By Todd Duncan

The person who interviewed you for your first sales job probably asked you something like, “Why do you want this job?” Think back. What was your response?

You probably didn’t say, “I want to get rich and buy lots of expensive things.” You were probably more clever than that, whether or not you meant what you said. It’s likely you responded with something to the effect of, “I like helping people.”

Why do we say that? Is it because we feel we should, or do we know deep down that helping people is the highest calling of the sales professional?

This brings up an important point about staying motivated to sell. I tend to think that the “I like helping people” answer is not a phony one when we initially give it. I also tend to think that it’s easy to forget that answer when things are either going very well or very poorly. However, it’s one of the few thoughts that should never leave our minds.

When too much time has passed between sales, it’s easy to put profits before people. It’s easier to put on an act and attempt to convince people of needs they don’t have—to offer them Band-Aid solutions rather than real remedies.

On the other hand, when sales are pouring in it’s easier to mash the cruise control and let the customer relationships that got you there slide a little. When you have earned a customer’s trust, it’s easy to take the relationship for granted.

In either scenario, it’s equally crucial to remember what motivated you in the first place so that you don’t fall into the traps of deception or delusion. I call such motivation “pull power.” It is the antithesis of willpower which is self-generated energy that produces short-term accomplishment.

To make use of pull power in your career you must always keep the reason you sell on the forefront of your mind where it can dictate your decisions and actions. In short, you must never forget why you are doing what you’re doing. Once this thought is firmly established, it becomes a force that pulls you along in good times, average times, and bad times. Pull power becomes you inner accountability of the deeper reason you are selling.

Many sales professionals get ahead of themselves in this regard. They spend the better part of their days answering the “How” questions: “How can I make more sales? How can I make more money? How will I meet my quota?” They’re all good questions that have their place but answering them is not where a successful sales career begins. It’s not enough to know how to be a good salesperson. To become successful for the long term, in high and calm seas, you must also know why you sell. And then never forget it.

Lesson Summary

If you’re just in sales for the money, the statistics show that you probably won’t make it very far. You’ll either quit in three years or less or you’ll accept a mediocre career in which stress and disappointment are commonplace. Very few in it for only the money have the nerve to push themselves past the tough times. Determine the deepest reason why you enjoy selling and then let that be the force that compels you to succeed. It’s often the only force strong enough to weather the rough seas that will come.

Selling success begins by determining your higher purpose in the sales profession. Your foundational purpose is your core motivation for thought and action in every area of your job your deepest inspiration for getting things done your critical filter for decision making your built-in accountability.

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