How to Motivate Sales Associates with Sales Quotas

Reward impressive sales performance to keep sales agents motivated.

Your sales team can help you achieve your company’s revenue goals each year when you set individual sales quotas. However, each associate must be interested in achieving the sales goals and be motivated enough to keep working towards the target. You can keep your team motivated by providing rewards for performance. You may provide one type of reward or increase the excitement by offering a combination of attractive incentives.

Instructions

1. Set sales quotas that are achievable. Sales quotas that are too high result in low morale, subpar performance and low income. Involve the sales associates in the process of creating the quotas because they can give an idea of a reasonable quota for each territory based on experience.

2. Create a monetary compensation plan to reward your sales associates. For example, offer a commission to associates who achieve their quota, and make it progressively higher for sales above the quota.

3. Recognize the sales agents’ achievements at an awards ceremony. You could have this ceremony at the end of each year and present certificates, plaques or trophies.

4. Promote sales associates who meet their quotas consistently over a period of time. For instance, the agent could manage a new group of sales agents at a higher salary and job title. Associates who desire more responsibility can use this possibility as motivation to achieve their quotas consistently.

5. Conduct sales contests that agents can enter when they meet the sales quota. Provide attractive prizes, such as paid time off or invitations to special company events.

6. Retain sales agents who achieve the sales quota within a given period of time. Some salaried sales associates are content to provide low quality results in spite of the promise of rewards for higher sales. These individuals may become motivated to work harder when achieving the sales quota becomes a condition of employment. Ensure that the deadline is reasonable. Use the average achievements of the rest of the sales team as a guide.

References

• Advertising and Sales Management; Mukesh Trehan, et al.
• Motivating with Sales Contests:The Complete Guide to Motivating Your Telephone Professionals with Contests that Produce Record-Braking Results; David L. Worman