SalesForceXP: September/October 2008 Coverstory: A Warehouse Of Motivatiom - How Harrah’s Boosts Group Sales with Non-Cash Incentives

COVERSTORY

A Reason for Not Believing

Before you cut that unmotivated salesperson loose, ask yourself these 5 questions

Most salespeople who are unmotivated aren't salespeople for long, but a few somehow stick around. Sales trainer Dave Anderson (www.learntolead.com) says consider these five points before you write off a person as being "un-motivatable."

#1 - Do you de-motivate the person?

Take a look in the mirror before you accuse them of having no drive. Do you affirm them when they do well or do they only hear from you when something goes wrong? Do you micromanage him or her, forcing them to live in a box where they never gain the esteem that comes with being able to seize an initiative, make a decision or solve a problem without checking with you? Are you prone to ignore the person because you're so busy with administrative duties that you don't take the time to build a relationship; to listen to them; to coach them with feedback and hands-on instruction? Do you waste their time with useless, boring meetings? Abusing a good employee's time is one of the surest ways to de-motivate him or her.

#2 - Do you train the person?

If you're not providing tools for the employee to grow and improve they're likely to go stale on the job and lose passion for what they do. Lack of training makes people think you don't believe in them, don't see much of a future for them, and don't care about them.

#3 - Have you learned what motivates the person as a unique individual?

For some people it will be recognition; for others more trust and discretion; and for others it will be opportunity to grow. Some are all about the money and, more and more, family men and women want schedule flexibility so they can have a life away from work. You must know your people to move your people, but if you treat each of your employees like another head in a herd of cattle and use an assembly line motivational style then you won't inspire, develop, bring the best out of or retain the person.

#4 - Do you surround them with burdens to bear?

If good people are forced to work with under-performers for long they can lose their motivation to excel. There is no peer pressure that brings out their best and your own weak management style causes them to doubt the wisdom of trying to grow under your leadership. They can really lose heart when they are forced to do more work and to carry the struggling employee's load in addition to their own, especially when they compromise their own performance in the process.

#5 - Does your own attitude de-motivate the person and sap their drive?

If you are a whiner; a gossip; a complainer; if you bring your personal problems to work; if you are normally negative and routinely say pessimistic things, then you are the problem. Before you go into denial, read over this list again and be honest with yourself. If you routinely make excuses; complain about upper management and act as a victim every time the company starts a new initiative or tries to implement change, then you have become a corporate liability that should be dealt with quickly and severely. In fact, if most of your employees seem listless and undriven you need to pay particular attention to the common denominator presiding over the mess: you!
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