FightingFistDrangon profile picture
FightingFistDrangon profile picture

FightingFistDrangon

Director of Sales

Politicker
Valued Contributor
Catalyst
+5

How do you motivate a team with low morale?

I started working for a new company a couple of weeks ago and quickly realized that our team lacks motivation, and money is definitely not the root cause of this situation. Taking this into account, how do you motivate a team with low morale?

👑 Sales Strategy
🧢 Sales Management
19

17 comments

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CuriousFox
WR Officer
10
🦊
Find out why they are unmotivated. Make them feel safe and talk to them one on one.
braintank
Politicker
4
Enterprise Account Executive
Assuming you're their manager here. If so then don't focus on motivating the team as a whole, but the individuals. Everyone's motivation is different and they respond to different stimulus. If this is a turnaround situation then I'd meet 1x1 with everyone and figure out what makes them tick. Everyone claims to be coin operated, but what are they making money for? If you can get all the individuals motivated and happy, then the team as a whole will gel.
CoorsKing
WR Officer
4
Retired King of the Coors Knights
While individuals will certainly have their own personal motivators, if a whole team is in the dumps there is probably a common denominator. I would just sit down with each of them 1:1 and try to figure it out, could be any number of things from marketing to comp to transparency to a negative team member dragging the rest down. 
Mobi85
Politicker
1
Regional Sales Manager
If money isn’t their main motivator need to determine what is. Find out from the team what may be their motivators. They may not flat out tell you what motivates them but they may subtly tell you.
If it is social recognition, make sure to praise the person publicly when they close a big deal to make them feel motivated to want to do it again. If someone is talking about a vacation or some materialistic thing they want to get then use that as the motivator.
Everyone has their own triggers that makes them want to run through a wall with motivation and need to determine exactly what that may be for those specific people.
Diablo
Politicker
1
Sr. AE
First step is to find out what demotivates them then you can start working in the backward direction.
Jewcan_Sam81
Politicker
1
Account Executive
Definitely don’t just try to throw them a pizza party. Only way that works is if there’s a crap load of alcohol, but still have pizza there
Beans
Big Shot
1
Enterprise Account Executive
You can't band-aid this, find the root of the problem, off the record candid conversations and build a plan to fix it from the responses you get.
Sunbunny31
Politicker
1
Sr Sales Executive 🐰
If you’re the manager, then 1:1 with each person to see if you can get a handle on what’s going on. You may find a common denominator, but you may also find you can only begin to make a difference 1 person at a time.
Honestly, I’m surprised that money isn’t a factor.
Spongeboob
Opinionated
1
Account Executive II
Starbucks gift cards
Clashingsoulsspell
Politicker
1
ISR
If money isn’t their main motivator need to determine what is. Find out from the team what may be their motivators. They may not flat out tell you what motivates them but they may subtly tell you.
MaximumRaizer
Politicker
1
Sales Manager
Assuming you're their manager here. If so then don't focus on motivating the team as a whole, but the individuals. Everyone's motivation is different and they respond to different stimulus. If this is a turnaround situation then I'd meet 1x1 with everyone and figure out what makes them tick. Everyone claims to be coin operated, but what are they making money for? If you can get all the individuals motivated and happy, then the team as a whole will gel.
godpull54
Praised Answer
0
PDR
Ive found that 1 bad apple can ruin a whole team. Take a closer look and see if you can find one or a few individuals that are definitely bad apples and get rid of them. In a more practical sense have you done any team bonding. I've found that a good team event/dinner to be really good at raising morale and increasing connectivity within the organization. 
TennisandSales
Politicker
0
Head Of Sales
Like some have mentioned here is what I WOULD NOT do. 

- Bring it up in a group setting 
- Try to have some sort of part or team meetings, this will backfire. 

Here is what I would do: 
- in one on ones, bring it up casually. "mike, i know im new but it seems like the team energy is a little low. do you feel this? Why do you think this is?" 

Try to understand each persons concerns and find which ones are the common trends and work on improving those. (again individually) 
GreenSide
Politicker
0
Sales manager
Wow, you really are a sack of shit. Stop stealing posts.

https://bravado.co/war-room/posts/how-do-you-motivate-a-team-with-low-morale
MR.StretchISR
Politicker
0
ISR
Find out why they are unmotivated. Make them feel safe and talk to them one on one.
Mr.Floaty
Politicker
0
BDR
I used to be. I used to be afraid to ask certain questions because I didn’t want to get certain answers that I had fabricated in my head.
Cyberjarre
Politicker
0
BDR
I used to be. I used to be afraid to ask certain questions because I didn’t want to get certain answers that I had fabricated in my head.

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