With the unusual circumstances over the last year, keeping your sales team motivated and productive has become a sincere challenge. While many associates are equipped to work on their own and maintain a high level of productivity, others may not be so adaptable. Finding ways to keep your team at peak performance requires an investment of time and money. Here we take a look at five ways to motivate your sales team.

Offer Unique Incentives

Offering incentives is a great way to motivate your business development team and keep them focused on their goals. Outline specific attainable metrics and attach some kind of reward to them. This may come in the form of cash, but unique and outside the box rewards work just as well. Things like paid time off, extra breaks and even free lunch can be great motivators.

Create Competition

A bit of healthy competition is good for any team. Keep a running tally of each team member’s metrics on a board for all to see. Whoever wins the competition should get some kind of prize. You may even consider splitting your team into two or three smaller teams to promote camaraderie and encourage your team members to cheer on their colleagues.

Celebrate Them

Employee appreciation can go a long way toward keeping your team motivated and is a big part of employee retention. Small gestures like team meals, outings, awards and bonuses will show your team that they are an important part of the company. When employees feel appreciated, they tend to work harder and be more productive.

Incorporate Team Building Exercises

Studies have shown that regular team building exercises can have a profound impact on employee retention, morale and productivity. Coming up with fun activities that bring your sales team together can create healthy competition and promote idea sharing. Positivity and consistency are essential in sales, and dedicating time to build your team promotes them.

Ask Their Management Preferences

Every sales person is going to be different when it comes to how they prefer to be managed. Some people need attention and crave feedback, while others prefer to be left alone to plug away. Asking the individuals on your team how the prefer to be managed can help build your relationship and allow you to better support them.