have long term success as a coach or in any position of leadership, you have to be obsessed in some way.” Be an example for your employees, and your zeal should catch on.
6.) Repeat
Motivation, much like a new years resolution to work out more, doesn’t last unless you put some effort into it. Zig Ziglar, author and world renown motivational speaker, said, “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing — that’s why we recommend it daily.” Remember, you have to add more fuel to keep a fire going.