Intrinsic Motivation is a fancy phrase to keep you moving! Motivation is a completely personal thing. It’s the “why” behind what you choose to do… or not do.
Most inside sales leaders (and reps) get it wrong because they assume motivation is about money, rankings, or pressure.
It’s not.
If you’ve never taken the time to figure out what actually drives you, what happens when things get hard? (because they will)
Missed targets. Ghosted by prospects. Deals that fall apart at the last second.
Without a clear WHY, people don’t have a reason to push through.
That’s why in Mastering Inside Sales Leadership, motivation isn’t treated like a perk or a personality trait; it’s treated like a leadership responsibility. Not to *give* motivation… to help people uncover their own.
The WHY Coaching Framework (and why it works)
If you’ve read Chapter 2, you know you don’t stop at surface answers. You coach past them.
Here’s the framework:
- Ask: “Why do you want ______?” (President’s Club, quota, promotion…)
- Then: “What will that get you?”
- Then again: “What will that get you?”
- And you keep going.
Until the answer stops sounding like something they think they *should* say… and starts sounding like something they actually feel.
That’s the moment where motivation lives.
Yes, it gets annoying. The frustration usually means you’re breaking through the scripted answers into a place where you begin to understand what is truly important.
Most people stop too early.
Rep says: “I want to make more money.”
Leader says: “Great, go hit your number.”
End of conversation.
But in the book, we push further for a reason:
Money → pays bills → reduces stress → creates security → protects family
OR
Money → recognition → validation → self-worth → belief → confidence
Same starting point. Completely different fuel.
Leaders: If you don’t know which one you’re coaching to… you’re guessing. Sometimes you’ll get it right, other times you miss completely
Salespeople: If you’re in the seat right now, don’t wait for your manager to ask. Run the exercise yourself. In sales, you need a reason to stay in the game when it stops being fun.
Your WHY is what keeps you dialing when the last three calls went nowhere.
11 ways to stay grounded (and aligned with your WHY)
- Get clear on what you want your life to look like
- Define how this role helps you get there
- Work daily on BOTH your job and your vision
- Prioritize everything through that lens
- Take a strengths assessment (StrengthsFinder 2.0 is a solid start)
- Use your strengths to do more of what energizes you
- Pay attention to what gives you energy…7a. Then do more of that stuff!
- Know your ideal customer profile
- Prospect with purpose, qualify & disqualify based on your ideal
- Build an account base that works for you AND your company
- When asked to do something, ask why it matters (because if you don’t connect the request to your WHY… it won’t stick).
The leadership reality = You can’t motivate your team. You can create the conditions for self-motivation.
That starts with better conversations and understanding people as individuals.
Once someone connects their work to something that actually matters to them?
You don’t have to push.
They move.
If you skip the WHY, everything feels like a grind… and the only daily grind I enjoy ends with a cup of delicious coffee.
Lynn