Last time we learned about intrinsic motivation - the internal drive that fuels people's best sales performance. But here's what many sales leaders miss: salespeople aren't motivated by the same internal forces.
What energizes one sales rep might completely drain another's energy.
Engagement Message
Name one thing that energizes a salesperson on your team (not you).
Research shows people have distinct motivational drivers - specific things that naturally fuel their intrinsic motivation. Think of these as different types of internal sales engines.
Some salespeople are driven by independence, others by skill mastery, others by customer impact.
Engagement Message
Which driver—autonomy, mastery, or purpose—best describes your sales motivation?
Let's explore autonomy - the drive for independence and control over your sales approach. Salespeople high in autonomy motivation want to decide their territory strategy, client approach, and schedule.
They say things like: "Let me handle this account my way" or "I work better managing my own pipeline."
Engagement Message
Name one salesperson who clearly values independence in their approach.
Next is mastery - the drive to get better at selling skills. These people love perfecting techniques, learning product features, and becoming sales experts.
Watch for: asking about new sales tools, practicing presentations, studying competitor analysis, requesting advanced training.
Engagement Message
Who on your sales team seems most excited by skill-building challenges?
Purpose motivation means being driven by customer impact and solving problems. These salespeople want to know how their solutions truly help clients succeed.
They ask: "How does this solve the customer's pain?" or "What results will they see?" They light up when discussing client success stories.
