Sales people are coin-operated. Maybe you’ve heard that expression before. It’s true that most sales positions are commissioned, but it’s not true that all sales professionals are driven only by money. Is there anything wrong with sales professionals being driven by money? Nope. I’ll admit, some of the most successful sales professionals I’ve met were obviously driven by money. So, what difference does it make if a sales professional is driven by the love of money if it helps make them successful?

Before we can answer that question, we need to first define “successful.” If success is defined as making lots and lots of money, then we need to define “lots and lots of money.” Right out of college someone thinks $60,000 per year meets that criteria. After 15 years in the industry that number might be $200,000. If you are a CEO for Fortune 500 corporation, that number might be $5M per year. When is enough actually enough? Should we only define success in terms of money?

Money doesn’t define success. Real success lies in using your talents to there fullest. When we buy into the lie that more money equals success, we start down a lonely path.

“ Success is using every gift and talent you have to its absolute fullest. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

What’s wrong with loving money?

Our joy doesn’t come from money or things, it lies in fulfilling our purpose and being part of a story bigger than ourselves.  Google has over 989,000 clinical results for research on happiness. Why is happiness such a popular topic to study? It would seem that many of us have trouble finding true happiness. While we think money can bring us happiness, it starts us down a lonely path.  Here’s how it progresses…

1.  We start to prioritize things over people

King Solomon from the Bible, both wealthy and wise, points out that seeking money over everything else is vanity. Solomon was one of the wealthiest people on earth and he said, you won’t find happiness in money. When we begin to prioritize things over people, our misaligned priorities will be noticeable by others. As sales professionals with misaligned priorities, our customers will take notice. When things become more important than people, we quickly move to stage two.

“ He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. —ECCLESIASTES 5:10

2.  Our misguided priorities strain our personal and professional relationships

Prioritizing things over people causes us to make decisions that promote our acquisition of things instead of fostering strong relationships with people. As a sales professional, when our customers can see that our choices benefit us with no real benefit to them, the relationship suffers.  Any influence exercised with a purely selfish intent is pure manipulation.

3.  Strained relationships lead to lost relationships

When we sell to help others solve problems, instead of selling to make a commission, we find greater satisfaction and greater success. When you truly believe your products or services help customers and make the world a better place, you will find deeper satisfaction as a sales professional. As sales professionals, the loss of human relationships means the loss of repeat customers.

We need to make sure we maintain a right relationship with money. To do that, we need to constantly check our priorities.

Always in the battle,
Russ

COMING NEXT WEEK – Part 3 in the Series – The Root of All Evil: How can we fight?

Did you MISS LAST WEEK? – Part 1 – What is the Root of All Evil?

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