Published:
October 20, 2023
OOH Sales Blog

Unlocking Motivation: Understanding and Energizing Your Team

Have you ever taken a moment to decode what truly motivates each member of your OOH team no matter their role?




Is it financial gain, the allure of status, or the thrill of achieving awards and goals? Motivation is a complex force, but it can be categorized into three overarching themes:
1. Relationship Individuals driven by relationships thrive on personal connections and interactions. They have a strong desire to be liked and held in high regard by their peers.
2. Status Status-oriented individuals are fueled by effectiveness, influence, and the desire to make a substantial impact. Recognition and prestige are their driving forces.
3. Achievement Achievement-minded individuals desire a sense of accomplishment. They set their sights on realistic yet challenging goals and have a deep need for feedback to gauge their progress.

So, have you identified which category each of your team members falls into? Are you providing them with opportunities that align with their motivational needs? Understanding what drives them allows you to channel their energy towards both personal and company objectives.
For those who thrive on relationships, they often make excellent team players. When assigning tasks or projects, consider allowing them to collaborate with a partner or team members. Involving them in committees and focus groups can also be highly motivating.


Status-driven individuals, on the other hand, have a strong inclination to lead and express their ideas. Elevating their personal status and influence is paramount to them. These individuals excel as project team leaders, so provide them with opportunities to organize, direct, and report on projects.


Achievement-driven team members are constantly seeking improvement and innovative ways to enhance performance. Encourage them to share their insights and ideas on how to optimize processes. They can be valuable sounding boards when exploring performance enhancements.


But it's not just about understanding what motivates your team; it's also important to consider what might demotivate them. Start with a self-assessment. Do you take the time to acknowledge your team's accomplishments, no matter how small? Or do you only engage when things go as planned? Building supportive relationships through active listening, coaching, and guidance is crucial.


Additionally, ensure that your team has the necessary tools, such as training, technology, and information, to foster their personal and professional growth. Your attitude as a leader also plays a significant role in motivating your team. Are you typically positive and optimistic, or do you lean towards negativity and pessimism? Remember, your presence can either elevate or dampen the room's mood.

-----
In conclusion, understanding and nurturing your team's motivations is an essential aspect of effective leadership. By aligning their motivations with opportunities and offering support, you can create a motivated and engaged team that drives both personal and organizational success.
Need help with sales skills or coaching to take your out of home company to the next level.  Learn more about OOH Sales Mastery at oohmastery.com  or Contact Dan Nausley at  dan.nausley@sandler.com, 423.702.5579.  


Lisa & Dan Nausley of Sandler Chattanooga have developed the OOH Sales Mastery Program after more than a decade of training/coaching scores of OOH Operators across the country in sales, leadership, and executive coaching.

Read more Outdoor Sales Mastery Blogs

Published:
March 23, 2024
OOH Leadership
Be a Bulletproof Leader
Go ahead, be honest, do you have any leadership blind spots that have slipped up on you over the years? Are you really leading your OOH team proactively or do you find yourself tending to “react” to whatever the day/week has in store for us? Blind spots can adversely affect you or any leader. Frankly, they’re easy to miss – and capable of causing immense damage without ever getting noticed.
Published:
March 23, 2024
OOH Leadership
Five Best Practices for Leading High-Performance Salespeople
One of the mistakes that we see often with leaders of OOH sales teams is that they spend an inordinate amount of their time working with the team members that are not performing at an acceptable level. Sometimes spending as much as 75% of their time on the weakest performing salespeople. Trying desperately to raise the bar on their performance, often they will by in large neglect interactions with the high performers on the team.‍It may sound counterintuitive to not focus all your efforts trying to improve the reps who have the most opportunity for improvement. However, think of it this way. If you have to lose a salesperson, who would you rather see go? The high performer or the one that never seems to come close to reaching the minimum level of production you expect. The most valuable investment you can make in your salespeople is your time, your attention, your guidance and your coaching. ‍While we are not suggesting that you shouldn’t work with and spend time with the under performing reps, we must avoid at all costs the perception that the only way to get your attention is to under perform.