If your sales/marketing rep is struggling to meet their sales goals, it could be possible that they are lacking the motivation they need to point them in a successful direction.

Too often I am observing senior care leaders who are responsible for the sales staff make quick “elimination” decisions because census or occupancy goals are not being met.  Unfortunately this is one position where having constant change can truly harm the reputation of your organization.  The key to motivation is to determine if you have helped your rep to reach their full potential.  Having several conversations with them to determine the real issues that drive their engagement and satisfaction will enable you to discover their aspirations and hidden potential, which in turn drive their motivation.

Motivation Strategies

Try utilizing the following “combined” strategies to improve engagement:

–Determine the source of motivation using these questions:

1. What are two elements of your position necessary for you to be motivated?

2. What is the biggest de-motivator for you?

3. Which of your job responsibilities brings you the greatest satisfaction?

4. Are any of your job responsibilities mundane or unfulfilling?

5. You left work thinking to yourself, “I made a difference today.”  What occurred to make you feel that way?

–Discover their personal strengths and look for opportunities to develop them fully.  Either utilize a behavior asset tool like DISC (contact Patty for more information), or ask the rep these questions:

1. What do you consider your greatest struggles?

2. What are the areas you feel are not your strengths?

3. When your peers give you feedback about what they have observed about you, what do they say you do best?

4. Likewise, what are two areas in which your colleagues might indicate you could do better?

5. If you were promoted tomorrow, what might your peers list as the reason you received the promotion?

–Do you know the aspirations of your sales rep?  Start having aspirational conversations, which are an ongoing dialogue between the sales rep and you, focused on personal development actions.  Your role should be to develop their remarkable talent.  During the aspirational conversation, take notes, listen, and at the end of the meeting assure the rep that you are committed to continuing the dialogue and will follow up within two weeks to help them generate a personal development plan based on the conversation.  Your conversation should include these questions:

1. What are two of your skill areas you would like to further develop?

2. What is a new skill or talent you would like to pursue this year?

3. If you had unlimited time and money to spend on your career development, how would you invest them?

4. Is there a specific position at this company you would like to move into at some point?

5. Where do you see your career going in the next three to five years?

6. If I had a magic wand and could grant you success in any career of your choosing, what would you choose?

7. What can I do to support the development of your career?

Now that you’ve learned what motivates the rep, their strengths and opportunities, and their aspirations, you have a solid foundation for a plan to maximize their potential for greatness.  Remember motivation is not a quick fix; it’s a long term investment in your valuable asset-the person that generates REVENUE for you.

What strategies do you use to motivate your sales rep?