Thoughts:
“If your staff doesn’t know what to hit daily, don’t be surprised when they miss everything.”
“Telling staff to ‘go and sell’ without numbers is like giving a driver a car without fuel.”
“Motivation dies when progress is invisible. Show the scoreboard.”
“Boss, we’ve not sold anything today.”
I used to hear that line every damn day.
And every time I heard it… I’d die a little inside.
Because I knew they weren’t lying.
But I also knew they weren’t trying.
One day, instead of shouting, I asked:
“Oya… how many people have you followed up today?”
They said, “I don’t know.”
I asked again:
“How many orders have you tried to close again from 3 days ago, this morning?”
Blank stare.
Right there, I realized something…
They weren’t lazy.
They were lost.
No score to chase.
No reason to keep trying after the 5th “I’ll get back to you.”
And me?
I was running the business like a lotto machine.
Just hoping for a lucky daily sale without systems.
Here’s the truth that punched me in the face:
People don’t just need pressure.
They need precision.
Telling staff to “go and close sales” is vague.
It’s like telling a footballer, “Try to win.” Okay… HOW?
What works is giving them small, clear, daily targets that feel doable and repeatable:
“Today, close 10 out of your 30 WhatsApp chats.”
“Deliver at least 15 orders.”
“Follow up every pending customer from yesterday.”
You do that, and suddenly…
Staff who were ghosting you start performing.
Because the goal is now clear. And it’s visible.
HOW I MOTIVATE STAFF WITHOUT LOSING MY MIND
Daily Targets Over Big Goals
“₦2m in sales week” looks good on a vision board.
But by Tuesday morning, it means absolutely nothing to the staff who’s already tired, annoyed, or overwhelmed.
But they don’t guide real action.
What works? Micro targets.
The kind they can actually chase today.
Examples:
“Close 10 out of your 40 chats today.”
“Deliver 15 orders before 4pm.”
“Follow up on ALL pending customers by end of shift.”
“Reply every new chat within 15 minutes max.”
See the difference?
The big goal gives hope.
The small goal gives direction.
And here’s the real trick: when they hit today’s target, they feel good.
That “good” becomes energy.
That energy becomes momentum.
Next thing you know, someone who couldn’t close 10 orders last week is now doing 5–10 daily.
Why? Because the target became tangible.
It’s like giving a student “read 2 chapters today” instead of “finish the whole textbook before exam.”
Use a Dashboard or Scoreboard
People don’t improve what they can’t see.
If your staff has no scoreboard, then every day just feels like vibes.
There’s no competition. No tracking. No tension.
That’s why I always say:
“What gets measured… gets managed.”
Even if it’s a simple Google Sheet.
Create a basic scoreboard where they can see:
How many chats they had
How many they closed
How many deliveries they did
Their target vs. actual
Daily, weekly, and monthly numbers
Their bonus balance
Even if the bonus is just ₦500 for hitting today’s goal—it works.
Humans are naturally competitive.
Once they see their name at the bottom of the sheet… shame will motivate them before you ever need to talk.
And the ones at the top?
They’ll want to stay there.
You’re no longer micromanaging.
The dashboard becomes the boss.
You can delegate this task to your manager or head of sales.
Pay for Results, Not Just Activity
Let’s be honest…
Most of your staff are busy doing nothing.
They type “okay” in chats.
They say “we’ll deliver today.”
They forward order details.
But if you check – they haven’t closed sh*t.
And that’s because you’re paying them for presence, not performance.
Here’s how you fix it:
Tie their pay to RESULTS.
Examples:
Bonus when they hit 15 deliveries per day
10% commission after 50 closed chats in one week
This isn’t greed. It’s structure.
If they know money is waiting on the other side of action, they’ll wake up.
They’ll track their own numbers.
They’ll ask for help when they’re stuck.
They’ll go from casual to committed.
And most importantly…
You’ll stop carrying the whole business on your back.
This is exactly how we teach you to manage and motivate E-commerce staff inside E-commerce Success Launchpad.
Because we know most E-commerce owners aren’t lazy…
They’re just TIRED of managing humans who don’t behave like adults.
We have a full lesson on helping you motivate your staff & getting the best out of them.
If you want a team that shows up with energy, owns their numbers, and doesn’t stress your head…
Join E-commerce Success Launchpad today
