The holiday seasons are generally a tough time for sales organizations. It’s difficult to sustain motivation and drive. Prospects are avoiding big decisions — hiring, operating budgets, new processes — and just about everything else.

But the problem of waning motivation can crop up any time, not just during the holidays. Sales can be a tough gig. The dedication, effort, and knowledge needed to “make it” are often beyond what some people are willing to give.

This isn’t meant to disparage those who find the position difficult, it just means they either need to develop the required skills, or they need to find a different line of work.

But just as importantly, sales managers in many ways have direct control over employees’ attitudes.

Bad strategies, hiring, and performance management will always be a barrier to effective salesmanship. Consequently, combatting low levels of motivation starts by creating an environment in which the reps feel that they can, and will have success. Sales people need to feel that their employers are on target, that they’re working with people who allow them to succeed, and that the objectives placed upon them are fair and attainable.

It’s one thing to have a set of viable, attainable metrics, but without a centered process acting as a framework, sales people aren’t going to react positively. If you don’t provide the tools and back-end support they need, they’re going to feel that the system is set up against them.

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