Many different things motivate salespeople. Some are motivated by financial rewards, while the rush of making a sale motivates others. In both instances, the art of selling has many rewards, which come from the motivation of the individual or a sales force. Sales forces are made up of individuals with a common goal while keeping in mind their personal goals. Sales forces also are motivated in different ways in order to accomplish their goals. What motivation theories would apply to salespeople and be most effective in motivating them? A few come to mind and will be answered in this portion of our paper.
Job satisfaction, motivation and performance are closely related. It is important to remember that salespeople may be motivated by different outcomes and rewards (Honeycutt, 2008). If we look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the question what motivates salespeople can be addressed. These motivators are: physiological needs (base salary), security needs (pension plan), belongingness (groups of friends) and esteem needs (job title), Self-Actualization needs (challenging job) are all motivators to a salesperson and can be used to effectively motivate our company sales force. Is this the best and only theory that would work for our company salespeople? Not necessarily. The Expectancy Theory by Victor Vroom may apply as well.
Motivation is a function of a salesperson’s anticipation that a particular behavior will lead to outcomes that she/he values (Honeycutt, 2008). Vroom’s Expectancy Theory suggests employees’ beliefs about expectancy, instrumentality, and valence will equal motivation. Expectancy is the salesperson’s perception that a certain amount of effort will lead to a successful performance (e.g., Can I do it?); Instrumentality refers to a salesperson’s perception of the probability that performance will lead to certain outcomes and rewards (e.g., what do I get for doing it?); Valence is the perceived attractiveness or unattractiveness of...