 America's trusted voice on money and business, Dave Ramsey is a personal money management expert and extremely popular national radio personality. His three New York Times best-selling books - Financial Peace, More Than Enough and The Total Money Makeover - have sold more than 6 million copies combined. His latest book is EntreLeadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches.
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Look for (and Instill) a Crusader’s MentalityDave, I have a great team of salesmen at my company, but one or two of them seem to have become satisfiedwith where they are now since they’ve already hit their financial goals for the year. They’re still really goodsalesmen, but they’ve lost the fire that got them where they are so quickly. Do you have any advice formotivating good salespeople once they’ve reached a certain level? DanielDaniel, I love team members who have the energy and drive to go out and make sales. The intensity andcommitment they radiate is palpable, and it often rubs off on others within the organization. But when it comesto this type of work, you’ve also got to constantly be on the lookout for people who are there simply to collectbig checks.I call a person who’s on some type of commission-structured compensation plan, and who brings in more than theycost you, a tiger. These are the types of people you want in commission-based roles because they enjoy the chaseand the thrill of the hunt. But it can be difficult to change things with people who are already in place andhave been with you a long time-especially if they’ve already reached the goals they set for themselves. You cantalk to them about the situation and their goals, and how they play into the overall success of the company. Oryou might think about changing their compensation structure in order to give them something new to shoot for. But the best thing is to always put in lots of time and effort in the very beginning. I’m talking about duringthe hiring process and onboarding phase.Make sure you pick the very best people for the job, even if it means hirings take a little longer. At mycompany, we look for and stress the importance of having a crusade mentality. You have to be on fire for whatyou’re doing. You have to love the job. You have to love doing work that matters. We’re a winning team with awinning attitude. Our goal isn’t just a good season or to make the playoffs. We want that big ring-every singletime. Now, this mindset isn’t something you can suddenly start cramming down people’s throats. It needs to be a gradualprocess if it’s something you’re not doing already. But the first and most important thing is to surroundyourself with winners. And give them what they need. Give them the motivation and encouragement they need to besuccessful, and recognize them in tangible ways when they succeed. As a leader, that’s one of your biggest jobs. Plus you have to teach and demonstrate, by your own habits andattitude, that it’s not acceptable to start coasting once a goal has been attained. It’s called leading byexample. Great question, Daniel! - DaveRead other business articles |