Is it Wrong to be Money-Motivated?

I will never forget interviewing a prospective employee who had two years of sales experience selling copiers. After spending a few minutes going over his background, I asked him, “Would you describe yourself as money-motivated?”

“Money-motivated?” he asked back. He sat there trying to find the right answer that existed somewhere between what he really felt and what he thought was the morally correct answer. I could tell he was struggling with this. He seemed to think to himself, ‘If I tell him I am not money-motivated then he may not think I am ambitious enough to do well in sales. If I tell him I am money-motivated then he will just think I am some sort of cheap selfish jerk who will do anything to get a sale.’

How would you answer that question? Do you think it is wrong to be money-motivated? Do you think that deep down inside you really are, but then think that at some level this belief may conflict with some other part of your moral or even religious beliefs? For most people in sales, this internal conflict ensues in a consistent hesitation to do everything that it takes to win. Even beyond this, the lack of ability to accept what you deserve can kill the sale and kill a career. Most sales people who sabotage their sales really do not feel deep down that they deserve the sale or the money that goes along with it because at some point in their life, they felt that being ‘money-motivated’ was morally wrong.

In my own opinion (and this is just my opinion), I do not think it is morally wrong to be ‘money-motivated.’ I do not even think that the phrase is an accurate description of what many of us perceive to be the motivation for effective selling. It is not money that is motivating a strong sales rep. It is getting a strong return on the investment of his time. It is knowing that a sales rep is maximizing his effectiveness and being a good steward of his career. Spend one unit of your time and see if you can get a return of five units back, that sort of thing. Money is just a unit of measure of how we value things. And what’s even paradoxical about sales success is that during each transaction, the less you focus on your own remuneration and more on the benefit to your prospect, the more money you make.

Here is what I mean by this: your motivation has to be in the service of others. Think about it. In sales, it is an economic impossibility for people to purchase a product or service unless there is a tangible or perceived value which is equal to or greater than the price of purchase. You have got to have some sort of value that you bring to the decision-making formula, and if you follow this three-part ‘mental model’ of selling, you will see yourself selling more, deserving more, and enjoying relationships with your customers more. And you will certainly make more money as a derivative of your service:

1. First, understand that in the world of sales, you have to believe in what you are selling. If you don’t have belief in your value then you are a phony and every prospect will see through it. Your lack of belief will result in your own personal hesitation and people will sense it and refuse to buy.

2. Second, know that your success in sales is a byproduct of the value that you bring to the world. When people say that they are ‘money motivated’, it is not really the money that motivates them. It is the representation of value, which is really what money is. Money represents a measure of value. It is how we keep score of the amount of value that we have brought to the world. If you contribute more to people, then you deserve more. If you bring the value of your service to more people, the ensuing result is remuneration through compensation. In other words, the more you sell, the more you make.

3. Third, understand that if you sell with the proper mindset and belief, you will see every objection with a duty to overcome it. When you believe that what you have can really benefit someone else, and that they are making the wrong decision not to buy from you, then you will approach your sales process with a duty, with a commitment, with an attitude of service to the other person as you try to help them buy what you are selling. It is really that simple. When you believe it, then they need it, and all that is left is learning how to overcome their objections in a way that leads them to take action in making the purchase.

Remember that there is nothing wrong with being money-motivated, as long as you understand how it really all fits together. And if you think this way, then you will never hesitate again about what motivates you and how your financial reward fits in the big picture.

Copyright (c) 2006 Scott Love

Scott Love equips sales people and managers with tools that double their performance. To have him speak at your next meeting or convention, contact him at 828-225-7700. Visit his website for free tools and resources, http://www.scottlove.com