“Only Carrots” is about incentives and motivation. I really dislike the common usage of carrots for positive incentives and sticks for negative incentives. It classifies us as if we are all donkeys and can be easily led by a carrot that we will never actually get to taste or worse that we can be beat into submission to demonstrate the behavior that is desired. Neither of these metaphors is accurate. People aren’t dumb enough to chase some incentive that they have no reasonable chance of getting. People are way too skeptical of any incentive and are usually looking for the hook. What’s the hidden agenda? Sticks are even worse because not only won’t they lead to motivation but they lead to dissatisfaction, dissention and could sabotage future efforts.
Anyone in sales that hasn’t seen Glengarry Glen Ross should go out and rent the movie. Even if you are not in sales, it is worthwhile and you won’t see a cast like this ever again. This movie is a dark comedy and at one point, Alec Baldwin announces an addition to this month’s sales contest: “As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac Eldorado. Anyone want to see second prize? Second prize's a set of steak knives. Third prize is you're fired. You get the picture? You're laughing now?” This is funny in a group setting talking with friends. It’s not funny if you have ever been under that kind of stress to perform. I’ve heard people describe a salesperson’s job as “perform or perish.”
In future posts, I will be discussing incentives and motivation from impulsive purchases by consumers to top tier salespeople exhibiting “best practices” and everything in between. I welcome your comments and thoughts since this is not an exact science and all of us are motivated intrinsically.
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