How to Motivate Sales Team During Layoffs: Strategies for Engagement & Performance

الركود وتسريح العمال هي أكثر الأوقات إرهاقا لجميع الشركات. في حين أن فقدان الأعمال وتوقعات الإيرادات القاتمة هي نتيجة واضحة للاضطراب الاقتصادي ، فإن تسريح العمال يميل إلى أن يكون له تأثير مركب يمكن أن يؤدي إلى تفاقم الوضع السيئ.

A recent study of over 4000 employees who made it through corporate layoffs discovered that the survivors' employee engagement, quality and productivity took a major blow after the layoffs. Over 74% of the respondents said their productivity had dropped, and 64% said their coworkers' performance had also declined.

Layoffs create uncertainty, disrupt workflows, and can significantly impact employee morale—especially for sales teams that thrive on motivation and momentum. When layoffs occur, the remaining sales reps may experience stress, job insecurity, and decreased engagement, making it difficult to maintain productivity.

This guide explores key strategies to rebuild confidence, foster a positive mindset, and ensure sales success—even in challenging times.

حالات التسريح

It's that time of the decade when the music begins to slow down, and the markets panic. This time, the situation got exacerbated by companies over-hiring during the Covid-19 pandemic. The threat of a looming recession by the mid of 2023 or the start of 2024 is also a contributing factor for companies going lean.

يقوم قادة الأعمال بخفض التكاليف عن طريق إيقاف الخدمات مؤقتا أو إيقافها ، وتقليص حجم القوى العاملة ، والضغط على أقصى قدر من الكفاءة مما لديهم بالفعل. وبالتالي ، فإن عددا أقل من الأشخاص يشترون المنتجات ، وتفقد فرق المبيعات العملاء المحتملين بمعدل ينذر بالخطر.

The psychological impact of layoffs on sales teams

Layoffs don’t just affect those who leave—they directly impact those who stay. Sales reps who survive a layoff often face:

• Increased workload: Fewer reps mean more responsibilities, territories, and quotas.
• Job insecurity: Fear of being next can create anxiety and disengagement.
• Lack of trust in leadership: Unclear communication can cause doubts about company stability.
• Lower morale and motivation: Uncertainty can make staying focused and performing at a high level challenging.

Without strong leadership, clear communication, and a structured motivation plan, these challenges can lead to decreased performance, burnout, and higher turnover rates.

How can leaders motivate their sales team during layoffs

مع وضع الأساس لسبب أهمية الحفاظ على تحفيز فرق المبيعات ، سندرس كيف يمكن القيام بذلك.

1. حافظ على خطة الاتصال الخاصة بك قوية

Clear, honest communication is one of the most effective ways to reduce anxiety and rebuild trust after layoffs. Sales teams must understand why the layoffs happened, what changes to expect, and how the company plans to move forward.

✔ What leadership should do:

• Acknowledge the impact of layoffs on the remaining team.
• Share the company’s recovery plan to show stability and direction.
• Be available for questions—host open forums or one-on-one check-ins.
• Reinforce the team’s value—remind sales reps that their contributions are critical.

Keep communication strong throughout the process and be prepared to answer questions regarding the layoffs, such as who will take over the domain of the laid-off salesperson, how people are chosen for the layoff, their packages and what the future holds for the teams.

2. Continue building sales skills and capacity

During layoffs, sales teams often focus on immediate survival, but it’s also an opportunity to invest in long-term skill-building and capacity development. A strong sales team isn’t just about hitting short-term targets; it’s about being prepared for future challenges.

✔ How to foster skill development during layoffs:

• Provide continuous sales training to strengthen negotiation, objection handling, and closing techniques.
• Encourage cross-functional learning, allowing sales reps to gain insights from marketing, customer success, and operations teams.
• Offer personalized coaching and mentorship to help reps sharpen their skills.

✔ Why it works:

• Boosts morale and confidence, making sales reps feel valued and future-ready.
• Helps sales teams differentiate themselves in a competitive market.
• Builds long-term resilience, ensuring sales reps emerge stronger from difficult times.

3. Address emotional reactions and support remaining employees

Layoffs don’t just affect those who leave; they also have a psychological impact on those who remain. Some employees may feel relieved, while others experience anger, guilt, or anxiety about their own job security.

✔ How to support sales teams emotionally:

• Acknowledge the emotional impact of layoffs and provide space for employees to process changes.
• Offer one-on-one check-ins to address concerns, validate feelings, and provide reassurance.
• Provide mental health resources, including counseling services or resilience training.
• Foster peer support networks to encourage open conversations and mutual support.

✔ Why it works:

• Helps sales reps move through the stages of grief and refocus on work.
• Reduces post-layoff disengagement, ensuring team members stay productive.
• Builds trust and loyalty, preventing unnecessary turnover.

4. Prevent overburdening remaining salespeople

One of the biggest mistakes companies make after layoffs is pushing too much work onto the remaining sales reps. While some redistribution is inevitable, failing to balance workloads properly can lead to burnout, reduced performance, and higher attrition rates.

✔ How to rebalance workloads effectively:

• Prioritize high-impact tasks—focus on the most valuable accounts and leads instead of trying to cover everything.
• Automate repetitive tasks to reduce administrative burdens.
• Reassign leads strategically, considering each rep’s strengths and capacity.
• Introduce team-based collaboration, allowing sales reps to share workloads efficiently.

✔ Why it works:

• Prevents burnout and frustration, keeping reps engaged.
• Ensures high-quality customer interactions instead of rushed, ineffective outreach.
• Helps sales teams adjust smoothly to new team structures.

5. Maintain a human-centered approach to layoffs

How a company handles layoffs can define its culture and impact future retention rates. Sales reps need to feel that their contributions are valued and that the organization cares about their well-being.

✔ How to maintain a human-centered layoff process:

• Communicate openly and with empathy, ensuring employees understand why layoffs happened.
• Provide transition support for departing employees, such as job placement assistance or recommendations.
• Acknowledge the difficulty of the situation and offer time for adjustment.
• Express appreciation for remaining employees, reinforcing their importance to the company’s future.

✔ Why it works:

• Prevents a culture of fear, ensuring sales reps remain engaged and committed.
• Reduces the likelihood of top performers leaving due to dissatisfaction.
• Helps rebuild trust in leadership, keeping morale steady.

6. Provide professional development opportunities

Layoffs often make employees more focused on future-proofing their careers. Sales reps who feel that they are growing professionally are more likely to stay engaged and committed to the company.

✔ How to offer professional growth opportunities:

• Provide sales training in new domains, such as enterprise sales, SaaS, or key account management.
• Bring in industry experts for knowledge-sharing sessions and workshops.
• Offer technical training in CRM systems, data analysis, or digital tools.
• Create internal mobility programs, allowing employees to explore leadership or cross-functional roles.

✔ Why it works:

• Shows that the company invests in its employees’ growth, even during tough times.
• Increases employee retention, as sales reps see a long-term future with the company.
• Improves overall team capabilities, driving better sales performance.

7. Prioritize innovation and engagement

Layoffs often lead to resource constraints and uncertainty, making it essential to foster innovation and keep employees engaged. Encouraging sales teams to think creatively and take ownership of new strategies can turn challenges into opportunities.

✔ How to encourage innovation and engagement:

• Challenge reps to develop new sales techniques or experiment with outreach methods.
• Encourage collaborative problem-solving, giving employees a say in process improvements.
• Offer quick-hit incentives, rewarding small wins that drive performance.
• Use real-time recognition platforms to celebrate creative solutions.

✔ Why it works:

• Gives sales reps a sense of control and empowerment in an uncertain time.
• Keeps engagement levels high, preventing apathy or burnout.
• Helps the company discover new, more efficient sales approaches.

8. Build resilience within sales teams

Resilience is adapting, recovering, and maintaining performance under challenging conditions. Not all employees naturally possess resilience, but it can be cultivated through leadership, coaching, and structured support.

✔ How to strengthen resilience in sales teams:

• Set attainable short-term goals to create a sense of achievement.
• Reinforce growth mindset principles, encouraging reps to view challenges as learning opportunities.
• Provide consistent coaching and feedback, helping employees navigate difficulties.
• Encourage team bonding activities, building a strong support system.

✔ Why it works:

• Helps sales reps stay motivated despite uncertainty.
• Builds a culture of perseverance and problem-solving.
• Ensures sales teams recover quickly from setbacks.

الصفات التي يمكن أن تساعد قادة المبيعات على البقاء في القمة

بينما يبقي الدافع مندوبي المبيعات على أصابع قدمهم خلال النهار ، فإن معنوياتهم تساعدهم على المثابرة خلال المصاعب. معنوياتهم تحدد رضاهم وهي الحالة التي تشكل موقفهم. من الضروري بناء فريق أكثر بطرق مثل:

1. التواصل الفعال

للتواصل الفعال ، يجب عليك التحدث إلى مجموعات أصغر من مندوبي المبيعات لتظهر لهم أنهم مهمون وأقرب إلى القيادة. اشرح الوضع الحالي بدقة والأساس المنطقي وراء القرارات. قم بإجراء محادثة فردية مع جميع مندوبي المبيعات لديك لإعلامهم بما هو متوقع منهم وأنهم موظفون مهمون.

2. شكر وتقدير

اشرح لمندوبي المبيعات أنك تفهم المسؤوليات والضغط الإضافي الذي سيخضعون له في الأسابيع والأشهر القادمة. صف خططك للتعامل مع التغييرات وكيف ستحاول تحديد أولويات المهام الإضافية التي يجب أن تتولاها. اعترف بتأثير أفعالك حتى يفهموا أنك لا تعاملهم كأصل يمكن التخلص منه.

3. التعاطف

بناء على ما قيل سابقا ، أظهر التعاطف مع مخاوفهم بشأن المستقبل وأولئك الذين تم التخلي عنهم. استفسر من كل شخص عن شعوره تجاه تسريح العمال وما هي الاستفسارات المحددة التي لديهم. المحادثة الفردية هنا هي السماح للموظفين بالتنفيس عن أفكارهم وعواطفهم والحصول على الوضوح حتى لا يصبحوا عرضة للشائعات والمعلومات الخاطئة.

4. تركيز الانتباه

أثناء مناقشة تسريح العمال والأوقات الصعبة المقبلة ، حافظ دائما على النغمات الإيجابية والموجهة نحو المستقبل. على المدى القصير ، سيواجه مندوبو المبيعات صعوبة أكبر في الوصول إلى العملاء المحتملين وتحويل العملاء المحتملين. ومع ذلك ، فهي أيضا فرصتهم لصقل مهاراتهم في أصعب الأوقات والتطور كمندوب مبيعات.

5. الإشراف

يجب أن يعرف مندوبو المبيعات أن الأشخاص على مستوى الإدارة متاحون دائما لمناقشة مخاوفهم وأسئلتهم وأدائهم ومستقبلهم. يمكنهم أيضا التفاعل بحرية مع الإدارة لمعرفة كيفية التغلب على عقبات النجاح.

6. التقدير

أظهر التقدير وأشكر بصدق جميع مندوبي المبيعات الذين حافظوا على العمل واقفا على قدميه. عبر عن اعتقادك بأن ارتباطهم بك يحظى بتقدير كبير وأن جهودهم ستكافأ بشكل جيد.

Examples on how big companies managed to stay afloat during layoffs

فيما يلي بعض الأمثلة على كيفية تحفيز الشركات المختلفة لموظفيها في منتصف سوق العمل الديناميكي:

1. بوات لايف ستايل

صانع المنتجات الصوتية الاستهلاكية والأجهزة القابلة للارتداء ، يعد القارب أحد أشهر العلامات التجارية في العالم. تدرك الشركة أنه لكي يكون لديك قوة عاملة ملتزمة ومتحمسة ، فإن حاجتها إلى الشعور بالارتباط بمهمة الشركة وغرضها.

لديهم ساعات إضافية لمحادثات الموظفين حتى تستمع القيادة إلى ما يقوله الموظفون.

2. أبغراد

upGrad هي منصة على الإنترنت للتعليم العالي. يوفر تدريبا صارما ذا صلة بالصناعة للطلاب الجدد والعمال ذوي الخبرة وحتى أولئك الذين يتطلعون إلى بدء وظائف جديدة. تحافظ الشركة على تحفيز القوى العاملة الشابة من خلال التحديات المناسبة وعمليات التعلم المبتكرة من نظير إلى نظير بدلا من التدريب المنتظم.

إنهم يعتقدون أن الرؤية في مساحة الفرص لإنجاز العمل هي المفتاح للاحتفاظ بمواهبهم. بناء تواصل قوي مع الموظفين هو أيضا طريقة تحفيزهم.

Empowering sales teams with Compass: Motivation beyond the numbers

In times of uncertainty, sales reps need more than just motivation—they need clarity, transparency, and confidence in their earnings. Layoffs can create doubt and disengagement, making it essential to have a system that keeps sales teams focused, rewarded, and driven. That’s where Compass comes in.

Compass isn’t just another sales performance tool—it’s a game-changer for keeping sales reps engaged and productive, even during difficult times.

• ✔ Automated commission tracking: No more confusion or disputes over payouts. Reps see their earnings in real time, keeping them motivated to close deals.
• ✔ AI-powered nudges: Timely reminders and performance insights help sales teams stay on track and identify opportunities to maximize their earnings.
• ✔ Gamified leaderboards & incentives: Healthy competition fuels engagement, pushing reps to hit milestones, outperform targets, and stay focused on results.
• ✔ Seamless integration with sales tools: No extra admin work—Compass connects with your CRM, so reps spend more time selling and tracking numbers less.

💡 Motivation isn’t just about rewards—trust, transparency, and giving sales teams the tools they need to succeed. With Compass, sales reps stay engaged, confident, and performance-driven—even in times of change.

Want to keep your sales team motivated and performing at their best? Try Compass today!

استنتاج

Layoffs create significant challenges, but strategic leadership, transparent communication, and employee-focused initiatives can keep sales teams motivated, engaged, and productive.

✔ Support skill development to build long-term sales capacity.✔ Address emotional reactions to rebuild morale and trust.✔ Balance workloads to prevent burnout.✔ Offer professional growth opportunities to keep reps invested.✔ Foster innovation and engagement to maintain high energy levels.✔ Strengthen resilience to help sales teams adapt and thrive.

By implementing these strategies, businesses can retain top sales talent, drive revenue, and create a stronger, more motivated team—even in challenging times.