Help Set Goals

Another way of helping your consultants stay motivated is by working with them to establish clear goals with deadlines. This doesn’t mean set goals for them. Make sure your team members are part of the process. After all, they know their schedule as well as their strengths and weaknesses better than you. Ask them about any roadblocks they may be having and set goals with reasonable deadlines that work with their schedule. The folks at the direct sales consultant firm Sassy Suite suggest that giving a team member a promotional target for a future date, and then working together on the action plan to meet that goal is a good place to start.

Incentivize

Who doesn’t like rewards? Even in the world of direct sales, rewarding your team members for high sales numbers, great customer service and showing up for meetings is a great way to make them feel valued and to encourage them to keep doing their best. These incentives don’t have to be big. In fact, they rarely should be. Unless you’re trying to meet an incredibly large goal or it’s a special event, the incentives you give should not cost you much. An inexpensive bouquet of flowers or a $10 gift card to Starbucks is enough to thank your team members for meeting their goals. Business coach, trainer and public speaker Brenda Ster of the website Charmed Suite offers monthly challenges to her team, along with “Pop Challenges” that are for a shorter duration. “Prizes might be bragging rights, product, or other business materials that will help the winner,” she says. “I always post the prize with the challenge, so they know what they’re working for.” Keep in mind, the point isn’t necessarily in the reward you give but the feeling of appreciation your team should feel knowing you notice their hard work.

Need other suggestions to help motivate your consultants? Try the app Wonderful Day, which keeps track of daily tasks so you can set goals, with the reward of seeing your progress everyday. MotivateMe provides audio coaching and motivational quotes. Asana is a great way for teams to track their progress and easily collaborate with each other.

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