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In sales, nothing is more important than your staff. Whether you're selling insurance policies to big businesses with even bigger cash payouts, or you're selling tea cozies door to door with even cozier cash payouts, nothing gets done without your staff. And efficient and positive-thinking sales staff runs like a well-oiled machine (not real oil, though, otherwise your employees get all slippery). But a depressed, drug-addled bunch of rag tag ruffians off the street with no personality runs like a drunken baby. It's got no idea where it's going or what it's doing, it's completely without social skills, and yet, in it's own way, it's still cute.

The point is, you can train your staff to be good with people, and you can give them drug tests to curb any "groovy" sales calls, but motivating your sales staff isn't as easy. It's not as simple as a pat on the back, "Casual Fridays" and an open bar at the company Christmas party. Hell, it's not even as simple as a pinch on the rear, "Naked Wednesdays", and an open bar in the break room (although I've never heard any complaints about the "Naked Wednesdays" idea).

Motivation comes from within. It comes from the heart. It comes from the soul. It comes from the brain. And sometimes it comes from the kidneys, but that's usually an indication that you're doing it wrong. The key to motivation is getting into the mind of your employees. Like the old adage says, "if you know your enemy, and you know yourself, victory will come easy." That's most likely completely wrong, but you get the idea. How can you motivate your staff if you have no idea what your staff thinks? Good question. But I think the better question is: How can you find out what's going on in your staff's head? The answer is, without talking to them, you can't (unless you're telepathic).

Talking to your staff can seem a bit daunting at first. You might feel like "associating" with your staff might make them think that you're on "their level" and that you're just "one of them", which you're so totally NOT. One of the easiest ways to make them feel motivated and happy with their jobs is to ask them for suggestions on how the place could run a little better. Before you panic, don't worry; you don't actually have to DO any of the things they suggest. Just the fact that you're pretending to care about what they think is enough for them. You could also try using a few classic lines on some of your sales slaves to get a feel for the mood of the office. Something like "Hey,

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