Why is niceness a scarcity in sales? Usually, it’s a trickle down effect. Salespeople don’t feel cared for by their companies, so they transfer their negativity to their customers. That being said, there are clear strategies to help ensure that your team is modeling the golden rule. Here’s a refresher on how to jumpstart your sales team’s niceness.
Respect Them
Yes, respect really is a two-way street. Showing care and concern for salespeople and valuing their efforts can hugely affect how they perceive their job, their customers, and you!
Empower Them
Valuable insight can be found from the individuals who work on the frontlines of sales. They want to share with you their findings, offer their suggestions for improvement, and be given the power to make decisions without always having to get permission.
If you hired them, you must have thought they were qualified and capable. Give them the opportunity to excel, and you’ll build loyalty and commitment. Alternatively, if you clip their wings, you’ll quickly have a team that is resentful and just going through the motions of their job until something better comes along.
Compensate Them
Money talks! Reward those who are striving to succeed, offering solutions, and achieving their goals. Your generosity will not go unnoticed. Well-paid salespeople are happy salespeople who will treat their customers far better than those who are only thrown a few crumbs every now and again.
Provide Great Working Conditions
By creating an environment where your team truly wants to go and work, you can positively affect their day-to-day attitude. Whether you set up a comfortable office space or let them work from home if it’s more productive there for them, making their conditions undeniably great will encourage them want to be nice to others. No one wants to sit in a nondescript cubical with poor fluorescent lighting. This is a recipe for making ticked off salespeople. Instead, give them the space they need to flourish, and their happiness will be reflected in their work.
Make Them a Team
Sales teams that encourage each other and realize that they share a common goal are always more productive than those that squabble, backstab, and nitpick. Sure, a little friendly competition might be a good way to ramp up sales, but at the end of the day, your team should be helping each other to achieve their goals. By feeling part of a team, they have the support system they need to provide the highest level of service to your customers.
Help Them to Feel Good about the Company
Niceness is definitely contagious. If the company is modeling niceness through volunteerism, donations, treating their employees well, this spirit of goodwill will naturally carry on through employees directly to your customers.
Make Sure They Understand the Importance of Customers
Continuously stressing the value and importance of customers is something that is vital to every business. In our hyper rushed world, it’s easy to lose track of the fact that customer satisfaction should be at the heart of everything that your sales team does.
Train Them
Without training them how to care for customers, you’re setting your business up for failure. Salespeople cannot provide the highest quality of service if they are not given training on how to perform their jobs. Even if they’re the nicest individuals in the world, this may not be projected if they’re bumbling through sales presentations and unsure of what they’re supposed to be doing. Just Be Nice!
