While many businesses these days are focused on sales and cutbacks, smart business owners know that without good people, you’re not going to make your sales goals or run efficiently. Attracting and retaining quality team members takes work, and the most successful businesses spend time focusing on this.
So how do you do it? Here are some ways to keep your team focused and motivated, and bring out their best:
- Develop relationships with your team. Find out what they care about and what motivates them by spending time talking to each team member individually.
- Let your team know that their input, feedback, and suggestions are important to you, and put a system in place for exchanging ideas.
- Schedule formal meetings as well as social interactions like in a book club or bowling team, or just have coffee together.
- Connect on social networks and have a team group online to improve communication.
- Recognize and praise positive actions and excellences publicly. Have your team develop a excellence chart and display it publicly.
- Develop team incentives and rewards. Money is not always a motivator, and that’s why it’s important to learn what motivates each team member. Consider team incentives that everyone achieves as a group, as well as individual incentives.
- Promote personal and business development. Organize and implement ongoing training, motivational products, and highlight great team members and improvements.
- Be a coach, be proactive, be the first to lend a helping hand, praise, give advice and most of all be supportive.
- Lead and model what you preach.
Instead of simply focusing on sales numbers, find out what motivates your team. You’ll find that your sales numbers will go up because you’re surrounded by people who are invested in your business success!