Sales people are notoriously curious, intensely interested in new knowledge and always (ideally) seeking novel ways to be better at what they do. They’re competitive people who want to get at the bigger, better accounts, so a professional sales person is always asking questions. So why don’t they ask you? Probably because they don’t want to appear as though they harbor any self-doubt – a sign of weakness. They don’t care to show their Achilles heel to the person in charge. So, we’ve assembled this brief list of questions your sales team asks everyone (but you). Knowing what the questions are a route to insight into a corner of your sales team’s collective mind that can be helpful. The more you know about these questions, the greater your ability to anticipate and answer them.
You know they’re all wondering this. Your travel incentive program should be answering the question. How many times have you enrolled your sales team’s members in an incentive program offering rewards and have found out they don’t even know? The answer to this question is communication. Statistics tell us that over 50% of sales people who win rewards are surprised to discover they were even in the running. Communicate with your staff when there are opportunities for them to test their mettle and then, keep them apprised. You can only push them forward with travel incentives when they know they’re being pushed.
As a manager, you’re aware of where everyone’s at, in terms of sales. You’ll also have an accurate overview of which team members go the extra mile to take advantage of opportunities like additional training and incentives. Again, communication is a key factor in pre-emptively responding to the question. Answering the question before it’s asked means keeping a keen eye of team member rankings and encouraging those members who need it most by ensuring they’re aware of opportunities. But making them aware isn’t enough. Encourage participation, explaining that top guns jump on opportunities to learn as much as they can as often as they can. Top performers want to know where they stand. Those who are falling behind may be reluctant to seek that knowledge. You can help with that, by modeling open communication.
When sales people disengage from what they’re there to do, it’s because they’ve already given themselves an answer in the negative. Why should I do this? Why should I be meticulous about entering my numbers or making cold calls? The rewards you’re offering help your sales people set clear goals for themselves. That means offering the right rewards. Travel incentives, particularly those which reward people who don’t always come out on top, work in this respect. When they have as their centerpiece team building and professional development, you’ve got a winning formula to nurture the talent you need to keep your sales numbers where you want them. Incentive Travel Group creates winning travel incentives for sales teams. Contact us.
