A science-based guide to motivating your team

8th July 2025 |   Professor Nick Lee and Dr Roland Kassemeier

Scientific Motivation

The authors explore three theories every sales leader should master.

Sales motivation isn’t rocket science – it’s far more complicated than that! While rockets (at least on the macro scale) follow predictable laws of physics, human motivation operates in the comparatively much messier realm of psychology, where individual differences, organizational contexts, and market pressures collide in unpredictable ways. Yet, too many sales leaders still rely on gut instinct and outdated assumptions about what drives their teams. It’s time to add some scientific rigour to the conversation.

After decades of research and practical application, three theoretical frameworks have emerged as particularly powerful for understanding sales motivation: Expectancy Theory, Goal- Setting Theory, and Self-Determination Theory. Each offers unique insights. More importantly, each provides actionable strategies that can transform how you lead your sales force.

Roland Kassemeier is an Associate Professor at Warwick Business School

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Roland Kassemeier is an Associate Professor at Warwick Business School. His research focuses on managing the digital transformation of the sales function, salespeople’s multichannel and omnichannel selling, and compensation and incentives. He explores academically and managerially relevant research questions to provide impactful implications to researchers and managers. His research has been published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, the International Journal of Research in Marketing, and the Journal of International Marketing, among others. Dr Kassemeier received a doctorate from the University of Bochum, for which he received multiple awards. He is a Founder and Director of the Sales Excellence Hub, a knowledge transfer hub connecting sales researchers with sales professionals in the United Kingdom.