Why do you want the things you want?
What’s behind the desire to make the next sale? To hit the quota?
We all have deeper motivations for why we want to do things.
If you can understand your own motivations, you can use them to plow through tough times to sales success. You can focus in on that “why” and use it to drive you forward.
But all too often, we don’t understand our deeper motivations. We think we understand, and convince ourselves that our deeper motivations are things like:
- Make more money
- Get a promotion
- Hit a quota
But really, these are only surface level.
They sound good and interesting, but they don’t light a fire within you.
And that’s what’s missing…
If you don’t find your deep motivation for sales success, you’re more likely to give up before you reach your goals.
Here’s an example from a story a personal trainer friend told us…
Whenever he’d meet with somebody who wanted to lose weight and burn fat, he’d ask them “Why?”
Usually, their first answer would be something like, “Because I want to be healthy and look better.”
He’d sit back, take a deep breath and say, “I get that – but what motivated you to come all the way to the gym, make an appointment with me, and set aside all this time to losing weight?”
After digging deeper and deeper, he’d eventually get to the truth…
Maybe they wanted to feel more attractive to their partner, or wanted more energy to play with their kids, or one of their parents just died of an obesity-related disease…
Whatever the deeper motivation, he noticed something…
Once people realized their true motivations, they were far more likely to follow through and make it a habit to go to the gym.
It was no longer a chore. It became a stepping-stone to a better life and a way to achieve their deeper desires.
Now, what if you could uncover your deeper motivations for sales success? How would that change your attitude and drive?
Instead of forcing yourself through for surface-level motivations that don’t truly light you up, you could have your true motivations in mind.
You’d be far more likely to push through sales struggles to success.
So, how do you uncover your deeper motivations?
You have to dig deeper and ask yourself “Why?” Don't let yourself off the hook with easy answers. Think deep. The answers can be a little bit uncomfortable, but you have to be honest with yourself.
Why do you want to make more money, get a promotion, or hit the quota?
Keep asking yourself “Why?” until you’ve gotten to the root of it.
For example, let’s say your surface-level motivation is to make more sales…
“Why do I want to make more sales?”
“Because I want to make more money.
“Why do I want to make more money?”
“Because I want a better lifestyle, nicer house/apartment, and more opportunities.”
“Why do I want those things?”
“Because growing up I saw how hard it was on my parents to create a good life for me. I saw the exhaustion in their eyes, and I don't want my family to feel that struggle.”
Dive as deep as you need to until you can identify something that truly motivates you. Something you can think about. Something you can picture.
Then keep those deeper motivations in mind, both through the good and bad times of the sales grind.
What are your deeper motivations for sales success? How do you distinguish them from the surface-level motivations? Let us know in the comments below!
