--- title: What Motivates You? Me? Us? description: Daniel Pink says autonomy, mastery, and purpose drive us. The Sales Whisperer® explains why big rewards can hurt results and how to act with confidence. image: https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hubfs/tsw-custom/share/share-what-motivates-us.jpg --- [Skip to content](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/what-motivates-us#main-content) [![Wes Schaeffer is The Sales Whisperer®](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/wes-header-lockup.png?width=1560&height=360&name=wes-header-lockup.png)](https://www.thesaleswhisperer.com/) - Work With Me Show submenu for Work With Me - [Fix Your Follow-Up](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/follow-up) - [Best Day Ever](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/best-day-ever) - [HANK The AI](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hank) - [AI Tools Compared](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/ai-compared) - [12 Weeks To Peak™](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/12-weeks-to-peak) - [48-Hour Fix](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/48-hour-fix) - [Start](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/start) - [Blog](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog) - [The Daily](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/daily) - [Speaking](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/sales-keynote-speaker) - [Podcast](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/podcast) Show submenu for Podcast - [Podcast Guests](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/podcast-guests) - [About](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/about) Open main navigation Close main navigation - Work With Me Show submenu for Work With Me - [Fix Your Follow-Up](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/follow-up) - [Best Day Ever](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/best-day-ever) - [HANK The AI](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hank) - [AI Tools Compared](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/ai-compared) - [12 Weeks To Peak™](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/12-weeks-to-peak) - [48-Hour Fix](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/48-hour-fix) - [Start](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/start) - [Blog](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog) - [The Daily](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/daily) - [Speaking](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/sales-keynote-speaker) - [Podcast](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/podcast) Show submenu for Podcast - [Podcast Guests](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/podcast-guests) - [About](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/about) - [Get The Daily](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/daily) [Get The Daily](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/daily) Jun 07, 2010 # What Motivates You? Me? Us? ![Picture of Wes Schaeffer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Wes%20Schaeffer%2c%20The%20Sales%20Whisperer%20black%20white.png?width=50&name=Wes%20Schaeffer%2c%20The%20Sales%20Whisperer%20black%20white.png) [Wes Schaeffer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/author/wes-schaeffer) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/what-motivates-us) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/what-motivates-us) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/what-motivates-us) [pinterest-p icon](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/what-motivates-us) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/what-motivates-us) The answer may surprise you. I agree with Daniel Pink, who says in this video that we desire: 1. Autonomy. 2. Mastery. 3. Purpose. *But Pink does not tell us WHY higher incentives actually lead to **worse** performance.* **My speculation:** Those seeking to acquire the higher incentives for cognitive [![Drive by Daniel Pink book cover](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog-files/daniel_pink_drive.jpg?width=278&name=daniel_pink_drive.jpg "Drive by Daniel Pink")](https://amzn.to/1Rjaea8)performance suffered from "paralysis by analysis," which means they "*over-thunk-it*." When the stakes are high, fear causes us to second-guess our instincts, our "gut," our "little voices," our highest and best impulses. We hear about athletes "being in the zone" when they have a great game. They are in the zone because: 1. They have prepared. 2. They are surrounded by great teammates. 3. They've had great coaching. 4. They want to win more than they are afraid to fail. Before You Do Anything Else Athletes get in the zone because they prepared. In sales, you prepare by writing your process down. Then you can act fast instead of second-guessing every step. [The rule I give every client before they buy anything →](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/process-first) You can apply these exact benefits to your own sales and business success. **SOLUTION**: Quit being scared by acting confidently. It sounds easy, and it is. Feelings do not lead to action. Actions lead to feelings. ***"Wes, are you repeating the old adage 'Fake it 'til you make it'?"*** Yes. Adages and clichés and rules-of-thumb come into existence **BECAUSE THEY ARE TRUE!** For more on mindset and sales, listen to [The Sales Podcast](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/podcast). Market like you mean it. Now go sell something. **P.S.** I know "over-thunk" is not a word. I'll teach you why I used it in one of the Market Like a Man lessons. **P.P.S.** Taking action is addressed in [Spiraling Upward](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/the-upward-spiral/). [![Twelve weeks. Live deals. We start in 48 hours. Book The Fit Call](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/443614/interactive-184500196010.png)](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLJOt2tomKFGT7HssnBznttWz87JXJsV%2BmwBYHThn3N0qSbuTidpj%2BtxQrCrwXMR5ypOU5dQYAw%2Bps1hexk%2Byld5MocWYHbr60MKU2GwYXtySHVEdRI3Estr%2B3OuJ6KD8SoFRU3I2vrQte8y9SBjGuaOnXSwcNkdne4Wd1PUQCtS1vE3WxXDBDocaRdFiIbW57pBXcqx0hA%2F16g9seACiuOI&webInteractiveContentId=184500196010&portalId=443614) [Sales Training](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/topic/sales-training) ## Related posts [![Go Certify Yourself Says Danielle Eyman — AI-powered sales insights from Wes Schaeffer, The Sales Whisperer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_Featured_Images/pexels-1036622.jpg?height=200&name=pexels-1036622.jpg)](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/danielle-eyman) [The Sales Podcast](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/topic/the-sales-podcast) ## [Go Certify Yourself Says Danielle Eyman](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/danielle-eyman) ![Picture of Wes Schaeffer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Wes%20Schaeffer%2c%20The%20Sales%20Whisperer%20black%20white.png?width=50&name=Wes%20Schaeffer%2c%20The%20Sales%20Whisperer%20black%20white.png) [Wes Schaeffer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/author/wes-schaeffer) Nov 22, 2022 Wherever you are...it's your own damn fault \[ LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS OR SPOTIFY \] [Read more](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/danielle-eyman) [![Pete Olsen: Top 10 Ranked Marketer In The World Helps You Grow Sales — AI-powered sales insights from Wes Schaeffer, The Sale](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/_Podcast_Images/Pete_Olsen_The_Sales_Podcast_89.png?height=200&name=Pete_Olsen_The_Sales_Podcast_89.png)](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/pete-olsen) [The Sales Podcast](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/topic/the-sales-podcast) ## [Pete Olsen: Top 10 Ranked Marketer In The World Helps You Grow Sales](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/pete-olsen) ![Picture of Wes Schaeffer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Wes%20Schaeffer%2c%20The%20Sales%20Whisperer%20black%20white.png?width=50&name=Wes%20Schaeffer%2c%20The%20Sales%20Whisperer%20black%20white.png) [Wes Schaeffer](https://thesaleswhisperer.com/blog/author/wes-schaeffer) Oct 06, 2014 About Today's Guest on The Sales Podcast Pete Olsen didn't start out in marketing. As a 1993... 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