Motivation. It's a simple word and a simple concept but it's tricky to implement. Ask any sales manager what motivation is and there is a high likelihood that they would come up with a textbook definition. However, they will all agree that it is one of the most important things a manager must learn to do, especially when dealing with their team. Here are 7 practical ways you can motivate your team and build a strong, cohesive group:

1. Communicate with your team

To motivate your team, you must be able to open up communication lines and ensure that there is a smooth exchange of ideas and information. You also need to appreciate what motivates John may not have the same effect on Mary.
If you want to motivate your team, keep them updated and let them know what they can expect. Use e-mails, meetings, phone calls and memos to keep them posted about recent changes in the company, new directions the department may be taking, new products and other updates.

2. Know what your team considers as important

Don't always assume that you know what your team wants. Try to come up with a list of priorities or have your team rank a checklist of the most important things in their job. You'll be surprised to learn that traditional means of motivation such as salary increases and promotions are often not the best answers to what your team needs.

Once you learn what they want, you can design your motivation plans according to what your team values. For example, there is no point putting too much budget on new IT equipment if what your team really wants is more training. Find out what they want and you'll know what you can use to motivate them.

3. Get them into the action.

Motivation is not a one-way street nor is it a one-man or woman show. Let your team join in and contribute to a project or a plan. They will feel more valued as employees that way. Not only that, you will alienate your team if you focus too much on what they should do. Setting the rules of motivation yourself may seem like the way to go, but motivating your team means working in tandem with them.

4. Set goals that will challenge your team

Your team is composed of people with different skills, talents and levels of experience. Don't underestimate your sales team. Expect the best and guess what might happen? Give them a reason to nurture ambition and strive harder to achieve what your company expects from them. As long as goals are realistically viable, you will find that your team will be more motivated to work and perform.

5. Provide your team with the necessary tools they'll need to succeed in their job

You can't expect your team to perform optimally if they don't have the tools to do so. To motivate your team, provide the equipment, materials, training and support they need. If you give them a project involving sales, for example, you can't very well motivate them to perform if they have poor, marketing materials, management support and access to records of previous sales performances. Give them the tools they need to realistically perform their job and then allow their creativity to take over.

6. Manage the less-than-stellar performers

The bad apple in your team can ruin the groups performance as a whole. This could be the team slacker, heckler, the abrasive one, the individualistic member or just the teams shyest member. Whoever he or she is, can ruin a great group performance in a snap.
Your team looks up to you to manage and motivate this person and make sure he turns around. Don't try to ignore the situation or wait for it to resolve on its own. You'll be able to show your team you're in charge and motivate them successfully in the process.

7. Give credit to whom it is due

Never make the mistake of not giving your team the attention and recognition they deserve. Always applaud and praise for exemplary performance and make sure to mention those who performed the best. By showing how excellent performance at work is acknowledged (and rewarded, if it comes to that), you will be able to motivate the rest of your team into stepping up to the plate and making their own contributions.

Are you in a sales funk? Would you recognize it if you were? Learn to recognize the 7 early warning signs of having no sales plan–no plan to play out of your sales slump. Here are some sure indicators you are in a slump and need a plan.

7 Warning Signs of a Sales Slump

All professionals eventually end up in a slump. The classic baseball hitting slump is a perfect analogy.

We become world-class at a skill and then gradually our confidence slowly allows mechanics and fundamentals to shift out, ever so slightly creating new habits. These subtle misalignments begin to untrain our bodies and minds. Then poor performance begins to shake our confidence and the terror of doubt takes over. Now, we have created a slump.

The key to avoiding or driving ourselves out of a slump is to recognize the warning signs. Here are a few you may already notice:

• Mindlessly organizing and sorting (leads, contacts, desk, business cards)
• Dialing endless phone numbers with no objective
• More time spent prospecting than engaged in good conversation
• No benchmarks to measure progress to your quota
• Surprised when you hear what the customer says your competitor offered
• The same "big opportunities" are on your pipeline report week after week
• You begin whining about your product and the price

Did you see yourself? Probably. Let's start fixing it now!

7 Ways to Beat Your Sale Funk

Beating a slump is best accomplished by stripping everything back down to the basic fundamentals and then rebuilding on that base. Here are 7 steps to counter these warnings, before they become habits to unwind:

• Establish a rhythm or routine that is productive. Map out the next week down to the hour and execute that plan flawlessly. Build in time for the unexpected so unavoidable fires and noise in your day don't derail you.
• List and post specific customer target goals. Who are you looking for and why? Build that list on the weekend. Execute it next week.
• Once you have the list, probably built from past or current sales pipeline, don't do anymore prospecting for a week. Concentrate instead on having good discussion (not necessarily even a pitch or presentation) with as many people as possible.
• Set specific daily benchmarks you want to achieve for the week. Number of dials, emails, contacts, appointments, presentations, closings–don't leave until you hit the mark.
• Build a playbook (on the weekend) of current and past market (education), most likely customer scenarios (pain points), competitors (strengths, weaknesses, pricing)–post it
• Close the big opportunities or push them into lead nurturing. Stop focusing your mind on lottery pulls instead of achieving results
• Stop whining! If the product or the price is unsellable then you are just an expense to the company and should be cut while they fix the product. I think it is bad form to argue for your firing.

Get back to the basics, strengthen your fundamentals, and drive out of your sales slump into even higher plateaus of performance.

Are you trashing great opportunities just because they say they are going with the competitor? Sometimes these can be the easiest leads to convert. A frustrated customer or one who's expectations have been dashed are often looking for a quick, painless opportunity–that could be your next sale.

You spent the whole morning attacking the freshest leads in your sales pipeline, and what did you hear? Probably:

• "That sounds great, I am waiting on the other offers…"
• "The Mortgage Emporium has a better rate"
• "Bob's Mortgage Shack said I could close in 10 days"

Fresh leads are just entering the sales/buying cycle and are inherently the toughest ones to convert. These customers know the market is still competitive and the best customers know they should look for the best deal.

All of your competitors are telling them whatever it takes to get the deal into their commission trigger. These factors significantly impact the probability of converting a brand new lead, particularly if you do not have the brand of a Countrywide, Wells Fargo, or Quicken Loans.

So, how can you use this to your advantage? I am going to tell you a little secret…

The easiest customer to close is one that has been disappointed by your competitor. It is like "sticking it to the man," the customer gets satisfaction and you get a sale.

Here's the trick: The next time you hear, "I am going to go with Tina's Mortgage Funding" I want you to put them in your calendar once a week for the next 45 days. I want you to check in on them and ask how their mortgage process is going and if they have any questions, like it was your own customer.

You don't even have to ask for the sale. You will be amazed how many of these deals you will win. They will come to you because:

• If you are this attentive and responsive, what would it be like to be your customer
• The competitor will most probably frustrate the customer when they get into processing
• If you don't get them this time they will call you next time because of your commitment

So, don't ignore the customers you loose to the competitor they may be your highest converting lead.

There is the entire world of difference between making a sales team function as opposed to leading it. As a sales manager if you want a great and high performing team you will need to master both.

If numbers were all that mattered, making a team of people function is something that even a computer program can do. If people meet certain numeric productivity metrics, then they get certain rewards. If they don't pass certain standards, then they are punished according to certain procedures.

Unfortunately many new sales managers initially think in this fashion, reducing their people to numbers. This ultimately leads to a team's downfall. With a corresponding dip in sales.

Just like the members of their team, a leader is a person too - but he or she sets the standards by which the rest of the team operates. A leader is someone that people are happy and proud to follow. Here are some tips to help you become a leader, not just a number crunching manager.

Leadership Tips For Sales Team Management - Take Part

A leader doesn't dictate to his team. He spearheads the actions that the team takes. If you simply tell people what you want done then odds are they'll eventually wind up thinking "so what are YOU going to be doing?"

Always take initiative and let your people see that you're doing your share of the work to make their work flow smoother. Every time you've got an idea or a new goal make sure that they see you at the forefront clearing the way for them. This makes them know that you're not just ordering them around then sitting back and resting on your laurels while they do the dirty work.

Granted, some people would say that a smart general never stays on the front lines. While this war analogy is true, on the other hand no true soldier would follow a bureaucratic pencil pusher whose never held a gun in his life either.

Leadership Tips For Sales Team Management - Establish Your Authority

An effective leader makes sure that his authority and right to lead is not in question. People have certain standards in regards to qualities that they would like to see in the people leading them. Ascertain and meet those qualities as closely as you can for your team members.

If they value competency and efficiency, work on those traits. If they want empathy and compassion, work on those. Image is everything. Most people usually go to either of two errant extremes; either they become (one of the boys) in an attempt to make their team feel comfortable, or they remain aloof and distant so as to keep their team on their toes. Neither one makes a person seem like an authority figure. Strike a balance between the two.

Leadership Tips For Sales Team Management - Be an Example to Follow

Think of all the traits you want in a "perfect" employee. Then follow it yourself. If you want your people to never be late or absent, then don't be slack yourself. If you expect them to be quick witted and hard working, and then make sure that you put in your fair share of brains and effort too.

Whatever the things you expect of them, demand no less from yourself. People can never respect someone who demands of other people what he or she is unwilling or unable to do. As a matter of fact, you should perform beyond what you expect of them, since you'll be setting the benchmark for your team.

Leadership Tips For Sales Team Management - Encourage Symbiosis and Synergy

Lastly, there are two key traits a leader instills in the people under him or her. Symbiosis, in nature, means two entities existing to each other's mutual benefit. Likewise, make sure that your team has a symbiotic relationship with you. Do right by them, and let them do right by you.

Synergy, on the other hand, is a trait where the different components that make an entity up will all interact in harmony with each other. This is how it should be with a good team. Everyone should have a role to play within the team that complements the moves and actions of the other members.

This makes everyone on the team feel valued, and at the same time thankful to be working with the rest of the team and under your leadership.

Managing a sales team isn't an easy task. You are not just responsible for yourself and your own production any more. You're in charge of a number of individuals, each with their own motivations, and fears, their own personalities, their own reasons for coming to work.

You have to manage and lead this group. Along with making sure your sales quota and target is hit. Oh and at the same time you have to manage your boss as well. Work on developing your skills as well as the teams.

Add to this rather volatile mix the fact that there will be spats, fights, jealousy, competition, and misunderstandings between the members of your team that YOU have to fix, and you can see that it's not easy being a team leader. Here are some ways to keep your sanity intact and help your team get their collective and individual acts together.

Managing a sales team Setting Goals the challenge

When goal setting with your team, don't limit yourself to things that anyone can read off a book. Attendance records, metrics, and meeting quotas are things that anyone can parrot. It makes you sound like a broken record if all you can talk about are numbers and meeting deadlines.

Go beyond the usual goals that just about any other sales manager will set. This takes a bit of savvy and creativity; establish short and long term goals, and make sure that you show your team what's in it for them if those goals are met. This is extremely important! It's not about telling them that you want them to meet a goal; it's letting them know how they will benefit from meeting a goal. Once they get it into their heads that they get something from the deal, they'll work harder towards its achievement.

Managing a sales team Know Everyone Personally

The biggest mistake some sales managers make is attempting to distance themselves from their people. The ladies and gentlemen on your team are people too, and you have to treat them as such. Keeping your distance makes them think that you don't care about them, and worse, might just look at them as numbers to be tallied along with the usual company metrics.

Once a person feels like just another decimal, their morale and work performance dips. Know everyone on your team personally; inquire about their lives outside of work. Know their families, their hobbies, their interests. Once you get into their heads, you'll have a better grasp of what makes them tick. If they know you see them as people, they'll respond to your requests and needs better.

Managing a sales team Always Be Aware of Morale and Group Dynamics

This is where sensitivity is key. Always keep an eye on the teams morale. If it drops, you have to do something to pick it up ASAP. Equally important to morale, however, is staying aware of individual interactions within the team.

Your team is composed of people, and if the people in your team dislike each other or get on each others nerves then it will affect how the team runs. You have to be capable of fixing such snarls when they arise, as well.

In cases where diplomacy can't solve a problem between two people in your team, then at least take them aside and let them know that you're aware of the problem, and get a firm commitment from them to at keep things professional and civil as long as they are at work. Then go to work and use your coaching skills to help them appreciate the differences they have.

Managing a sales team Balance Motivation and Reprisal

While keeping your people motivated is one thing, you have to balance it out with the other side of the coin - punishment, reprisal, or the threat of it. If you appear to be too concerned about morale, sometimes it leads to being thought of as a push over. Let your team know that you will do right by them, but they in turn should not take liberties with your trust. Establish the things that they can not do, and let them know the consequences for crossing the line.

Take no opposition on this; you're there to take care of your people, not to be taken advantage of. Ultimately, let both your benefits and your disciplinary actions be guided by fairness.

Now that you're a sales manager, you probably will begin to see things differently. Your new position affords you a good amount of power, authority, stimulation and challenge. Not only that, it is also a chance for you to make positive contributions to your company and make your mark as a leader in the new business economy.

I wish I could tell you to do exactly this or that and everything would be perfect. Unfortunately managing people is all about working with human beings with all their wonderful differences.

There are certain things you must learn today to help you create your winning career and a high performing team that goes along with it.

Here are 7 things every new sales manager, including you, could bear in mind:

1. Being part of the management team

This is something that many first-time managers forget. As a result, they still cling to their 'old' life as staff or team members. This cramps their ability to manage well because they tend to be more hesitant, worrying whether their former peers and buddies will accept their leadership.
Avoid these common traps yourself. As a new manager, you should know that along with your new position and title, you also have a new set of responsibilities. These responsibilities now reflect your new designation as a manager and might probably no longer include many aspects of your old job. Let go. You're a manager and should work like one. If you don't you will turn yourself inside out attempting to do everything and keep control.

2. Being clear about your departments goals

As a sales manager, you should know that setting goals is an important aspect of your job. Without goals and objectives, your department and certainly your company, will have no direction to follow. As a result, you get lost, make decisions with no foundations and end up with costly mistakes.
Learn to look at the bigger picture. Find out how your department can contribute to your company. Next, set your goals both for the short term and the long term. Discuss them with your team. Involve and include your team in what you want the team to achieve. That way you will get buy in. Everyone then has an idea of what is expected and then they can go to work on how they can achieve it.

3. Delegating

Delegating is one of the things you must know and do as a manager. Yes even as a new manager Hogging too many of the jobs and keeping the tasks to yourself because:

a) you're afraid your team members won't be able to perform well or
b) you feel you can do the tasks better will overburden you.

As a result, you will become less productive in your own job.
Works with your team as a leader but learn to hand over tasks to team members who are best qualified for them. Showing your team that you trust them enough and value their contributions will encourage them to make the best of the opportunity you give them.

4. Empowering your team

Another important aspect of managing that every manager should know is employee empowerment. Sure, you can put up a sign that says, 'the buck stops here' but really, do you truly want to keep all the decision making for yourself? You're more likely to build a strong, confident team that can perform exceptionally well if you give team members enough decision making authority to work independently. Employees like to be trusted and given the chance to prove themselves. As a result, they have more room to rise to the challenge.

5. Providing feedback

Positive or negative, it's your job as a manager to ensure that your team members are updated about their progress. Don't encourage your team members to second-guess your reaction or opinion about their performance. Schedule constructive feedback immediately after the completion of a project or task and perform regular one-on-one sessions with your team members.

6. Being fair

Bring balance to your judgments as a manager. Avoid playing favourites. If you play fair, your team members are more likely to trust your opinions, regardless of how effusive and encouraging or harsh they can be.
Discourage team members' attempts at making 'backdoor' reports. These are often thinly-veiled gossips and personal opinions designed to sway your decisions. Often based on judgements rather than facts If you allow these activities, you encourage discontent to grow among your team. Be consistent.

7. Leading by example

Enough talking. Every manager should know that employees place a high premium on sales managers who can actually put into action whatever it is they talk about. If you want your team to come on time, meet deadlines, behave in a professional manner and work hard, show them that you, too, can walk the walk.

So how much can you learn as a new sales manager and how much can you teach/coach/help your team? The answer is it depend. Though probably more than you realise.

It all starts with human physiology and the good old human brain. It is a known fact that the brain has countless cells. A few comparisons to what lives on our planet:

-a mouse has about 5 million
-a monkey 10 billion
-we have in excess of 100 billion cells

Though, when you add in all the connections. A conservative estimate is around the 10 to the 800th power. More than in the whole universe.

As we get older, believe it or not the plasticity of the brain increases. Moscow University studied the brains capacity for many years and said that "we can show that each of the 10 billion neurons in the human brain has a possibility of connections of one with twenty-eight noughts (zeros) after it"

So if one neuron has this what exactly does the whole brain have?

This explains to some extent the genius of Mozart, the fact Leonardo created drawings ideas and predictions that are still valid 400 + years later.

Ok you might say so what does that mean for you as sales managers with to much to do and a team that never seems to get things right? Well I think it shows that we have been vastly under-estimating the capacity of anybody and everybody to learn.

Our expectation of ourselves and other people is far to low. People rise to what is expected of them.

It does start with belief. Looking at the facts like this does make you appreciate just what is possible. A few years ago I taught a friend of mine how to attach a document to an email. She now designs websites as a hobby.

It all starts with the first step.

So what can you do with this information?

First expect more of yourself. So you might not get it spot on the first time. It took you a while to master many things in your life that are now habits like riding a bike, swimming, you name it.

Managing is no different. It to starts with taking the first step. So what about your teams. Encourage them. Give them opportunities to learn and grow.

The Human animal is a success creature that is made to seek more in life and develop. With 100 billion brain cells that is probably the reason why.

As the famous Milton Erikson once said; "whatever you think you are you are always more than that."

If your business has a strong and achievable sales plan, your sales staff (whether that's you as a small business owner, or your employees) will be able to focus on selling to the plan. As a manager of sales people, it's your responsibility to build the sales plan.

Building the sales plan means more than just in-putting numbers into a spreadsheet; and that's why many small business owners and sales managers get stumped and why sales plans are often far from reality. Most sales plans are created with only the sales numbers in mind. But to build an effective sales plan, you need to consider more than the numbers.

The sales plan needs to be valid and real; you will use it to plan many other aspects of your business (such as cash flow, capital expenditures, hiring, expansion and more). Test your sales numbers against the market: you need to know market size and your share of the market for this to be effective.

First, your sales plan must define the time period for your sales forecast (1 year, 2 years, 5 years). Second, it must consider the products you will sell (and potential new products you will develop and need to sell) over the determined period of time. Third, it must identify the number and type of customers you will sell to. Finally, it will identify the resources (human and equipment) you will need to supply to support your plan. And in these four steps, what must be thoroughly considered are the assumptions you are using in each step as well as the assumptions further on.

A sales plan is only useful if you track and compare actual results to the plan. On a regular basis (monthly, quarterly, etc.) make sure that you update your sales plan with comments to highlight why, where, what, when, and how the actual results differ from the planned results.

As you build your sales plan, you have to make assumptions. The top 10 assumptions I've used in sales planning are:

• US/Canada dollar exchange rate - and the impact on sales on either side of the border (globally use your strongest trading partner country).
• Inflation rate projections - for each year of the plan period - and its impact on costs, wages and prices.
• Market growth in relation to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
• Market growth in relation to a planned event (elections, etc.).
• Impact of new competitors on market share.
• Impact of mergers and acquisitions within the industry on market share.
• Impact of rapid sales growth.
• Impact of market shrinkage (product entering the mature or declining stage of its life-cycle).
• If an existing product, what are historical sales (last 5 years) in terms of trend-lines - assume that trend line for the next 5 years unless you are planning something that will impact the trend.
• If a new product, are your sales assumptions supported by your market research.

Use some or all, and if necessary use additional, assumptions in your sales plan. Make sure that you identify all assumptions clearly in the plan and that you use those same assumptions in your other business plans (e.g human resources plan, capital expenditures plan, operations plan, etc.).