Tips To Motivate a Retail Sales Team

Motivation is one of the most influential factors in determining the success of a retail business. Employees who show up to work each and every day with a lack of drive and determination will only hurt the business in the long run. Customers oftentimes need a little encouragement to buy a product, and it's the sales team's job to provide them with encouragement. This week, we're going to cover some key tips on how to motivate a retail sales team.

Tip #1) Drive Sales With Commissions

This should come as no surprise, but offering employees commissions on certain products is a highly effective way to drive sales. If an employee knows he or she will receive bonus money for selling a product, they'll likely pull out all of the stops to try and make the sale happen. It's important to note, however, that not all retail businesses are suited for the commission format, so carefully consider the pros and cons of commission sales before implementing it into your business.

Tip #2) Continue Training

Just because your sales team went through an initial round of training doesn't mean they should stop there. If you look at some of the nation's leading retailers, you'll notice their sales teams are constantly being trained on new sales techniques. The truth is that most sales employees would love to go through additional training programs, as it gives them a break from their monotonous day-to-day tasks. After going through the training program, they'll go back to work with a newfound drive and determination.

Tip #3) Show Appreciation

Recognizing and showing appreciation to your sales team is a natural form of motivation. Far too many bosses and manager avoid content with their employees, which leads to a general sense of dissatisfaction in the workplace.

Here are some simple ways to recognize and show appreciation to your employees:

• Verbally thank them for their hard work.
• Use employee-of-the-month programs to place top-performing sales employees in the limelight.
• Reward employees with incentives such as gift cards, bonus checks, plaques, trophies, etc.

Tip #4) Hire a Motivational Speaker

Hiring a motivational speaker is yet another technique that many retailers and businesses use to encourage better performance in their sales team. A professional motivational speaker will spark a drive in your sales team, allowing them to work past slumps, seasonal changes or other hurdles. For the price, hiring one will almost certainly prove to be a smart investment that yields higher sales in the long run.