Leveraging Personal Motivators for Success

“What is it you want?” elicits responses as varied as the individuals answering the question. For the therapy patient, it’s his father’s approval. For the actor, it’s roaring crowds. For the salesperson, it’s money…or is it?

In my coaching with sales managers, I'm often asked, "Why do I tell my salespeople to do something, sometimes more than once, and they just don't do it?" At the heart of this question is the need to understand what motivates each salesperson.

For companies, a fair wage and favorable working conditions are required just to get bodies in the door. But it takes more than this to motivate employees to do the best job possible. Managers assume "more" means external incentives such as money, titles, and job security. They forget some employees, even salespeople, find greater value in the chance to learn a new skill, the satisfaction of solving a tough problem, the thrill of being first, or the opportunity to provide optimum customer service.

Knowing what motivates salespeople is critical if you want to "get them to do something." Using motivators effectively can make the difference between getting them to do something and getting them to do something which produces exceptional results. When I coach sales managers, we explore how to use personal motivators when setting expectations about activities and results. Sales managers who motivate the highest level of production from each member of their teams are almost always those who excel at expectation clarity.

Expectation clarity requires a manager to do three things. First, he or she must be crystal clear about all expectations. This includes what specific actions should be taken, how to do them, and to what specific and measurable outcome. Explain the "who, what, where, when and how." It's not enough to say "Sell ten widgets today." You also need to explain what activities must be done to sell ten widgets and how to do each of these activities effectively.

Next, the manager must explain how an expectation and the activities it entails are similar to and different from what the salesperson is doing currently. This helps the salesperson understand what he or she needs to do more of, less of, and/or what he or she should continue doing.

Finally, the manager must help the salesperson understand "what's in it for them." This is where the answer to the question "What is it you want?" is critical. Don't forget, since every salesperson may have a different answer, your success in setting expectations and prompting results means you will have to treat each employee as an individual. Design motivations which play off each person's strengths, weaknesses, "triggers," and learning styles.

What if you don't know what motivates the salespeople on your team? Asking is a good start. Ask open-ended questions. Ask more than once, and in different ways. You can always ask "What motivates you?" or "What is it you want?" The answers to these questions may reveal motivators.

There are additional ways to uncover personal motivators -- ways which can help you connect to each employee as an individual. In my coaching sessions I've collected questions used by great managers. They include:

• What do you love most about this job (or a job you've had in the past)?
• What gives you the most satisfaction in the work you do on this team?
• Where do you see yourself a year from now?
• When you tell someone what you love about your work, what do you say?
• What gets you up each morning to come to work?
• What part of your job gives you the most satisfaction?
• When you've had a good day at work, what does it look like?

Check your understanding of the answers you receive. Probe for examples to provide details about potential motivators. Discuss with the salesperson how and why these examples are important. Then, observe and listen. The answers you obtain and the observations you make will provide you with information you can use to help the salesperson see what's in it for him or her to do what you've asked. If you know a salesperson is motivated by money then you hold the key to gaining buy-in for any expectation you set. If you know a salesperson is motivated by career advancement then helping him or her understand how meeting your expectations will improve the odds of a promotion will dramatically increase your success in driving change. Using personal motivators effectively will make you a great coach.

For an additional resource on this topic, see The One Thing You Need to Know by Marcus Buckingham.