Sales Engagement: How to Motivate Without Relying on Bonuses?

Contrary to popular belief, the “carrot and stick” are not the primary motivating factors for your sales force. Indeed, material or financial rewards are no longer sufficient today to maintain motivation and drive within your sales team.

However, many companies have not fully integrated this point (see our article on the 10 mistakes of the sales director) and still rely too much on this lever. That is why, the observed mobility rate among sales executives is 28%, which is the highest percentage compared to other positions in the company.

Changes in Sales Management: “The Carrots Are Cooked!”

The era of purely material thinking is over. We are now in the social era where salespeople on average attach more importance to relationships and work atmosphere than to remuneration and potential bonuses.

This trend is not really new as it ultimately relates to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory (A Theory of Human Motivation) published in 1943. As a reminder, his theory established a hierarchy of human needs, as follows:

Remuneration is classified as a security need, but we can observe on this pyramid that the most important human expectations are actually the need for belonging, esteem, and self-actualization, corresponding, in the context of the company, to the work atmosphere, the quality of relationships with superiors/colleagues, the recognition of efforts, acknowledgment, personal development prospects, and autonomy.

This theory has returned to the forefront in recent years and is all the more relevant since the economic aspect is losing ground to the social aspect. The context and issues of work pressure, psychosocial risks in companies, sales complexity, crisis, etc., also cause these needs to evolve.

It is necessary for a manager to identify the real motivations of their salespeople in order to better understand them, manage them more effectively, and thus retain them.

The New Expectations of Salespeople: “Because I’m Worth It”

• The sense of belonging to a community is growing. Your salesperson needs a work environment where they feel comfortable, where they can interact with their peers and also with their superior. To facilitate the relational aspect, give them the time, opportunity, and tools to discuss and collaborate with others, and be accessible. ESNs (Enterprise Social Networks) are very good means of communication in sales departments. As proof, the recruitment firm Uptoo has implemented this type of tool and explains the perceived benefits in a very interesting article: read here.
• The need to be valued and recognized in one’s work to be motivated is obvious. In an increasingly social world, the salesperson wants to feel that their hierarchy and colleagues recognize them and are aware of their abilities. Your role here is to congratulate performance, acknowledge everyone’s efforts, and not hesitate to do so publicly. You can also contribute to this esteem by allowing them to participate in strategy development, give their opinion, and share their knowledge: this will show them your trust and motivate them even more.
• Self-actualization is the Top Level of needs and therefore represents a factor that will effectively motivate your team. Indeed, nearly half of salespeople say they are motivated by the progress they make. In a way, it’s self-motivation. To foster this lever, you can implement a system allowing your sales force to track and observe their results precisely and in real-time, so that they always remain ‘connected’ to their advancement and progress.

Incenteev also offers a true social network dedicated to salespeople, allowing for accelerated and facilitated internal communication, sharing skills, tracking individual results in real-time, and other features to help you motivate your salespeople by addressing all the motivational aspects they expect.

Have you experienced these shifts in motivation within your sales team? What changes have you made in your management? Share your experience with us!

*The data in this article comes from studies conducted by MobiCadre and TheTas Group