Motivatiing Your Workforce
by David Kingston
http://www.fatmarketing.com
In business, the inner need to act or accomplish tasks known
as motivation occurs more when "greed" is present. If I do
this, perhaps I will get a raise or a bonus. I'll admit this
thought has crossed my mind. If I don't accomplish this, I
may lose my job. Some of the biggest motivators in our lives
are the need to have enough money, and to live comfortably.
Motivation in Sales and Marketing
Motivation in the sales or marketing workplace is not
significantly different in concept. Start by building a
bonus system where the top sales person gets the top bonus,
and on down the scale until at some point, there is no
bonus. This may turn the work environment into a "dog eats
dog" atmosphere, but it guarantees results. You can give a
bonus for projects completed in 3-days verses the normal 5-
day work week, or a certificate of achievement reward for
the number of sales they've made in a month. The reward
doesn't even have to be something expensive in order for the
concept to work - just coveted.
The bonus can be a simple certificate the top selling
person getting their name on it. The incentive need not
be terribly elaborate or expensive in order to be
effective, people just have to want it. Different groups
of people will be motivated by different incentives.
Pay per performance can be a far more powerful motivation
factor. On top of the annual raise, profits are set aside
and given out to employees in proportion to their annual
contribution to company performance. Yearly salary
increases, end of the year bonuses, and other such
incentives will practically motivate employees to walk on
water but for those who like performing to superior levels
and being rewarded for doing so, the results are
undeniable.
Assess Accordingly
Some people simply don't have the ability to perform at
rocket-science levels every day, or even some days. It's
best to gauge your motivational technique to the workforce
with which you are dealing. For instance, an announcement to
your office staff on Monday that 100% attendance for the
entire week receives a reward like a "gift certificate worth
$50" is bound to encourage an increase in attendance.
Even the little things will surprise you at how effective
they can be. Showing some empathy and compassion for
people is vital but can also be very motivating. A great
deal is said about your ethics and management style by the
way you communicate with people.
Some people, such as myself, work best when simply told what
needs to be done and then left alone to do it. My employers
have always known this but they also knew that if I needed
help with something, I would ask.
In less than a year, we built a "solid" relationship. He
knew if I didn't contact him, I was on track, ahead of
schedule, or on schedule and moving forward. He respected
my judgment and he recognized that if a note appeared "Must
talk TODAY" that I didn't just want to know how his wife
and kids were doing. I always went over and above for my
boss. It didn't take me long to obtain the aforementioned
bonuses to prove it!
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