''Life has changed radically in recent years.''
Yes, indeed. We're all well aware of it. We're even more than aware of it! And in most circumstances, we've adapted as best we can.
As a company specializing in business process optimization, we've not only faced our own organizational obstacles, but we've also witnessed the challenges faced by our customers, across all industries. What we've learned is clear: to generate sales results in today's reality, your approach has to change.
And it's not rocket science. All you have to do is motivate your employees to progress and achieve their goals. But if it's not rocket science, why do you have trouble keeping your employees motivated? The reason seems just as logical: your employees' motivations have changed recently too.
Here's what they're looking for.
In today's professional landscape, workers aspire to an essential balance between their responsibilities and their personal well-being. The need to catch their breath, to stop being understaffed and to put an end to the overwhelming task of carrying out the work of several people has become more than just a request.
Although superiors strive to recruit competent employees to lighten the load, this situation, supposedly temporary, drags on. And they know the drill, they hear it all the time: "You've got to be a team player" and "You've got to lend a hand a little longer" are phrases often tossed around by the management team.
However, employees' patience is wearing thin as time goes by. The supply of qualified candidates is dwindling, and the rigorous interview procedures are wearing everyone down, candidates and recruiting team alike.
Employees want to understand what they're doing. They want to know what they're selling. They want to master their environment as quickly as possible to ensure their credibility in the marketplace. Given the current context, many employees join their teams as a bolt from the blue and lack coaching. As much as management is glad they have help on the way, they are unprepared for the training portion that is required to give. It's a bit like the concept of learning on the job, a concept which, not surprisingly, is widely criticized.
We've seen this all too often: the management team has been understaffed for too long and has to double its efforts to keep the team afloat. Employees also take on extra workloads to help out. A new hire is brought in to relieve the pressure, but no one has the time to train them properly. They're asked to do tasks they've not yet learned, and their team becomes impatient, thinking they should be further along by now. The new recruit feels this pressure, doesn't feel competent for the role, doesn't feel included in the team, and leaves as soon as the opportunity arises.
And so the cycle repeats itself.
Employees want to optimize their time and make money! Doing development while managing existing customers is tedious work, and frankly, quite difficult to juggle.
If they're concentrating on their customer relationships, taking care of renewals, customer service and managing their current assets, they're most likely neglecting the development portion of their job. If no action is taken on development, no new business will be created in the coming months. On the other hand, if they concentrate on development but neglect their existing customers, their customer service will suffer, which will certainly have an impact on the next renewal.
It really is a chicken-or-the-egg dilemma. And in any case? Their paycheck will without doubt be impacted.
To sum up, it's crucial to understand that motivating employees in today's environment requires a new approach. Companies need to be attentive to the changing needs of their teams, provide adequate coaching and strike a balance between development and customer management tasks. By doing so, not only will employees be more motivated, but companies will also see better long-term results.
Are you re-evaluating your sales strategies? Did this article resonate with you? Would you like to discuss solutions for restructuring your sales department?
At XMA Solutions, we work closely with our customers to attract, motivate and retain their sales teams. Our services include recruitment, prospecting, training and coaching, to reinforce their commercial success.
Contact us to find out more!