One of the most obvious ways to drive revenue up is by increasing sales. In order to make that happen, the sales team must be motivated and dedicated to putting in the necessary effort. If the sales department has seemed lackluster lately, it’s time to use management tactics to revitalize the overall attitudes, on both group and individual levels.
What to do as a company
For management to increase sales, there needs to be added emphasis on understanding what customers like and what potential clients are looking for. This involves more communication and outreach. Start by ramping up how many email and direct mail incentives are distributed. The purpose of this practice is to gather information about which promotions retain current patrons and how they draw in new business. There should be an overall growth in special promotions and incentives using coupons and promotional products.
The use of a referral system can do wonders for sales. Have the sales staff ask new clients to bring a fellow customer into the equation for a reward. Give them personalized promotional products, a discount for their own contract or a gift card to a restaurant that will cater a lunch for them. For this to work, lead management must be effective. Employees should be asking clients where they heard about the company and tracking the answers carefully.
Engage with customers more and on new platforms. Use sales people to dig for information or ask for direct feedback from customers. Get the conversation started on social media or blogs to find out why they work with the company, why they look for the product or service in the first place and who they are. Along those lines, revitalize the website and its content to draw more viewers in. It’s not a secret that Web presence is increasingly important, so cater to this fact when looking to drive sales.
The people side of the matter
Though there are methods to employ that will improve the sales statistics from a business strategy standpoint, a good leader will hone in on the issue from a more personal level. The first step is to determine if any of the sales managers are particularly unmotivated and if it is affecting their subordinates. A negative or apathetic attitude can trickle down from management to staff since those in charge are role models of sorts. If there are certain people that have clearly lost their spark, sit down with them for an honest conversation. Ask them why they chose sales, what the job is lacking and what their long term career goals are.
Incentives are a great direction to take because it’s human nature to become more invested in a task if there is a clear reward. Create a contest or competition between sales staff that will drive motivation. Use unique promotional products, cash bonuses or an extra day off as the bait that will propel employees. Sales people will also be more inspired if there is an increase in recognition for achievements. Celebrate big contracts or particularly strong client communication with personalized business gifts. This will keep hard workers going strong while inciting unmotivated people to be more productive.
Finally, don’t limit innovative business strategy proposals to a specific department. Allow everyone in the company to brainstorm and even add an online advisory group of key clients if that seems promising. Consider hosting company retreats to drive creativity. Show that the ideas employees pitch are valuable by acknowledging people who have smart suggestions. Keep promotional items on hand to distribute to the business’ top thinkers.