How Great Managers Thank Their Sales Teams
In an industry as demanding as sales, it’s important that managers ensure that their people always feel appreciated. The best way to do that is through recognition and praise. One of our team members, Kent Reilly, believes that praising is the only thing that a manager has to do. Kent likes to paraphrase grocery chain Stew Leonards’ rules of engagement::
Rule #1: Always thank your people
Rule #2: If for some reason you don’t think you have to thank your people, refer to Rule #1
So what are we saying here? Simply put, your people need to know that you appreciate their efforts. They work hard. They give you their all. They have been dealing with a difficult environment for a long time, and they can become frustrated. So it is important for them to consistently hear from you that they’re doing a great job. Here are some of our preferred ways of expressing this to them:
Send a virtual message –This is one of the simplest, quickest and most common ways of expressing praise. Whether it is a quick phone call, voicemail or email, we encourage you to take a few seconds to express your appreciation for your employees’ hard work.
Tell them in person – If you can find the time to sit down and talk to your people at length, so much the better. But take the time to do it. Sometimes managers even give their praise publicly, in meetings or in announcements. That has value too, and it’s always appreciated.
Help them out at work – Other times, getting involved with your employees’ daily job functions can be a great way to show them your appreciation. For example, if they’ve been working hard on the same project for a long time, getting them involved in something more interesting is a way to say thank you. And still other times helping them out or taking some pressure off them regarding an assignment lets them know that you recognize and appreciate their efforts.
Give them a little something when they go the extra mile – Every once in a while, an employee may do something truly exceptional that justifies a little reward. This certainly doesn’t have to break the bank – just tickets to a sports game or a gift certificate for dinner for two will show your employees that you value them and everything they do for you.
So thank them. They deserve it. Don’t do it just for the sake of doing it as there needs to be a viable reason. And when there is a good reason to do so, thanking them will always have a positive impact. A happy employee who knows that he or she is appreciated will always stretch themselves more. And everyone will benefit from that.
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How do you show your employees your gratitude for their hard work? Leave a comment to let us know!
