What drives sales to amazing results?

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

How do extroverted personalities impact sales results?

In Rethinking the Extraverted Sales Ideal: The Ambivert Advantage, Grant challenges the outdated view of the highly extroverted salesperson as the key to success. According to Grant's study, where he examined call centers, the true sales stars are not the loudest or most outgoing, but rather ambiverts—those who possess a balance of introverted and extroverted traits.

The Myth of Extraversion in Sales

For many years, extroverted individuals have been seen as the true salespeople. Their social skills, confidence, and energy are considered natural ingredients for success. Extroverts easily engage customers, persuade with confidence, and have the stamina needed to close deals. It makes sense: the life of the party should also be the best at selling, right? However, research by Grant and others shows that this is not the case. While extroverts often thrive in dynamic, high-energy environments, their enthusiasm can sometimes obscure a...

Ambiverted personalities stand out

Ambiverts, on the other hand, perfectly balance customer interactions. They know when to step back, listen actively, and build a genuine connection with the customer. At the same time, they can confidently step forward when the situation calls for it, lead the conversation, and persuade with authority. This adaptability allows ambiverts to adjust their approach based on the customer's needs, combining empathy with persuasion in a way that builds trust and leads to success. Grant's research, along with other studies, shows that the best salespeople are those who can smoothly switch between listening and leading. Ambiverts' ability to adapt makes them skilled at navigating complex customer relationships, often outperforming both extroverted and introverted colleagues.

What can we learn from this in terms of training and recruiting salespeople?

Looking at the chart, we can see that highly extroverted salespeople achieve roughly the same results as introverted salespeople. And this is actually good news for many salespeople! Most people naturally fall somewhere in the middle of the scale. Grant suggests that organizations can benefit from training highly extroverted salespeople alongside their more introverted colleagues, so they can learn to adopt some of the quieter, more reserved traits of their introverted peers.

What characterizes the best salesperson?

Recruitment of salespeople

If you ask the top salespeople what actually sets them apart from an average salesperson? 

The chances are high that you won’t get a clear answer. In fact, many of them don’t really know themselves. A study from Harvard Business Review... (Seven Personality Traits of Top Salespeople, Steve W. Martin, 2011) Personality tests were conducted on 1,000 salespeople from some of the world’s leading companies to find the answer. The tests were carried out during President Club Events – an exclusive reward event for the very best salespeople.

Humbleness

91 percent of top salespeople were characterized by high levels of humility. Additionally, the study showed that boastful salespeople repel more customers than they attract. Their sales style is humble and team-oriented. Salespeople are more likely to introduce the entire team to the customer, including technical salespeople, consultants, and management.

Conscientiousness 

85 percent of top salespeople had high levels of conscientiousness and can be described as organized, responsible, and having a strong sense of accountability for results. They take control of the sales process to a greater extent in order to steer their own success

Performance-oriented

Eighty-four percent of salespeople had very high results in goal orientation. They enjoy working with clear goals and try to understand the political structures of their customers. They focus on reaching decision-makers and adjusting their strategies accordingly

Curiosity

84 percent of top salespeople displayed strong curiosity, which is a key part of their sales style. They use an investigative approach, asking many questions, including challenging and sometimes uncomfortable ones. This ability helps them quickly gather the information needed to assess whether a deal is feasible.

Less interest in socializing

A surprising difference between top salespeople and those who perform poorly is their need for socializing and friendliness. Top salespeople had, on average, 30 percent lower need for sociability than underperformers. They tend to display more dominance and create a natural authority, which influences deals more effectively than those who try to be overly nice.

Do not get discouraged easily

Less than 10 percent showed high levels of depression, and 90 percent were almost never downcast. For these salespeople, competition is seen as something positive, and they thrive on challenging themselves. Many have a background in sports and athletics, which seems to contribute to their ability to handle setbacks and recover quickly. Their sales style is characterized by strong mental resilience and the ability to keep moving forward despite obstacles. 

Self-awareness

The research showed that top salespeople had low self-consciousness—they were not particularly prone to getting embarrassed or insecure. This allows them to take bold and sometimes uncomfortable steps to move deals forward, such as standing firm on their ideas or making decisions quickly, without getting overly concerned about what others think. They are comfortable taking risks and acting decisively in business situations.

What can we learn from this in the recruitment of salespeople? 

Not all salespeople succeed as easily. Top salespeople possess a unique combination of confidence, accountability, and curiosity, as well as the ability to handle both pressure and setbacks. After more than 15 years of experience in sales, across various companies and markets, particularly in the IT industry, I have repeatedly seen these traits in those who truly succeed. They have the ability to balance drive and strategy with humility, making them both effective and likable.