Motivation– a strategic imperative

7th July 2025 |   Guy Lloyd

Exploring the hidden driving force behind sales excellence.

Why should we care about how motivated our salespeople are? Do we understand what motivates someone to do their best? How do the drivers of motivation vary between individuals, and can our best intentions demotivate our people? This edition of the Journal explores these questions.

I think we can all agree that highly motivated people achieve more. So, getting this right is a critical part of establishing high-performing sale teams.

What is motivation? It’s the driving force of our actions and behaviours. It determines the effort and persistence that someone applies to a task or endeavour. In the high-pressured, complex world of sales, being motivated is essential for survival and success. A lack of motivation in a salesperson leads to disengagement, low morale and negativity, resulting in poor performance for the individual and thus their employer.

Impactful

Of all the tools and techniques we can use to achieve superior sales results, motivation has to be one of the most impactful. More than fashionable processes, sales methods or sales aids, motivation is what drives the individual to be the best they can be.

More than fashionable processes, sales methods or sales aids, motivation is what drives the individual to be the best they can be.

Motivation comes in two parts: internal and external. Intrinsic motivation comes from the personal satisfaction derived from achievement, mastery, and purpose. Extrinsic motivation stems from external factors like commissions, recognition, or advancement opportunities. Both types underpin the most successful sales professionals, finding personal fulfilment in their work while also being driven by tangible rewards.

What increases motivation, and what can damage it, is personal to us. Getting this right can have a dramatic impact on individual and team performance and, similarly, getting it wrong damages performance.

As sales leaders we can fall into the trap (or is it just laziness?) of believing the incentives and rewards that we place on our sales team increase motivation and thus sales results. But motivation is a complex mixture of intrinsic and external factors, and so quite personal and individual. What might motivate one person, such as a SPIFF (sales performance incentive fund), can actually demotivate someone else, who now feels extra pressure to do something they don’t have self confidence in.

Factors impacting sales motivation

Several key factors influence a salesperson’s motivational levels. Compensation structure plays a crucial role, as well-designed commission plans directly connect effort to outcomes, creating clear motivation. However, unrealistic targets or constantly changing goalposts can severely dampen enthusiasm.

Recognition matters tremendously in sales. Public acknowledgment of achievements validates effort and reinforces positive behaviours. Sales professionals thrive when their successes are celebrated, whether through formal awards or simple team acknowledgments.

Autonomy significantly affects motivation as well. The freedom to develop one’s approach and manage one’s time empowers salespeople to work according to their strengths and preferences, fostering ownership and engagement.

Professional development opportunities demonstrate organizational investment in the individual, encouraging reciprocal commitment and effort. Meanwhile, company culture shapes the daily experience – a supportive environment that values collaboration over cutthroat competition creates psychological safety that allows focus on achievement rather than survival.

Personal circumstances inevitably affect work performance too. External factors such as health, family situations, and financial stability can enhance or detract from a salesperson’s motivation regardless of workplace conditions.

The critical importance of motivation in sales

Motivation isn’t just a nice-to-have in sales; it’s essential. The sales profession demands persistence through rejections they may receive, adaptability in changing markets, and consistent pressure to perform. Without strong motivation, these challenges quickly become overwhelming.

Motivated salespeople demonstrate remarkable resilience, bouncing back from rejection and setbacks more quickly and maintaining productivity through difficult periods. They show greater creativity, finding innovative solutions to customer problems and discovering new approaches to overcome objections.

Their customer focus improves as well. Rather than fixating solely on closing deals, motivated salespeople genuinely engage with customer needs, building stronger relationships and trust. They require less supervision, taking the initiative to manage their pipeline and activities effectively. Perhaps most importantly, they actively seek feedback and learning opportunities to enhance their skills and results.

The consequences of demotivation

When motivation wanes, the effects ripple through both individual performance and team dynamics. Performance inevitably declines as unmotivated salespeople make fewer calls, follow up inconsistently, and put less effort into presentations – resulting in missed targets and lost revenue.

Customer experience deteriorates when salespeople lack enthusiasm and attention to detail, potentially damaging brand reputation in the market. Sales departments with motivation problems typically experience higher turnover, creating additional costs in recruiting, training, and lost productivity during transitions.

The atmosphere becomes problematic as well. Demotivation is contagious, potentially spreading throughout the team and creating a downward spiral of decreasing performance. Organizations often face the challenge of presenteeism: salespeople who are physically present but mentally disengaged, consuming organizational resources while delivering minimal value.

Leadership’s role in fostering motivation

Sales leaders significantly influence team motivation through their actions and approaches. Meaningful goal-setting establishes targets that are challenging yet achievable, with clear metrics and milestones to mark progress along the way. Personalised coaching recognises that motivation triggers vary among individuals and tailors approaches accordingly.

Effective leaders identify and address systemic barriers that frustrate salespeople and impede their success. Perhaps most powerfully, they model motivated behaviour themselves, demonstrating the energy, resilience, and positive attitude they wish to see in their teams.

Pitfalls to avoid

We must avoid assuming everyone is motivated by the same things. Also, the drivers of motivation changes over time. What motivates a Baby Boomer is likely to be very different from what motivates a Gen X or Z.

Moreover, assuming what motivates oneself is the same for others, is another mistake that many sales leaders make.

If we lead people, we need always to be adjusting the drivers of motivation (that we control) and as much as possible individualise them. This also applies to culture: one employer I worked for provided several very extravagant rewards as incentives across the sales team globally, but this actually put some people off as culturally it was poor form to flaunt success in this way.

The motivation advantage

In today’s competitive marketplace, motivated sales teams create significant competitive advantage. They outperform not just in revenue generation but in customer satisfaction, market intelligence gathering, and adaptability to change.

But to do this well requires an understanding of the individual. If we invest in really knowing our people, we can help them to be highly motivated and so be the best they can; but if we take a “one size fits all” approach, we run the risk of demotivating some, while motivating others.

For sales organizations looking to thrive rather than merely survive, fostering strong motivation isn’t optional; it’s a strategic imperative that determines whether talented individuals will transform potential into performance. By understanding the complex interplay of factors affecting individual motivation and implementing thoughtful strategies to enhance it, sales leaders can unlock their team’s full capability and drive sustainable success.