By: Walter Rogers, CEO Baker Communications
Selling can be a brutal business. You have to have strength, determination, and endless optimism. If you aren’t able to survive being told “no” by customers dozens of times a day, selling may not be your game. So how can sales managers keep people motivated and moving when the deals seem to be just out of reach?
The point is sales reps invest incredible amounts of emotional energy just to stay in the game. They believe in the product and the company or they wouldn’t keep showing up for work, but sometimes – especially in the middle of a run of bad luck or a down economy – there may be days that they aren’t sure they believe in themselves. Therefore, one of the best things that a sales manager can do for the sales team is to maximize any and every opportunity to celebrate every win, every time, for every rep.
Here are 12 ideas for sales contests that sales managers can use to create opportunities to celebrate:
- All if total sales are above $X at a minimum of X% margin.
- Salesperson with greatest month to month sales increase.
- Salesperson with highest sales volume from NEW customers.
- Salesperson who revives the most PAST customers.
- All if each salesperson on the team meets or exceeds sales goals.
- Salesperson with highest single sale or shipment.
- Salesperson who sells the highest PRE-PAID order.
- Salesperson with largest sale in a region.
- Salesperson with the highest total Gross Margin (regardless of dollar value).
- Salesperson with highest margin on NEW customer.
- Salesperson with the highest average margin on an EXISTING customer.
- Salesperson with the highest sales in a certain product line/category
One of the clear roles of the sales manager is to create contests that give everyone the opportunity to win while driving corporate objectives. What other wins do you incorporate in celebrating your team’s accomplishments? Share in the comments below.