Motivation can be defined as the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviours. Motivation is affected by a number of factors both internal (values, beliefs, knowledge etc) and external to the individual (rewards, praise, recognition etc).
However, situational factors can have a profound affect on motivation. For example, otherwise rational, law-abiding, people can get swept up in herd mentality or peer pressure and engage in antisocial behaviours such a stealing, rioting, and even murders.
Recognizing the importance of situational motivation is important for how you run your business. I’ve spoken about the downside of the practice of incentivizing the sale with freebies and gifts (sometimes referred to as buying the sale). Effectively what you are doing is providing situational motivation… as long as you can replicate the situation (freebie high) the behaviour will be maintained.
Obviously, you can’t give away free stuff forever… and in the absence of that situational motivation there is no motivation.
Of course, the freebies are just to motivate the sale…I guess you can always worry about retention later... right?
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