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The Raggedy Man by James Whitcomb Riley, Performed by David Zucker of "Poetry In Motion."

Motivating Your Sales Team in the Summer

James Whitcomb Riley once said"The most essential factor is persistence - the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by the discouragement that must inevitably come."  His quote is especially valuable now that it's officially summer.

If you're like most sales leaders, you're trying to figure out how to keep your sales team excited and productive when it's blazing hot outside.  This list may not pertain to you if you're selling ice cream or frozen lemonade by the beach, but if you are in the office 9 to 5, pay close attention.

Here's a list of my top ideas:

• Summer is a perfect time for strategic planning. Instead of staying indoors, take your sales team on an off-site meeting at a local vacation spot. This is the time to mix business with pleasure and is a guaranteed way to get the sales team motivated.  A 50/50 mix of business and pleasure is just right right mix.  It's also a great and fun way to connect with your team.
• Most sales teams like the majority of other employees are predominantly motivated by cold hard cash.  You might consider putting in place "summer incentive boosters", sales incentive programs that apply only during the summer months.
• If possible, have a weekly office barbeque behind your office and invite local customers. It's fun and a great bonding experience for the customers and your sales team.
• Take your customers on outings during the summer. The possibilities and different options for having an outside activity with customers are endless. Apart from creating excitement for the sales team, this can be beneficial for your company.  Tennis, golf, local theme parks, baseball games, beach outings, etc. are all low cost activities that can have a lasting impression and lead to sales.
• Unique customer promotions are what generally excites and motivates sales people across all industries. Think about testing a number of product or service promotions during the summer months.  It's also a great time to test promotions for a launch in the fall.
• In many cases, employees value time off more than money … particularly in the summer. Consider a sales contest where the top performers get an extra day or more off if they reach the sales goal.  It's low-cost and can have a major impact.
• Create a fun competition among your sales staff.  If your group is large enough, create teams; if your staff is smaller, each "team" can be an individual.  Build incentive over the summer with weekly prizes.  Each month, have a group lunch to present sales rewards.  Have a larger outing to honor a winner at the end of the summer.

And here's another idea….show up late in the afternoon one day with a couple boxes of Dove ice cream bars.  There's nothing like an unexpected treat to get your team motivated and feel appreciated.  Have a great summer!

About the Author

Lenny Williams is a veteran Human Resources executive and has spent mucy of his career study the connections between employee motivation, job satisfaction, employee engagement and business performance.

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