Motivation and retention of employees are two of the biggest challenges facing Sales Managers today. The rapidly-changing workplace of today mandates that employees stay motivated. Sales forces that stay motivated help businesses survive due to increased overall productivity. Motivation is the basis for survival for an organization, yet it is usually ignored as a business topic. There is no clear-cut and well-defined approach to tackling the challenge of employee motivation. Most companies usually ignore it unless a problem crops up.

There are various factors that motivate employees and they keep changing and entering into new stages of fulfillment. As employees' income increases, money becomes less of a motivator. Similarly as employees get older, interesting work becomes more of a motivator.

Abraham Maslow was the name of the American psychologist who coined the term "trans-personal psychology," and was widely known as a pioneer in humanistic counseling methods. It was Maslow's belief that the human need to develop one's basic potential can often take precedence over other motivators, although, they may appear to be more obvious.

Based upon his observations and research, Maslow concluded that within the psyche of all human beings, are five levels of increasingly-important chronological desires. He structured his findings into a model which has become known as "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs." Sales professionals can utilize this information to identify how these basic building blocks of humanity are applicable to their work.

The first and most vital needs to motivate man are physiological needs which include survival, food, water, and shelter. People try to meet their needs in a certain order according to Maslow. A person must meet their physiological needs before attempted to meet the needs of safety, love, and more.

Moreover, Maslow considers the first four needs in his hierarchy "deficiency needs," which stop providing motivation once they are satisfied. However, the hierarchy's final need - self-actualization - is a "being" or "growth" need that drives behavior throughout a person's life. Therefore, if a business continually gives its employees opportunities to meet this high-level need, the company can expect a well-motivated workforce.

Two main beliefs surround the idea of self-actualization, a nebulous concept at best. One thought is that we can never realize self-actualization, but we are always trying to achieve our highest potential. The other main thought is that we can achieve self-actualization, however this only lasts a short while because we will soon find another goal or objective to attain. Those who are trying to achieve their highest potential have a strong desire to make an impact, often by trying to create something special, or forming ideas that come across in important ways. They usually look for positions that allow them autonomy to facilitate their goals.

Daiv Russell is a marketing and management consultant with Envision Web Marketing. Read more Articles about Management, learn about Maslow and Maslow's theory.

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