Professionals Need Motivating Too!

Professional Services are somewhat unusual in that the key sales tasks are almost always carried out by non-salespeople: the professionals who will supervise or perform the piece of work being bought.

As a result, what motivates them is often quite different from what motivates “normal” salespeople. Often, for example, by the time they’ve reached a stage in their career where business development is a key part of their role; they are already earning a very comfortable salary. They certainly aren’t in the same position as a commission-only salesperson who needs to bring in business to eat.

That’s not to say that money isn’t a motivator at all – but it’s often not the most important one for most professionals. Nor, surprisingly, is the role of sales in your chances of being promoted to partner.

When professionals are surveyed, the two factors which regularly emerge as being the most important for them in their career are the ability to work on interesting and challenging assignments, and to work with clients they like and respect.

How can this be used to motivate them to sell?

Well, a factor often overlooked by professionals reluctant to get involved in business development is that it gives them control over their destiny. If you can sell, you can ensure you work on interesting assignments for good clients. If you can’t sell you have no option but to work on the assignments others sell – which may well not be for the sort of clients you want to work for, or on the sort of topics you want to work on.

When professionals understand this they are often much more motivated to get involved in sales than before. They suddenly realise how effective selling can make their “real job” of delivery so much more enjoyable and interesting. And over time, they often come to realise that selling actually is their “real job” and can be even more enjoyable and interesting that delivery.