Part V

SALES FORCE LEADERSHIP

Chapter 11:

Motivating
Salespeople
What is Motivation?

Drive to initiate an action.

The intensity of effort in an action
The persistence of effort over time.
Reasons for Motivating Salespeople

Frequent rejection
Physical separation from company
support
Direct influence on quality of sales
presentation
Indirect influence on performance
What Goals are Most Important?

Expand Visibility 43.9%

of Sales

Increase 66.1%
Sales Revenue

Enhance Company
31.9%
Credibility

Build the Brand 29.8%

0 20 40 60 80
Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

Intense job challenge, full potential, full

Self-Actualization expression, creative expansion.

Achievement, respect, recognition,

responsibility, prestige, independence,
Self-Esteem attention, importance, appreciation.
Belonging, acceptance, love, affection,
family and group acceptance,
Love-Belonging friendships.

Security, stability, dependency,

protection, need for structure, order,
Safety-Security
law, tenure, pension, insurance.

Hunger, thirst, reproduction, shelter,

Physiological clothing, air, rest.
Maslows Needs & Related Sales
Force Motivators
Maslows
Hierarchy
Of Needs Motivators
SELF-
Challenging tasks calling for creativity
ACTUALIZATION

ESTEEM Recognition programs

BELONGING Presidents Club $1 million

SAFETY &
Job security and fringes
SECURITY

PHYSIOLOGICAL Cash wages and bonuses

Chinese Culture
Hierarchy of Needs

Self-actualization
in service to society

Safety

Physiological

Affiliation (belonging)
Comparison of Motivators and Hygiene
Factors Percentage Frequency
Low High
Satisfaction Satisfaction
40 30 20 10 0 10 20 30 40

Hygienes
Policies
Tech. Supervision Motivators
Salary Achievement
Interpersonal Relations Recognition
Working Conditions Work Itself
Responsibility
Advancement
Career Stages

Does everyone go through these

stages?
What can be done to address the
concerns of salespeople at each
stage?
Exploration Stage

Motivational Needs
Learning the skills required to do the job well.

Manager Role?
Reinforce accomplishments
Spend time with salesperson
Discuss long-term benefits of working for the organization
Establishment Stage

Motivational Needs
Use skills to produce results, increase job autonomy

Manager Role?
Provide high rewards for high achievers
Have salespeople recognize success has something
other than promotion
Maintenance Stage

Motivational Needs
Develop a broader view of work and organization,
maintain a high level of performance

Manager Role?
Challenge salespeople to use their knowledge in new ways
Introduce significant rewards for mastering new challenges
Disengagement Stage

Motivational Needs
Establish a stronger self-identity outside of work,
maintain performance level

Manager Role?
Maintain focus on personal goals and importance of
organizational citizenship behaviors (e.g., being a
role model, assist in other aspects of the organization)
Career Stage Effects on Satisfaction

Select Research Findings:

All stages are least satisfied with
promotion and pay
However, pay satisfaction is only dimension on which disengagement
salespeople are more satisfied than establishment or maintenance
salespeople

Maintenance salespeople are less satisfied

with supervision than are establishment
salespeople
Disengagement as well as maintenance
occurs quite early for some people -- Is
this a management concern?
Giving Status to Salespeople

1. Compensation
- exceed first-line managers

2. Job Title
- no cost but considerable payback

3. Company Car Upgrade

- salespeople spend much time in car
reminds them of their value.

4. Car Phone
- justified on a purely business basis
Giving Status to Salespeople

5. Field Sales Council

- meet president for 1/2 day open-ended discussion on
field marketing conditions - report back to field meetings
the results

6. Outside Secretarial Support

- or more exclusive central.

7. Published Success Stories

- high form of recognition

8. Task Force Assignments

- e.g., review of all paperwork.
Expectancy Theory Example

Suppose you had 360 points accumulated in a particular class

and you needed 450 points to get an A for your final grade.

You only have the final left to take (worth 100 points). Plus, you
really didnt put the effort into studying for the other exams for
this class, but you were in the B to B+ range.

Also suppose, if you get an A for the course, your GPA hits
the 3.5 mark, which now makes you eligible to get an interview
with a prestigious firm.
 Expectancy Theory System

EFFORT PERFORMANCE REWARD

EXPECTANCY INSTRUMENTALITY VALENCE

Likelihood increased Likelihood greater Importance of receiving
effort will lead to Performance will lead More of certain rewards
greater performance to more rewards
Expectancy Theory System

A more complete theory

Focuses on process of motivation
Maslow & Herzberg focus on only one aspect of the
process: reward importance
Systematic approach with multiple reasons for a lack
of greater effort
Indicates where management should direct its
attention to sales force as a whole or to an individual
What may account for a lack of greater effort in an
individual salesperson?
Role Perceptions

Sales is a boundary spanning position

- you must be responsive to expectations of multiple people.

Sales
Company Customers Family
Manager

SALESPERSONS ROLE PERCEPTIONS

Expectations What do others expect me to do?

Ambiguity How sure am I about what others expect?

Accuracy Is what I think what they really expect?

Does meeting expectations of one person mean not meeting the
Conflict expectations of another?
Role Perceptions

Typical Sales Job Activities

Where is their potential for the
following:
Ambiguity
Lack of Accuracy
Conflict