Networking Skills For Your Team: Part 4 - Motivate Them

Being the role model that inspires them ...

POSTED BY JACKY SHERMAN ON 10/02/2016 @ 8:00AM

When planning this series of 4 posts, my original list started with motivation as unless your team want to generate new business for you, then somehow, they will always be too busy to do it ...

The right networking skills for your team will help motivate them to want to find new business.

However, on reflection, the other three blog posts all contain the roots of motivation because people need to understand, and buy into, the generating business by referrals and why they should add this to their already busy working day.

Once they understand and are engaged in your business strategy, who wouldn't be motivated to help you get more of your best clients? Your best clients are those who earn you the most money for the least hassle.

And who had to deal with the hassle? Why your staff of course! So if they help you find more of your most accommodating clients, their life becomes far easier.

Working with pleasant people, and feeling they have contributed to acquiring those clients, will give most people an increased sense of ownership and meaning to their work. This motivation will enable staff to work through how they will apply their new skills in their own role and will further deepen that sense of ownership.

Of course, you may need to be imaginative in working out how to share the financial rewards for winning that new business. Whilst monetary rewards are not always the best motivator for most people, perceived inequality is a great de-motivator (see my blog post on fairness).

I think the best quote I've read on motivation comes from the late Bob Benmosche, AIG's CEO in response to the question in a 2013 post by Betty Liu: "How do you motivate your staff?"

His response? "You can't just say you're going to do something, you do it. You show them it's a place where people at work are respected and they can do provocative things. It's important for a CEO to not just say he's going to do it, but to do it."

"So have a plan for involving your team in generating new business by referrals!"

Be clear about why you want to do this and what results you're looking for. Work out what part of the system you want different people to engage in, and make sure they have the skills and the time to do it, and that you have a reward system in place that matches their individual contribution and interests.

And don't forget to be the role model that inspires them to follow you. After all, the art of leadership is to get other people to do what you want because they want to do it too!

If you'd like some help finding the best way to motivate your team, why not contact me on 07970 638857 and let's get a date in the dairy to meet up and see how I can help you.

Until next time ...

JACKY SHERMAN