Managing to be the BEST

Today you're a salesperson, tomorrow you may be asked to lead a team, supervise a group or manage a department. Whenever you find yourself in a position of needing/using others to help you accomplish goals, you'll want to be able to manage or motiviate others to their peak performance. 

Whether you're a manager of a traditional sales or service department, a distributor with a downline, or a team leader for a sales account, the way to improve productivity is not just through training but by providing regular reinforcement. People perform best when they know what's expected of them. The best way to do this is by actively reinforcing behaviors. Here are some tips.


Give positive feedback promptly
This reinforces positive behavior.
TIP The sooner the positive feedback is given after the actual performance of the activity, the greater it's influence. The longer the time period between the action and the reinforcement, the less influence the feedback has. So don't wait for a meeting: DO IT NOW!


Give specific positive feedback.
Be as specific as possible.
TIP Give examples by repeating the words or the techniques used.


Reinforce small achievements
TIP Even if skill mastery is not complete, let people know you are aware of their improvements.


Give negative feedback privately
This enables employee to receive appropriate feedback along with suggestions for improvement without loss of face.
TIP Public shaming (i.e. calling someone out during a meeting) will not increase performance. Rather it breeds resentment and turnover. After all, who wants to work in that type of environment? Keep it private and keep comments focused on behavior related to speicfic job performance.


Everyone learns and masters skills at a different pace. If an employee or team member is not showing improvement, ask these questions:

• Do they know what is expected?
• Have they been given appropriate training?
• Have they been given a specific time frame for mastering the skill?
• What are the consequences for non-performance?
• What are the rewards for performance?

People want to succeed. Increase your success by helping them do so.