WE ALL need to feel motivated to do our jobs well, but salespeople with tough targets and tight deadlines can require more motivation than most. In a profession notorious for its high turnover, incentives are a reason to stay. We asked those in the know how to keep morale bubbling over.

1. Money, money, money.In the business of selling there is no denying that, properly delivered, financial incentives work. “It’s very simple: the more you sell the more money you make,” says Joe Keight, a call-centre manager for P&O Ferries.

2. Accessible goals.“Set the target, make it achievable, make it fair,” says Dwain McDonald, the executive sales director for Parceline. “Allow people to work out their own money.” Paul Thomson, the head of consumer sales at CPP, an insurance provider, says: “Anyone can win something, all the time.”

3. Give timelines. “We have hourly, daily, quarterly incentives,” Thomson says. While short-term goals boost morale, long-term rewards are a reason to nurture customers instead of going for the quick sell, he says. He keeps the prize of an annual exotic holiday in people’s minds by sending postcards throughout the year.

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BACKGROUND

• Sold on getting results

• Tall tales about telesales

• The key to selling

• How to motivate salespeople

4. Personalise it. “Find out what makes people tick and use that to motivate them,” Keight says. This could be flexi-working or leading the sales chart. “The motivation of a 21-year-old differs from that of a working mum,” Thomson says.

5. Aspirational rewards. Incentives have to be worth striving for, so include things that staff couldn’t do otherwise. “Anyone can go to New York, but who can say that they’ve spent time with the Brooklyn homicide squad?” Thomson says.

6. Make it fun. Everyone likes a game. At P&O, Keight runs “Freaky Fridays” to revive flagging morale. Prizes vary from iPods to Indian head massages. Teams also compete in “tribes” to win £500 to spend on a monthly outing.

7. Visible recognition. “Sales people love being top of the ladder,” McDonald says. He uses league tables and an “Elite club”, awarding top performers a briefcase with a nameplate in bronze, silver or gold.

8. Invent a brand.“Give the programme a name and tag everything to it. We have the Dream tickets, Dream catalogue, Dream awards,” Thomson says. “Keep it uniform and remind people constantly.”

9. Continual training. Confidence is a great motivator, McDonald says. Enhancing people’s knowledge and skills helps them to sell more.

10. Bigger picture. “We agree a set of commercial targets but also complaints and compliments,” Keight says. “Once people see where their goal fits into business objectives, it’s really motivating.”

HOW NOT TO...

THE pitfalls that can dim even the brightest of sales sparks:

Too much paperwork. “Sales people are rubbish at administration. An Excel spreadsheet will send most of them into freefall,” McDonald says.

Money fixation. “Team awards can often mean more and are better for business performance,” Keight says.

Complex rules. “The incentives programme has to be simple or it becomes a distration,” Thomson says.

Punishment. Taking things away from people can lead to discontent.

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