5 Good Tips to Help You Motivate Your Mobile Sales Force

5 Good Tips to Help You Motivate Your Mobile Sales Force

Maintaining the motivation of your sales team is among the significant problems facing sales managers today. It is getting more complex as more companies require their sales staff to remain on the job longer, and often operating from their portable offices, i.e., the vehicle. Here are five quick strategies to keep your team members motivated while they’re in.

1.) Give them a reward that helps keep them focused while aiding in monitoring production.

One option that works is to organize an ongoing short-term (2-3 days) contest. Request your sales representatives to take a business card to each office of a client they visit. Write their names on the reverse of the card. Then, throw all the cards into an enormous fishbowl when they return to the office. Choose a winner based on the newest cards. You can award the winner with the latest mobile office tools. Like a new laptop bag and laser mouse, a laptop computer desk that is portable, or anything else that will help them be more comfortable and more productive traveling.

2.) Request frequent group communications via phone “huddles.”

One of the biggest demotivators for sales professionals who are mobile is the absence of feedback or communication from their colleagues. A weekly group meeting is an excellent occasion to discuss experiences of what’s working, recently made sales, and is an ideal opportunity for you to share any important information from the management. Limit these meetings to 15 minutes maximum, and you’ll be able to create tension by removing them from a busy schedule.

3.) Take your representatives on a regular basis.

Managers seem to adore their “surprise pop-in,” and salespeople dislike it. It doesn’t mean they’re not working as hard; it simply implies that they would like respect for an appointment that’s scheduled, just like they do their clients. Make an appointment with a representative at least two days before and inform them that your intention is to catch up and check out the state of affairs on the field. Be positive in your interactions, and you’ll be called back to the wing earlier than you thought.

4.) Answer your cell phone with enthusiasm.

You’ll be surprised by how motivating this can be. When you have a mobile sales force, they usually don’t contact them unless they’re in need of something. If they require it, usually, they’re on the move. Make sure you answer their calls promptly, offer quick answers to the questions they’re asking about, and remain aware of not acting like they’re interrupting your conversation. This might seem to be Management 101, but this is an area of concern for many sales managers.

5.) Provide details to assist your team to be more effective in their work from their cars.

Mobile offices can prove to be complex settings on many levels. Stiff backs, cluttered seats, and tense backs, dead batteries, spilled coffee, the dangers are innumerable for mobile professionals. Let your team members adapt to their surroundings by giving them the tools they need and the information required to get the most out of their working day. What you don’t want to see is them rushing from one cafe to the next, looking for a comfy chair!