Motivation research has demonstrated that, for most people,
money is not a primary motivator.
So, why do people work? The simplest answer, and perhaps the best, is
that people work to satisfy their needs,
wants, and desires. Let’s
consider these one at a time:
·
Needs -- necessary for survival
·
Wants -- not necessary for survival but in
the same category
·
Desires -- Includes things money cannot buy
Now let us ask, What will motivate
people who are not dissatisfied with what they have to greater levels of
productivity? The answer is:
Any event that increases feelings of self-worth and confidence. We want things
that money can buy but we also desire
things money cannot buy. To take this thought process to its next higher level
let us now consider being Agenda Driven
and it’s near opposite, Mission Driven.
Agenda
Driven
In our culture we are taught from an early age that to be a winner is
highly desirable and that winners are strongly goal oriented people. When we clarify our goals we have
identified predetermined outcomes that we want--- be they needs, wants or
desires. When we have an agenda it
is primarily designed to satisfy our
needs, wants, and/or desires. Let
us remember what the sales training guru Zig Ziglar taught: “The way to get what you want is to help
others get what they want.”
Mission
Driven
When we are responding to our nobler emotions our genuine
concern is, How can I serve? It has been scientifically demonstrated that positive
thoughts have positive energy and this energy creates an emotional environment
affecting all people who are in that field of energy, as the following story
demonstrates:
I was conducting a
sales and team building seminar for a group of real estate sales people in an
outstanding ERA, INC practice in Bangor, Maine. When I introduced the concept of being Mission Driven as a
sales technique several sales people made comments to the effect that being mission
driven couldn’t work in real estate.
When the last of the opposition to the concept had been voiced a petite,
gray-haired, grandmotherly lady stood up and said, “I’ve never referred to it
as being mission driven but that has been my sales technique for the past
several years. I came to adopt
this style quite by accident. One month I had the good fortune to exceed my
monthly sales goal in the first week.
For the rest of that month, with each potential client, I concentrated
on “how can I help this person?” I had never experienced such appreciation and
acceptance as I did for the remainder of that month and I have never deviated." The sixty-five year old lady had been the top sales person in the agency for
three consecutive years!
Peace,
Bud
