Motivation

Motivation is a funny thing. It is a tangible result of an intangible influence.

Huh?

What gets you out of bed? What sends you out the door? What makes you do what you do?

Too many times employers assume that all sales people are motivated merely by money; more money = more performance. Commission is viewed as the best way to reward effort. Salary is the refuge of the lazy.

Simply....... NO

What is my motivation? I know that everyone does not need to see me and does not need to buy what I am selling. 9 people will tell me NO before I hear a YES. How can I put up with that all the time? I am motivated!

Whu????

When I was an active athlete I could have shagged drills, cut corners or feigned injury so as not to work too hard. BUT I went as hard as I could often ignoring injury, fatigue and pain because I knew I was not gifted with a natural ability but I was given an athlete's body. I had to learn to do what was required because I needed to prove it to myself that I could. Some may call it pride or ego; I choose to view it as internal motivation. I also had a coach who believed in me and my work to take me where I did not feel I could go. He said; "If you think you can you will. If you think you can't you wont. Either way you are right. You decide which is right for you." His job was to recognize my limits and use my strengths to minimize their affect.

I have mentioned before that I ask my self every day if I did the best I could. That is my internal motivator; to be able to answer that question.

The reason I so loved my job before is simply because of the net result of my sale. Every time I helped a client arrive at the decision to buy I ultimately affected the quality of care that 2,000 people received. THAT made me happy. That made me work late, start early and take my lumps. That enabled me to listen to my coach (my Sales Manager) and go where I did not think I could; to learn, grow and develop; to get better.

It is true that there are many who really only get out of bed for money. I believe that the vast percentage of people who take pride in what they do are motivated by other means.

They need to be part of a team. They want to help others. They look for the spotlight and so on.

How do I know this? Easy; look at all the guys who play semi-professional sports. Poor pay but part of a team playing a game they love. Or LPN's who do so much of the direct care today but make a fraction of what a RN or NP makes who make so much less than MD's. Or actors everywhere who toil the boards for little more than slave wages but thrive on the applause.

One size does not fit all. I had a Manager who treated us all the same; with a whip and a chair and a focus on commissions. I told him that I am independent enough that I do not need to be micro-managed and thrive on the approbation of my superiors; much like a puppy if you pat me on the head I will give you 100% but as soon as you roll up the paper I tuck and hide. I don't work there any more.

I feel that if I do my job to the best of my ability the dollars will look after themselves. We all want to do our best but we all need help getting there. Finding that thing that makes us get out of bed is all we really need.

My job is to use the skills I developed as a coach and combine them with what I have learned from my mentors and experiences to help others go where they did not think they could. You grasp should never exceed your reach and your ego should never prevent you from getting all you deserve.


Thank you.