Sales Motivation: Cutting Out Barriers, Helping Salespeople Thrive

For sales managers wanting to help their salespeople elevate their performance, here are some fundamental truths:

Dave Mather

For sales managers wanting to help their salespeople elevate their performance, here are some fundamental truths:

• You cannot motivate other people. What you can do is provide a motivating environment in which they motivate themselves.
• People do things for their own reasons, not ours.
• People tend to pursue personal payoffs. (They ask, “What’s in it for me?”)
• Lack of motivation is usually a response to a feeling of helplessness

In addition, some people are outer-directed while others are inner-directed. Outer-directed people feel they have no way to impact outside forces that affect their lives. In contrast, inner-directed people believe they have the inner qualities they need to be able to shape their environment and control events. Both are right—to a point. There are things we can control and things we cannot.

Effective salespeople tend to have an inner-directed style. They believe they can significantly control the results they achieve. However, if they are extreme in this orientation, they will be prone to discouragement.

Understand the difference between what motivates, what doesn't, and what are maintenance items.