Effective Sales Job Motivation

The attention phase defines the scope of the discussion to be taken up with the customer. Here are several principles to observe in constructing your opening statement regardless of how you plan to approach the prospect.
Speak slowly – Give the prospect a chance to hear every word and adjust to your voice. It takes a few seconds for him to get cleared of previous thoughts and he could miss a considerable portion of your opener. Also, rapid speech gives some people the impression of “high pressure” selling.
Use product Lead-in – Use an opener that is appropriate to the product that serves as a good lead-in in your discussion. Use comparisons, contrasts, anecdotes.

Some questions to ask yourself, especially when you feel your motivation is slipping:

1. What is my meaningful motive? Am I focused?
2. Have I tapped my inner resources? What actions do I have to take to overcome this obstacle?
3. What�s driving me now to do this? Am I afraid or do I believe that I am capable of doing it?
4. Are my expectations high? Is there enough challenge for me or is it too much and unachievable?
5. What is my purpose? Have I set my goal, what do I want to achieve, what to contribute and to whom?

The following quotations are taken from a collection of motivational and inspirational quotes on Sales.*

William Faulkner: The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.

Henry Boyle: The most important trip you may take in life is meeting people half way.

Jim Rohn: The most important question to ask on the job is not “what am I getting?” The most important question to ask is “What am I becoming?”

*Sales Motivation Quotes, Simran Khurana, “Your Guide to Quotations” (About.Com:Quotations)

Napoleon Hill: The jack of all trades seldom is good at any. Concentrate all of your efforts on one definite chief aim.

William A. Ward: The mediocre teacher tells.

We believe that if we wish to succeed, we should be responsible for our choices and actions. We set goals but our thinking and belief in ourselves prevent us from achieving the best.

The best plan would be to do our best regardless of the circumstances. Focus on what is important, make the best choices, deal the best hands, and make the most of the hands you are dealt with. Use your talents, resources, work, relationships, everything that you have on hand and suppress negative thoughts.

By doing this your motivation is permanent and maximized, and external incentives are secondary.

There are two kinds of external motivation: fear and incentives. Fear is a powerful motivator and it is a usual response to a threatening situation. It is highly soul destroying and stressful. It stifles imagination, limits one�s potential and makes one stagnant. Failure causes the person to lower their standards.

Incentives, on the other hand, challenge you to respond positively to a reward, such as bonuses and commissions. You get to enjoy something because you�ve done well.

The only thing is that the impact of external motivation is temporary. They are short-lived, set limitations and cannot sustain us through bad times.

A primary ingredient for obtaining consistent high performance levels from sales professionals is continuous sales motivation, and the most effective way of maintaining sales morale is to provide them with a comprehensive and innovative sales simulation program. This will help them develop core sales skills through practice, and will also stimulate their sales drive by increasing their motivation levels.

For a sales simulation to produce the desired results, it should be realistic and objective. Participants must be given clearly defined objectives and tasks which must be successfully carried out. Recruiting agencies must realize that candidate support is necessary for long-term career prospects.

Are you motivated by the work, or the gain?

Some people find fulfillment in the work itself and not on what they earn. It does not mean that they�re working for free but they get more satisfaction in their work rather from the pay they receive. Many can afford to retire but choose to continue because they do enjoy what they�re doing and having to stop means cutting off their means of expression.

You�re satisfied when you�ve closed a sale because you met your objective. You get paid but you derive satisfaction more because you feel good you�ve done the job and the pay is just an added perk.