In the fast-paced and demanding world of sales, maintaining motivation is vital for achieving lasting success. As a sales professional, you know motivation is pivotal in driving your performance, fostering customer relationships, and achieving your targets. However, staying motivated in the face of rejection, setbacks, and intense competition can be challenging. This article will equip you with practical strategies and insights to unleash your inner drive and sustain motivation throughout your sales journey. Whether you’re a seasoned salesperson looking for a boost or a newcomer seeking guidance, read on to discover valuable techniques and approaches to help you stay motivated and thrive in the dynamic realm of sales:
What is Motivation?
Internal motivation in the context of sales refers to the innate drive or desire that originates from within an individual to excel in their sales-related activities and achieve their professional goals. It involves the salesperson’s personal passion, dedication, and satisfaction derived from the sales process and the outcomes it produces, rather than relying solely on external rewards or incentives.
Salespeople with strong internal motivation are genuinely interested in their products or services, the sales process itself, and the satisfaction of helping customers.
They find fulfillment in building relationships, meeting customer needs, and making a positive impact. Their motivation stems from personal values, a sense of accomplishment, and the desire for professional growth.
Why Cultivate Internal Motivation for Sales?
Internal motivation in sales often leads to increased engagement, persistence, and continuous improvement. Salespeople who are internally motivated are more likely to take initiative, seek out learning opportunities, and adapt to challenges. They are driven by a genuine passion for their work, a desire to excel, and a commitment to delivering value to customers.
While external factors such as commission, recognition, or bonuses can provide additional motivation, salespeople with a strong internal drive are less reliant on these external rewards. Their internal motivation sustains their performance and satisfaction over the long term, enabling them to maintain high levels of energy, enthusiasm, and effectiveness in their sales roles.
Staying motivated in sales can be a constant challenge, but there are several effective strategies you can employ to keep your drive alive and consistently perform at your best. Here are some key approaches to help you stay motivated in sales:
How To Stay Motivated In Sales
A career in sales isn’t for the faint-hearted; it’s a tough job that requires a high-energy, positive mindset that can handle rejection and uncertainty.
Naturally, the consequence is that many sales professionals struggle to stay motivated to reach their goals.
So let’s explore seven ways to stay motivated in sales:
1. Motivation is Internal
Be your own coach. If you believe you will fail or succeed, you’re right. You’ve got to be your own coach. You’ve got to hold yourself accountable. You have to be your own motivator. As the saying goes – “motivation doesn’t last but neither does bathing. That’s why you have to do it daily.”
You’ve got to ask yourself coaching questions like if I could do it better next time, what would I do differently? What would I do more or less? Or differently? Coach yourself.
2. Remember What Motivates You
Who are you doing this for? Keep a reminder on your desk of what you’re working toward. Let’s be honest: sales can be tough. Sometimes, it’s very easy to get demoralized or to get thrown off track. In fact, sales are the only job out there where people will consistently say no to you.
Find what truly motivates you. Maybe it’s going to be money? We all love money, and a lot of us chase that commission, but studies have shown that even when people make a lot of money, it doesn’t always lead to increased happiness. So, there has to be something beyond the money, something behind the money. What is behind the reason for the money?
3. Challenge Yourself with a Daily Goal
Establish clear and specific goals that align with your personal aspirations and values. Break them down into smaller, achievable targets and track your progress. Goals provide a sense of purpose and direction, driving your motivation to succeed.
What’s one thing you must accomplish to make today a success? Often, goals are lofty and huge and might take you a long time to achieve, and by then, you run dry on steam and motivation to push through to achieve that goal and end up failing it.
Break that large goal down into smaller bite-sized pieces. Even one small piece could make today a huge success and motivate you, and create this momentum of success.
4. Remember, Motion Creates Emotion
Get up off your butt and make things happen. The next time you’re on a sales call, when you’re on the phone, don’t sit down.
I don’t know about you, but when I take that phone call, my chair is very comfortable. Chairs are comfortable. They’re designed to be comfortable. They’re designed to limit your emotions, which can also limit your emotions when you’re on that phone.
I want your prospects and your customers to hear and feel your energy for them, to feel your drive, your passion, and your desire. How can you do that, slumping down in a chair? Stand up. Put your headset on and walk around the office.
5. Keep Learning
Learners are earners. Sales is an ongoing thing. If you want to become more valuable to your customers and to your employer, you need to learn more so that you can earn more. The more information you have, the more knowledge you have, the more wisdom you have, you can pass that on to your customers and you become a valuable resource, not just a salesperson or an order taker a trusted advisor.
Invest in your personal and professional growth by seeking out learning opportunities. Stay updated on industry trends, sales techniques, and product knowledge. This is particularly important in specialized fields like telecommunications, where industry-specific knowledge can significantly impact your success. Engage in training programs, attend seminars, read books, and connect with experienced mentors. Learning and self-improvement stimulate motivation and keep you ahead in the competitive sales landscape.
6. Hang Out with Superstars
Misery loves company. Winners hang out with superstars. Superstars are aware of product limitations and what the competition is doing. They’re aware of their products and what’s working and what’s not. They just don’t let it stop them. They don’t care. They brush it off and keep moving forward. In order to be like them, hang out with them.
Surround yourself with positive, like-minded individuals who share your enthusiasm and drive. Build a supportive network of colleagues, mentors, or industry peers who inspire and uplift you. Their energy and encouragement can fuel your motivation during challenging times.
7. Reward Yourself
When you reach your goals, acknowledge your win and reward yourself. There are two things: outcome and output. The outcome is the result, but the outputs are your actions, your activities, and your behaviors. So, what I encourage you to do is reward yourself, not just for the outcome, which is a closed deal, for example. But also reward yourself for output.
Did you make a few extra calls today? Schedule two extra appointments today. Did you run the meeting and you did a great demo today? And you’re feeling super pumped about how prepared you were and how you delivered it. It doesn’t matter how big or small your accomplishment but at least acknowledge that win. So, how could you do it? Maybe it’s something extravagant, like if you hit a personal milestone, you go on a weekend vacation.
Need some motivational quotes to go with this? Here are some Sales Quote Images to Motivate and Inspire You.
Also Read:
Whether you believe you will fail or succeed – you’re right.
The secret to success in sales starts with having the right mindset.
You need to learn how to stay motivated when the economy slows down, when customers say no and when things aren’t going their way.
Often, a strong sense of internal motivation separates the top performers from the underachievers, which is why we consider mindset to be the foundation of sales excellence.
In this course, Mindset For Sales Success, we cover everything from common pitfalls to avoid when managing remote teams to effective communication and remote teams and methods of keeping staff motivated while working from home.
