Page 78 - Lighting Magazine August 2018

on the Mark
Mark Okun is Business Contributor to enLIGHTenment Magazine and President of Mark Okun Consulting & Performance Group. He has more than 30 years of hands- on retail experience training and coaching sales associates in the lighting and furniture industries. Mark@bravo businessmedia.com
If your budget is a bit tight for monetary gi s, tro- phies of all kinds can make an impact — for example, think about unique parking spots, a recognition photo of the employee at the store’s entrance, or a day o that does not impact their PTO.
motivation is Personal
While the phrase, “Walk your talk” has been a staple in the management playbook, it is more important than ever in our transparent society. As companies seek to build and maintain a positive reputation with clients, the same is true for the reputation we make with our teams. The team scrutinizes the actions of leadership, and motiva- tion occurs when we ask that they “Do as I say and as I do.”
Leadership motivates by being in the trenches, demonstrating, and mentoring in real time. One of the extended bene ts of being a side-by-side sales manager happens when the day’s wins and losses are retold as stories at the huddle. There is a strong emotional bond built between people working together to reach a common goal. When people have a passionate commitment, they are more motivated to be in line with the mission of the company.
Motivation is also inspired from trust, which is displayed in many forms in a showroom. For some, it may mean being trusted with more responsibility; for others, it may be that you value their subject ma er input. And for some, it is the trust that comes from working autono- mously. Whatever motivates one person may not motivate another. It is the leader’s job to de ne what drives both the team and each individual.
Selling and supporting sales is a tough job, and motivating our team is where the power lies. This article touches on some of the ways to do that. One principle of motivation that cannot be ignored is consistency. Without it, every action we take to motivate our teams appears only as a façade of reality.
The consistency of meeting times and the consistency of the message that supports the company’s vision and mission will lead to form- ing desired habits and increasing skill levels.
While motivation is a topic that can be spo- ken of generally, its implementation will vary from company to company as well as person to person.
As always, Happy Selling!  www.enlightenmentmag.com
74 enLIGHTenment Magazine | august 2018
The morning huddle is about starting the day feeling good.