Internal Versus External Sales Motivation
For a sales person to be successful they must have sales motivation. The people who are successful are loaded with
internal sales motivation. Some individuals who get into sales are motivated by the external. This means their
motivation is often based on whether they have their egos stroked. Reports tell us that these people are not as
successful as those who have an internal sales motivation.
So, what exactly is internal sales motivation? It is having an internal direction. This means that an individual
knows what he or she is doing and they do it. Their success in sales is not incumbent upon their environment. These
people could sell a bag of sand to someone in the dessert. They know what they are doing and they believe in what
they are doing.
Why is internal sales motivation so important? First of all, it is due to the fact that being a sales
representative involves a person coming in contact with people who have different emotional make-ups. Each person
that you meet will have their own way of viewing things. A person who has an internal sales motivation has an
instinct about them. They know how to talk to people and they follow their intuition. It doesn’t matter who they
are, people who have this kind of sales motivation are adept at communicating and understanding people. Someone who
is externally driven may be thrown off by certain people. They may become tongue tied around people and not know
how to reach them.
Individuals who have internal sales motivation usually have a plan. They know what they want for their lives and
they know how to go out and get it. One way they do this is they imagine the end result of their labors. They are
able to keep themselves in check by focusing on the bigger picture.
Knowing what the end result is that they want to achieve, these individuals set goals for themselves that will
guide them in that direction. They do not have generic goals. They have specific goals and plans. By doing this
they are able to recognize problems that may arise and avoid them. They are not side tracked and they are not
easily swayed off course.
Many individuals who have internal sales motivation carry something around with them. It doesn’t matter what it is.
It could be a picture or a trinket. But, the important thing is this thing they carry around symbols their goals.
It represents what they want to achieve. By looking or holding this object they are able to clear their brains and
focus on the task at hand.
All of this may sound silly to someone who is not in the sales business. However, individuals who are in the sales
business who find they are more externally motivated than internally motivated will understand the importance of
motivation. If you feel that you could stand to learn more about internal sales motivation you may want to consider
attending a motivation and achievement seminar or read a few books written by motivational speakers. These are
tools that will teach you how to tap into yourself so that you can learn internal sales motivation.
In fact, if you are reading this and you are an employer you may want to consider having a speaker come to lead a
training program for your sales representatives. Having employees who can tap into the proper kind of sales
motivation is critical to the success of your business. Having a professional come out to teach them about internal
sales motivation can pay for itself in the long run.
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