TruPath, a National Recruiting Firm, has placed many sales professionals in a variety of different roles ranging from representative to SVP. This means, TruPath recruiters have talked with 1,000’s of sales professionals, learning about their drive and motivations. Hear what they have to say about what motivates them.
Sales Professionals are unique. And, their individual drive and motivations differ. Especially by level of position. However, the below tips are the top sales motivators common among many.
Top 7 Sales Motivators:
1. Provide a competitive base salary. Notice, we did not say comfortable. The sales professional should be left wanting more! However, base pay should be competitive if you want to attract and retain talent. Most sales professionals will have a ramping period, and they want to know that they have enough income to provide for themselves and their loved ones. Low base, high commission plans are not as attractive as they once were. Sales professionals prefer a stable, competitive base pay.
2. Uncapped commissions are very appealing to sales professionals. Because there is no cap on how much the individual can earn in a specific period, the sales professional is rewarded for all of his/her hard work. As a sales professional promotes into leadership roles, most likely the base salary will increase and commissions become capped. Sales leaders’ results are often reflective of the efforts of a sales team.
3. Sales professionals appreciate clear expectations, goals, and targets. However, they prefer not to be micromanaged. Give your sales team room to operate autonomously, understanding that each person has a unique style. You may have to continuously remind your sales professional to log and document (record keeping is not always a strength) but give him/her plenty of room to run. Additionally, because sales professionals are at the mercy of their clients’ schedules, they also value flexible work schedules.
4. Red tape and multiple levels of approval will quickly extinguish the fire 🔥in your sales professional or create animosity between business units. Give your sales team wiggle room to make decisions on the fly to close deals. They prefer to have negotiating power as opposed to waiting on multiple levels of approval from others. In their eyes, waiting can lose a potentially lucrative deal. Setting boundaries for your sales professional allows him/her to makes decisions without harming the business or their deal.
5. Sales professionals spend a lot of time and money on items that many other professionals don’t often think about making a monthly budget for. These are items such as mileage, car maintenance, sales meals/meetings, phone expenses, etc. Ensure that your sales team has a clear process for submitting for reimbursement or, better yet, offer a monthly stipend for these items. Not having to worry about how to cover these routine sales events eliminates barriers and reduces stress.
6. In general, sales professionals are competitive. Goals and expectations keep a sales team on track, but competitions tend to yield even better results. Giving your sales professionals the opportunity to win prizes or trips really motivates them to go above and beyond. Consider a quarterly contest or annual grand-prize that is over-the-top!
7. Sales professionals appreciate recognition for a job well done. Don’t underestimate the power of recognition and awards within your company. It may be a weekly shout out, a thank you from top Executives, a quarterly earnings leader award, or a salesperson of the year award. Regardless of the type of recognition, make sure it happens! Seemingly small kudos go a long way. Especially for those bringing in large amounts of revenue for your organization.
As a trusted recruitment source since 2002, the recruiters at TruPath have a customizable process that helps partners (clients) feel comfortable in their search for top talent. Contact a TruPath team member today to tell us about your Executive search needs.