The New Power Base Selling: Master The Politics, Create Unexpected Value and Higher Margins, and Outsmart the Competition

Personal Motivators

A Personal Motivator is what an individual wants to achieve as a result of the value he or she brings to his or her organization. Note that the “value to the organization” is a critical element of this.

We’ve seen many Personal Motivators from the competitive deals we’ve coached and have noticed that most of the time, three common and distinct categories emerge. These are summarized in Figure 7.3.

Figure 7.3: Three Categories of Personal Motivators

The first is upward mobility. Many influential people want to advance their careers and be promoted. Indeed, this is what motivated Ray Andrews. These people are likely striving for more organizational stature, responsibility, and money. As the Power Base Principle outlines, this becomes possible when other people recognize their value. Therefore, sellers need to help these individuals gain recognition and visibility. For example, perhaps a customer Power Base member is seeking to raise her public profile in order to support her being considered for an executive role at her company. A valuable seller might help secure her a public speaking opportunity at an industry conference.

A second category of Personal Motivators is balanced lifestyle. These are individuals who are motivated less by career advancement and more by life experience. For example, they may wish to travel or not, to relocate to a certain place or ...