Your Primary Motivational Force

I recall visiting by telephone with a friend of mine who is a sales manager. He had a particularly difficult situation with one of his sales people. The man wasn’t producing at acceptable levels and had a bad attitude that was beginning to affect the entire staff. After commiserating with him for a few minutes, we began discussing various reasons this sales person was functioning below standards.

From our discussion, it was obvious that the fellow understood his products, knew how to sell, didn’t suffer from call reluctance, etc. Finally, I said, “Maybe you should ask this fellow just why he is with your organization.”

I saw my friend a couple of days later and he told me he had been mulling that question over and applying it to everyone in his department. He began naming his sales staff and as he did explained why they were in the business, many of whom had a specific reason for believing in the importance of their products and services. When he came to the salesman we had been discussing during our telephone conversation, he said, “His reason for being here is to make money. That’s it, nothing more, just make money.” Then he added, “Once I began analyzing why these people work for me, it became clear what I need to do.”

In order to fully tap into the motivational power of a positive attitude it is necessary to discover what you mean by success. The real definition of success for a person is the thing from which they derive their greatest sense of fulfillment, their passion, their sense of self worth. Once discovered, this will motivate them to do the things needed to have fulfillment and enhance their sense of self worth. What, you might ask are some of these things? Well, they are different for each one of us. For some it may be feeling appreciated, for others it might be gaining recognition as a leader in their field, some might say it is making a contribution that improves other people’s lives, and for still others it might be to provide a higher standard of living for their family than they knew as a child.

While it is true that in most cases money and the things you can procure with it are used as the outward measure of success, they are short-term motivators. We’ve all known people who used money, cars, etc. as their primary source of motivation. For a while the car or the cash motivated them, but when the market got tight, expectations became higher and difficulties became the norm not the exception these people sought greener pastures. Why? Many times it was because they made the value judgment that the thing they considered their primary motivation wasn’t worth the higher price they were going to have to pay.

As I said money and the trappings of outward success can prove to be short-term motivators. But in order to have real motivation—the kind that comes from the power of the positive you requires that you discover that from which you derive your deepest satisfaction. This motivational power is unleashed during tight markets as it gives you the power of persistence. It helps you see opportunities instead of obstacles when expectations are raised. And it releases your creativity when difficulties become the norm instead of the exception.

Once you discover and liberate your primary motivational force it becomes your filter for decision making, the inspiration that leads to a can-do attitude and serves as your internal coach providing the inner direction and discipline that I call the power of the positive you.
Have A GREAT and Profitable Week!
Robert Hidde
bob@confidentliving.com