Keeping sales professionals motivated during the ups and downs of any sales cycle is one of the toughest responsibilities every sales manager must endure. The fact is, most salespeople are personally affected when they lose a sale and this can cause a dramatic effect to an individual salesperson’s overall performance.

As sales managers it is our responsibility to keep our sales teams motivated and driven to succeed. It is our responsibility to determine what motivates our salespeople to excel and to create an atmosphere which supports and provides that motivation.

So what really motivates salespeople to excel?

Compensating salespeople with competitive salaries and attractive commission structures provides an atmosphere which will keep them from looking elsewhere. But motivating a sales team to excel requires an atmosphere which provides support and development, rewards and recognition, opportunity and advancement, and a corporate environment that encourages higher levels of performance.

How should a sales manager motivate his/her salespeople? 

Motivating salespeople requires the sales manager consistently reaffirm confidence in their abilities, consistently show interest in their success, and never stop encouraging their top producers to better themselves. A properly motivated sales team can provide great benefits to a sales manager and will lead to large dividends in the future.