Understanding and considering the motivations of salespeople is more important than ever, especially in markets where competition is growing increasingly fierce. Keeping these motivations in mind is crucial for success.
A global study involving 175,000 salespeople revealed some surprising insights: 70% were driven by external factors such as salary, bonuses, and commissions, while only 30% were motivated by internal factors such as a personal desire to succeed and a passion for their work. But who performs better—the money-driven or those with intrinsic motivation? The study debunked the myth that salespeople "only care about or think about money." In fact, those who excelled in the long term were the ones with intrinsic motivation. They focused on building long-term relationships and genuinely helping their customers, while those primarily driven by money required more external supervision and showed less concern for their customers' long-term needs. (Lundqvist, 2010) Many other subsequent studies support these findings, highlighting that intrinsic motivation plays a crucial role in achieving the best sales performance.
In elite sports, it is not always the salary that defines the best years of a career
When I go out for a healthy run, there is no financial reward (although that would be great) motivating me to run faster. It’s my intrinsic motivation and personal satisfaction that drive me to pick up the pace, reach new goals, or "go the extra mile". Inner motivation is key—not only in sales but also in sports and athletics
What can we learn from this when recruiting salespeople?
When recruiting salespeople, it is crucial to understand what truly motivates individuals to perform at their best, especially in complex sales where solution selling is central. Carefully discussing and understanding these drivers before the recruitment process can help identify the right person for the right role
What can we learn from this when training salespeople?
To ensure that salespeople truly create value for customers, it is crucial that they approach sales methodically. Such a method should focus on identifying and deeply understanding the customer's needs, so that the deal not only leads to a transaction but also to long-term value creation for the customer. By training salespeople to carefully map and address these needs, we increase the chances of building long-lasting and successful customer relationships
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