How can I boost enthusiasm in my sales team?

• Hold all-employee meetings and bring in your salespeople to share a success story about how your products and services solved a problem for or delighted one of your customers. Be sure to give them a heads-up before the meeting adjourns.
• Share your financial statements-e.g., profit and loss statement, balance sheet-with your salespeople. Point out the areas you want to see improvement and generate sales reports of profitability by customer account. Draw insight and educate your salespeople.
• Annually, sit down with each sales representative and together set stretch goals using the acronym SMART-specific, measurable, actionable, reachable, and time sensitive.
• Invest in training your salespeople in the soft skills of selling. For instance, listening, interpersonal relationship building, and promise-keeping. Brainstorm with your sales folks to identify the specific, observable behaviors of good listeners, leaders, and high integrity individuals and discuss them. Stimulate the discussion through role plays and case studies.

The potential return on your efforts to pump up your sales force is limitless. Don’t be surprised if a brief intervention into this arena yields bountiful, immediate results.

—Your Personal Business Trainer