Introduction
Proven by multiple studies, it cannot be denied that field work force is the backbone of any organization. For sectors like Telecom, BFSI, NBFCs and pharmaceuticals, it is the field sales agents that drive almost 70–80% revenue. The field sales and support teams are the company’s representatives in both B2B and B2C interactions, and thus affect both sales figures as well as customer retention. While Sales jobs can give a high adrenaline rush and constant excitement, they are also amongst the most high pressure jobs owing to their performance-driven nature and rigorous sales cycles. Lack of motivation and incentives can lead to burnout and high churn rates.
Organisations must make consistent efforts to keep the sales team motivated and to raise their morale and self-confidence. We should remember that employees or field agents who are treated well at their workplace and recognized for their efforts, perform much better than those who are not.
A technological upgrade in the existing system can shed the field agent’s load to a great extent which improves their working capabilities. Based on their weekly or monthly performances, they could be given some appraisals and incentives which can boost their working capacity. Many sales representatives believe that collecting, sharing, and updating sales and customer data with managers daily is an uphill task. So, simplifying and improving the sales team’s operations will motivate and encourage them to perform better.
The following points must be considered by the field managers to improve their confidence and keep their teams motivated :
· Build trust & manage the team better
Any sales management approach must include getting to know your salespeople and how they perform best both individually and collectively. As you explore strategies to encourage sales people and eventually drive outcomes, this approach becomes even more crucial because feeling inspired appeals more to the personal side of things.
· Pay attention to activity metrics
Investing time but getting no returns is arguably one of the most demoralizing sensations in sales. And most of the time the sales representative is not even at fault. Therefore, be careful to provide an activity measure with every sales quota, conversion rate target, and revenue projection in addition to the outcomes.
· Set immediate objectives
Every quarter, month, or even every day, establish short-term objectives. Making progress over those shorter time frames will only make the long-term objective appear more attainable and inspire the team more.
· Provide more Incentives
Your sales compensation plan is a fantastic place to start when figuring out how to motivate salespeople. Be sure to provide incentives, whether they come in the form of a commission-based payment schedule or bonuses tied to sporadic milestones. Timely rewards and recognition go a long way in keep the field sales force motivated.
· Take more breaks and fewer meetings.
Verify that every meeting you have with your sales staff is required. Give everyone else that time back in their day if just a few important stakeholders need to discuss a certain issue or project, so they can sell more or take a much-needed vacation.
· Establish a competitive environment
Making a game out of a sales objective is a terrific method to inspire sales staff, but it must be followed by a discussion about the value of cooperation and teamwork. By rewarding activities other than sales KPIs, such as a mentoring relationship or information sharing, you may emphasize the significance of those principles over any rivalry.
· Share setbacks
Determine the problems your sales staff are having and take action before the problems affect production too much. Individuals and teams may both do this. It takes skill to provide constructive criticism because it’s not always simple.
· Boost the morale of your field personnel.
Field salesperson faces several difficulties throughout their career. Understanding the problems may require alternative points of view. A field sales representative is inspired to conquer various retailing problems by cooperating with their management in this way. Additionally, it aids them in refining how they handle product sales in various outlet categories.
· Increased awareness
Your sales representatives need to be constantly informed of how they are doing concerning their current objectives. By adding progress in areas other than sales targets, you may take this strategy a step further. Analyze qualitative objectives and communicate the results of your efforts, even if they can’t be quantified.
· Address issues using the data at hand
For them to make better judgments on the spot, your middle managers should have immediate access to relevant data. Many solutions include information including a field sales representative’s customized route itinerary, orders placed, and real-time location. The center manager might identify potential issues and prevent them with the use of this kind of information.
In addition to the above, giving your sales team access to the newest technologies is the greatest way to save them from the tedium of manual tasks, empowering them and keeping them focused on productive tasks. Nothing can hinder an organization’s growth if all the stakeholders are on the same page. This is why an advanced field force management solution becomes a game changer for field sales teams. One such AI-powered field force management & productivity enhancement solution is IMPRINT. Imprint is equipped with unmatched features like beat planning, custom forms, lead management & inventory management, digitized attendance, report generation, etc. Auto-expense & reimbursement management helps field agents get rid of tiring calculations and keeps them stress-free. The nearest client location updates can help them save time and improve efficiency. So, with Imprint, you can keep your sales team motivated at all times by making sure that they have access to the right data and tools to perform exceptionally well.
Conclusion
Managers must prioritize inspiring field sales representatives as a key component of their duties. As happy clients boost up an enterprise so do the happy and satisfied team members. Invest in a feature-rich field management solution and give your teams a gift of enhanced support, paperless transactions, improved productivity, and a strong knowledge base. For more details or a customized demo, reach us here.
