What works better to motivate new sales reps — a bonus or the right quote
Kinda curious to hear others’ thoughts on this — we recently onboarded a couple of new salespeople and during the first week, our manager kept throwing in some motivational quotes during the morning syncs. At the same time, they knew there was a bonus system waiting if they hit target. One of the new folks really responded to the quotes — kept referencing them during calls — while the other seemed more fired up after we explained the bonus structure. It made me wonder: which actually motivates beginners more — money or mindset?
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That’s a good question. I’ve seen both sides of it too. One guy I trained last year didn’t react at all to financial incentives, but when I shared a few lines from a list of sales motivation ideas I came across, something just clicked. He literally wrote one of them on a sticky note and stuck it to his monitor. It gave him the mindset shift he needed to start pushing harder. So yeah, I think quotes aren’t just fluff — when used right, they hit deeper than money sometimes. But it depends on the person, of course
Just passing by and saw this topic — not in sales myself, but I find motivation in general a fascinating area. I guess the question comes down to what kind of drive someone responds to — internal vs external. Some need purpose or vision, others need targets and rewards. There’s probably no one-size-fits-all answer, but a mix of both might be a smart move.