Why should Inside Sales Reps be thought of as any different then field reps for motivation? They should not be! Short term, they're looking for extra money & extra accolades. Medium term, they're looking for extra training, extra money & extra accolades. Long term, it's career path (field, telesales manager) and extra money. However, the money stuff is the easiest to do but often the least motivating. I found the some of the best motivation to be the non-material stuff - the CEO mentioning them during an all-hand's meeting, that great off-site training class where they come back and present to the group on what they learned or even a promotion to selling manager. What doesn't work? Ringing the bell or gong when a sale is made!
Motivating Inside Reps
The issue is inside reps are different from field reps. Rejection is high, with only partial personal interaction (voice connections without face to face). The phone is a great place for buyers to hide and show bravery by rejecting sales reps initiatives. Buyers who are polite face to face turn into turn on a persona similar to the road rage personality when they are on the phone. These inside reps need special attention:
1. Access to management. When calls go bad and rejection builds up the reps need someone to talk to about an usual string of trash talking people on the customers side.
2. It’s a Numbers Game. remind them it is a numbers game. In every 100 dials, on average, they will talk to 13 to 18 people. Depending on the product 1-2 of these people will have interest in your product or service. These are cold hard facts that seldom change. Of the 11-16 people who are not interested, some will be negative.
3. It isn’t personal. Remind them they are interrupting someone’s day, they have to be the most clever, interesting, convincing sales person in order to attain the 1-3 person average interest level or exceed it.
4. Inside Reps are better than outside reps. Outside reps have many more tools to work with when visiting a prospect. The face to face nature breaks down many personal barriers which are placed in the way of a rep on the phone. You have to be the best to sell on the phone because the tool set is limited. It is their voice and their script (sequence of words that have meaning) that counts.
5. You need frequent breaks. You have to allow them walk-about time to break the tension.
6. Individual coaching. One on one time is needed at least once a week if not everyday. Five minute coaching sessions do wonders to send them back into the ring. Even prize fighters rest between rounds.
7. Group coaching. Circle the chairs for fast coaching of the group helps surface issues and keeps everyone refreshed.
8. Product training. These are not 2nd class salespeople. They need constant product updates.
9. Honor and Recognition is alive and well in the telemarketing suite. You need it more than ever and more frequently here. A public pat on the back goes a long way to boost morale.
10. Look at your incentive program and see if there is some room for small visible incentives each week to reward behavior. A $100 bill for stunningly good results motivates both the receiver and those in the team. Movie tickets, a GPS system, dinner for two, lunch that day, or just a public pat on the back goes a long way.
11. Bells. There are good reasons to ring a bell when a sale is made. It motivates the group, announces success, brings honor to the ringers etc. There are many types of “bells” you can ring. Think about it.
12. Contests bring out the competitive nature in reps.
13. Sales Leads. Cold calling is their job but an occasional easy call to someone who expects a call from someone is a great relief and motivator. Give them some leads every week.
We have some interesting telephone techniques on the Sales Lead Management Assn., web site.