By Obikeze, Chinedum Okey
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of motivation on sales force performance in Guinness Nigeria Plc and MTN in South-East. The major objective of this work is to examine the comparative implications of motivation on sales force performance in manufacturing and service companies. Sales force are not active and effective as most of them are late to appointments, fail to keep business appointments, give incorrect information to customers, supply wrong product brand, revert to office before responding to customers’ enquiries and poorly manage customer relationship. Survey design was adopted and data was sourced from both primary and secondary areas. Data generated was presented and analyzed using tables, simple percentages and mean. The copies of the questionnaire were directed to a sample size of 400 marketing and sales personnel which were deduced from a population of 892 using Taro Yamane formula. The study was validated and tested for reliability using Cronbach Alpha giving alpha 0.97. The hypotheses were tested using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). From the test of hypotheses, it was revealed that there was no significant difference in the level of sales force motivation in Guinness Nigeria Plc. And MTN; it was observed that salary increase, bonus, profit sharing, wages and team-building were some of the motivational tools mostly used in manufacture and service companies; it was disclosed that preferred leave period and participation in decision making did not have significant effect on sales force performance in Guinness Nigeria Plc and MTN; it was revealed that insurance scheme, commissions and regular salary payment had significant effect as most effective motivational tools used for performance of sales force by the manufacturing and service companies. Based on the findings, Recommendations were made: financial support, commission and compensation should be maintained and increased in manufacturing and service companies because they are good motivating factors, every employee should be highly motivated because comfortable employees will never think of acting negatively. Bonus and team-building as motivational factors should be considered in every company to encourage employees to perform their duties well. Taking part in workshops, organizational support, and constant training of the sales force are empowering activities which should be encouraged. Conclusively, phone recharge card allowance, vehicle fuel allowance, luncheon voucher, travelling/tour allowance and dressing allowance were found to be the modern tools for motivation of the sales force.