
Different Strokes…
We’ve all heard that old saying, “Different strokes for different folks.” Truer words were never spoken. Sales managers are always looking for the right “hot buttons” to get their salespeople motivated. Selling is a tough profession. There are always dissapointments and potential discouragements. Nobody likes rejection and salespeople live with it daily. That’s why commissions, contests and other incentives are so prevelent in the world of selling.
Not everyone however is motivated by money. The assumption that commissions are enough to cause people to do their best leads to a lot of management frustration. Basically there are three things that motivate people to try harder.

Desire for Gain
People who are driven by success will see every possibility as an opportunity, and continue to “go for it.” They are in it for the money and want all they can get. These people are focused on betterment and need very little outside motivation. It comes from within. Their mantra is, “Give me the money.”

Fear of Loss
Then there are those people that are fine with mediocrity and not motivated to do more until they are about to lose what they have. When that happens and they decide they want to keep it, they get going. My desire for gain was strong when I started my own business in the 60’s. Starting a business is tough, and I was willing to do whatever it took to get it going. However, once things got going I became complacement and content. I began to slack off and fell behind in my obligations. It wasn’t until I got a phone call threatening to take away my Cadillac that I started moving again. Read that story in Success Made Easy. I was never the same after that phone call. Some people need to lose a job (or business) or come close to it in order to start doing it better.

Recognition
It’s been said, and I believe it, that some people will work harder for recognition than for money. These are the people that welcome competition and like to win. “Winning” could be a prize, a trophy, or just some praise from the boss. One of our goals with the Morning Report is to institutionalize recognition. We make certain that good performance is known by all, and it’s not uncommon to see the same names on the Stars Page day after day and month after month.
As a manager you owe it to yourself and your staff to determine what motivates each of your employees and press those hot buttons. If you are the employee, you owe it to yourself, your customers and your company to do your best. Think about what motivates you and be sure to put yourself in a position to get the motivation you need. And, if it turns out to be fear of loss, welcome the “heads up” and get going, you’ll be glad you did.