Appreciation goes a long way in life and in the office. For example, Mereo recently had the opportunity to work with a $100+ million software as a service (SaaS) company that wanted to grow at least 20% in 2024, a healthy up-tick on previous trends and also an objective following a recent infusion of capital and energy from new ownership.
While this company was growing on its own despite the lack of investment, their teams were struggling. The new investor and new leadership surveyed the teams and learned that their people craved professional development — something that had historically been lacking, leaving the sales and customer success teams, in particular, floundering to figure things out on their own. The leadership saw the insights as an opportunity to invest in the people who are the most important ingredient to the growth.
To accelerate this opportunity, leadership teamed up with Mereo to create a kickoff not only for the new year but for the future of the business. The initial feedback from their sales force was “very appreciative,” and leadership made committed plans to invest in their valuable employees.
Appreciating your teams goes beyond kindness — employee appreciation and investment can actually make an impact on your bottom line. Keep reading to learn how to put this overlooked leadership skill to practice in your organization.
The Importance of Gratitude
Put yourself in your teams’ shoes. Do you feel motivated to work hard when you do not feel appreciated? Do you have a strong desire to stay with an organization that does not recognize or acknowledge your effort? Probably not. It can be easy to be pleased with your team’s performance without realizing you have not expressed this to them.
Harvard Business Review explains that while recognition and appreciation are often used interchangeably, they actually mean two different things. For example, recognition is expressed when your salesperson closes a high-value deal and you praise them for it. Appreciation is expressed when discussing a person’s innate value. Really, both are needed to effectively show your gratitude.
To help inspire you on your journey, here are a few simple ways you can show your revenue teams some love:
- Rejoice: When your team and individual team members succeed, celebrate the outcome and the contributors to that outcome. That can be winning a new client, expanding the value your organization creates with an existing client and milestones all along the way to those pinnacles. Feature the victories on team calls and company gatherings while highlighting not only the ultimate successes but also the overcome obstacles.
- Review: All the victories in the world are built on the back of challenges and even failures. Offer feedback on what is working well and what is not working so well. The most effective way to coach is not only in the struggles but even in the wins. Make it part of the DNA of your culture and your leadership style. Be constructive in identifying and guiding your salespeople in areas of improvement.
- Reward: As the team and individuals are triumphant, offer them growth opportunities to be stretched even more. While you recognize the success, you also challenge them to press forward. This demonstrates your desire for them to continue to grow, not just rest on their laurels. And give them a window into leadership. Where it is feasible, include your team in decisions. Share the vision and encourage them to participate in identifying the approach to accomplish the vision. This communicates that you value and trust their experience and insights to the bigger picture as well as the tactical execution.
These are only a few ways that you can show your gratitude. After all, seeking to serve your teams is a great first step in seeking to serve your organization and your buyers.
The Power of Gratitude
When you choose gratitude, you will notice your team’s motivation, morale and performance increase.
Increase Motivation
A Glassdoor survey reported that 81% of professionals claimed they would be willing to work harder for an employer who is appreciative.
Enhance Team Value
After the selling world (more or less) recovered from Covid, many organizations chose to stay remote or hybrid; this is even true today. To combat the possibility of your teams feeling like they are not valued, invest in them.
Attract and Foster Valuable Employees
A strong employee experience management strategy equips your teams with positive experiences that will help them stay motivated and serve your buyers. A powerful strategy also helps to attract, engage, retain and develop more employees who perform well.
Seek to Serve™ for More Win-Win Situations
Happy employees typically mean increased motivation and productivity. But what if you take it a step further and Seek to Serve them? Serving your teams motivates them to serve your buyers — everyone wins! Start practicing Seek to Serve with our eBook.