Learn what Brian Klemmer speaks about in Building your generals.

The following article is written by Brian Klemmer. Through Brian, his committed Staff and the Workshops that his Company “Klemmer & Associates” has put together, we personally have realized our true potential as a whole person, through being a wife, husband, parent and business leaders. We recommend you read the articles and books Brian has written and can’t say enough about how powerful and life changing the “Klemmer & Associates” Workshops, are on the journey to becoming a better you. Remember, life is a journey not a destination.

Brian’s Workshops inspired the Video Bootcamp we have put together for you.

Do you have people in your team that reached a degree of success and are no longer motivated? It is a problem within almost every company we have done work with in the industry. Here’s the problem and some potential solutions.

My mentor taught me over 30 years ago that there are three motivators: money, recognition and cause. They actually go in that order. Money is a powerful motivator. It is one that is predominantly used within the network marketing industry. Earn more money. Increase your lifestyle. However here are two significant things about money as a motivator.

#1 – Money operates like a spigot. When the money flow is interrupted or turned off the person ceases to be motivated. I keynoted at a convention recently where a top income earner was bribed to go elsewhere (honor and integrity is for another article). It reduced many people’s income downline that stayed by over 25%. Those who were only money motivated suffer then from not being motivated.

#2 – People will actually pass up money for recognition. If you don’t believe me, go ask a local bank vice president how much they make. It is not very much. They have traded money for recognition. The fact they have a title and a business card with “vice president” on it has trumped income.

It is a very powerful motivator. People in the network marketing profession have done unbelievable things for titles or to be one of the few with a ribbon or award or to be recognized on stage or have dinner with a very important person. It’s a good thing

However recognition is like money in that it operates like a spigot. If the recognition stops the person ceases to be motivated. Look what happens in companies where ranks or titles can be earned and then lost. Many people continually show up at the meetings proud of their rank and they have little income. They are as they say in Texas “tall hat no ranch”. Watch someone that is primarily recognition motivated who for whatever reason ceases to be put on stage or given the limelight and they are no longer motivated.

Also like money, people will pass up recognition as well as money for cause. Look at history and all the people who will spend their life in a basement cranking out leaflets for a cause that make no money and get no recognition.

When people are hooked on a cause they will shrug off a monetary set back or some jealous upline with scarcity thinking who will not share the limelight. They are endlessly driven because cause is about others. It is about something other than yourself. Because the needs of others is a bottom less pit you will be driven no matter how much money you make and no matter how much fame you have. You won’t “retire” from the business because the business is merely a vehicle to further an endless cause.

Balance is a key to many things and so it is with motivation. The best system is a combination of all three. One of the beautiful things of the network marketing profession is that when done properly it is relatively easy to provide all three. But ask yourself, “am I using all three or am I out of balance with one over the other”. This isn’t just for you as a leader with your team. It is for yourself. We often talk about the importance of the “why”. In the beginning it may be ok to have a why around material success. But for sustainability at some point the why must revolve around cause.

Brian Klemmer has been speaking for over 30 years, founder of Klemmer & Associates, a character development and leadership training company, and is the author of four books. The most recent book, The Compassionate Samurai, was a #1 business book for several weeks in 2008. www.klemmer.com 800-577-5447.