Whether you are trying to take your shop to top of the sales league, or have an incentive to sell a certain product, knowing how to galvanise your team to meet a target can reap great results for shop managers.
Here, Emily Pipkin, Thomas Cook’s regional sales manager for south London, gives her tips on getting staff to hit targets.
1. Communication
It is important to ensure your team understands from the outset exactly what the target is, and give context and background. Teams will only deliver if they fully understand what they are being asked to do and what the benefits are.
Check the key messages have been understood and the objectives are clear. If you’re a manager, why not buddy up with another store manager to check your messages are getting through?
2. Ownership
Gaining buy-in from your team is crucial. Strength comes from everyone working together towards the same goal.
Ask your team how they are going to achieve the set target. If your staff set their own actions and take ownership of a goal they will be far more likely to succeed as they have a personal attachment.
3. Keeping it alive
As a manager, the importance you put on each target will dictate how your teams prioritise them. It’s so important to keep the momentum going and the target alive, so continue with daily updates or daily targets where appropriate.
4. Share best practice
Within stores or regional sales teams, a manager will have a top and bottom performer. It’s important to encourage those at the bottom to achieve better results, while ensuring those at the top continue to achieve.
Take time to understand why people aren’t meeting their targets. Support and coach individuals to increase productivity and keep targets on track. Sharing best practice is key, so start by getting your strong performers to communicate how they are achieving their results to the rest of the team.
To help motivate top performers, make it part of their objectives to coach other team members as well as achieve their own results.
5. Knowledge is power
If you’re not on track with a target, it’s important to understand why. Don’t assume that because you have communicated a target, gained ownership and kept momentum going that you will always hit it.
External influences could go against you so it’s important to stay commercially aware and adapt your approach accordingly. Similarly, something could be working against you within your teams, so regular feedback is vital.
Admitting things aren’t working can be hard, but as a team you can work out another route.
Emily Pipkin is South London regional sales manager for Thomas Cook