I can remember it like yesterday–”Coach, I can’t do another 800 split.” As I am puking on the infield. “Billy (that is what they call young William’s in the south) can’t never did anything–finish up and give me another one.” Guess what I beat my personal best in the 2 mile at the next meet and qualified for State.

It is time to remember this lesson and put those words back in our head. No more grumbling on the sales floor. No more bitching about customers that are afraid to make a decision. Your job is to make customers understand you are the hope, you are the solution, you are the positive step in a bad market.

It is time to kill the “can’t” attitude in your organization.

Make sure your sales process and lead management system are full of reminders of  what a lack of action, effort, and belief yields–nothing! Don’t let defeatism infiltrate your sales organization, that is your number one job as a sales manager. You are the coach, whether you are leading yourself, a team, an organization. You are the only one that can make it happen.

Motivation Fuels Sales

Sales people like roller coasters. We soar on wins and dive on the multitude of objections and rejections that we get each day. This is why creating a sales culture built on team motivation evens out these individual peaks and valleys–sharing successes are critical. If you are a sales team of one get a mentor.

There are lots of ways to build this power of motivation. Here are a few guaranteed winners:

• Run a leader board to create competitive push in sales
• Use sales contests and games to get energy on the sales floor
• Have sales managers showcase best practices with live calls

Leave a comment with your favorites. Be specific.

Avoid letting mediocrity creep in–routines, status quo erodes sales targets. Positive energy needs a certain imbalance and agility in the organization. Use these motivational techniques to shake things up on a regular basis.

Confidence is Customer Contagious

Sales motivation almost instantly translates into confidence–confidence is contagious. Get this element in your sales DNA right now. It will pump your sales team and reassure your customers.

A motivated and confident person will evangelize products and services with reckless abandon–giving your customers little hesitation in saying, “yes!”

Down markets and shaky economies bring customers with hesitation, apprehension, and fear. They bring these hidden objections into every sales call. Confident sales people will quickly overcome steady these client fears–making them strong points in the sale.

Confidence is contagious–transfer it to your team and your clients.

Pump Up Your Sales Numbers

Driving out “can’t,” ridding the organization of negativity, and inspiring motivation will increase your sales.

Motivation and confidence make your sales more persuasive and tenacious. It helps sales reps to overcome objections and calms customer apprehension.

Remember, “can’t never did anything.” So, make sure that your sales processes and lead management systems build a sense of urgency and confidence into your sales organization.

What are you doing to motivate your sales teams?