Training and skills are critical for sales teams. But successful sales reps must also have a positive mindset and the drive to succeed. Sales leaders need to find ways to keep their sales teams focused, centered, and optimistic — and sharing motivational quotes can be an effective tool.
Sales reps have to find the grit to keep moving forward, even when they’re met with closed doors. And words are powerful. They can change your outlook when you need a boost, help you feel less alone, and provide you with valuable perspective. But finding the right motivational quotes for the moment or situation can be a challenge.
From success to perseverance, we’ve collected our favorites so that you’ll have a few handy the next time you need to inspire your sales team.
What you’ll learn:
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Success quotes to encourage sales resilience
It’s easy to look at a winner and see only the victory. But the road there is often rough and full of pitfalls. Remind your team that it pays to keep their end goal in mind and to strive for continued growth — even after they’ve found success.
- “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” — Florence Taylor, poet (as quoted by author and motivational speaker Robert Collier)
- “In most things success depends on knowing how long it takes to succeed.” — Montesquieu
- “The secret of success is constancy to purpose.” — Benjamin Disraeli, writer and former British Prime Minister
- “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” — Michael Jordan, six-time NBA champion (who was famously cut from his high school basketball team)
- “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” — Dr. Jane Goodall, environmentalist
Life quotes for on and off the job
What happens outside of work affects your sales team’s ability to succeed on the job. Quotes that promote their happiness and personal growth can help them become more balanced and fulfilled in their lives — both at home and at work.
- “No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars or sailed to an uncharted land.” — Helen Keller, disability advocate who learned to speak and write despite being blind and deaf
- “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.” — John Augustus Shedd, author and professor
- “Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.” — William James
- “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” — Mahatma Gandhi
- “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because as has been said, it is the quality which guarantees all others.” — Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister
- “A bird does not sing because he has an answer. He sings because he has a song.” — Joan Walsh Anglund, poet, author, and illustrator
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Work quotes to build resolve
Sometimes your sales team needs a reminder that commitment and steady effort are there to achieve a larger goal— both for themselves and for the team as a whole. These quotes help them remember what’s important for the business.
- “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” — Harry Truman, 33rd President of The United States
- “Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.” — William A. Ward, motivational author and educator
- “I’m not going to limit myself just because people won’t accept the fact that I can do something else.” — Dolly Parton
- “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” — Albert Einstein, scientist who developed the theory of relativity
- “There is no substitute for hard work.” — Thomas Edison
Perseverance quotes
Sales representatives face obstacles every day, in almost every conversation they have. Often the difference between a dead end and a closed deal is not giving up. But perseverance can be hard to maintain under those circumstances. Here are some quotes to remind your team that even the most successful people hit roadblocks.
- “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” — Oliver Goldsmith
- “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” — Wayne Gretzky, the only NHL player to score over 200 points in a single season
- “‘I have gotten a lot of results! I know several thousand things that won’t work.” — Thomas Edison
- “Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” — Nelson Mandela
Motivational quotes
Some famous quotes still ring true today because they’re universal and timeless. Many well-known historical figures’ words have been shared for decades and centuries to inspire others. These quotes illuminate the humanity in us all — and the strengths we share that help us achieve together.
- “Futures cannot be predicted but futures can be invented.” — Dennis Gabor
- “The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.” — Muhammad Ali
- “To be alive at all is to have scars.” — John Steinbeck
- “Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” — Harper Lee
- “Ultimately a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
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How to use motivational quotes effectively
Motivational quotes can serve as a great inspiration to your team. But they’re most effective when they fit into a culture that’s supportive of growth. Inspire your team with book recommendations and by providing sales influencers they can follow. Then you can use motivational quotes as an extra boost to provide encouragement and inspire your team to meet their goals.
While daily journaling and reflection are often recommended as motivational tools for sales representatives, motivational quotes provide quick inspiration on the fly. Quotes give your sales team something to contemplate or recall during tough moments. Using motivational quotes is a good way to inspire your team in the moment, help them gain perspective, and give them wisdom and advice they can apply to their daily lives.
Here are some ways sales leaders can use motivational quotes:
- Hang a motivational quote in a prominent place in the office — and update it based on current challenges and events. That way, your team will always know where to find that little something to keep them going.
- Include a motivational quote in sales rep presentations.
- Create a digital sign with rotating quotes and place it in a well-trafficked area to ensure there’s always something fresh to motivate the team.
- Encourage sales reps to submit their favorite motivational quotes so they’re a part of the effort.
- Use a motivational quote as your signature when communicating by email with your sales team.
- Send personalized motivational quotes to specific reps that are a good fit for their current challenges.
Words to inspire, motivate, and encourage
By using motivational quotes to encourage your sales team, you can help each of your reps find their own inner motivation. With the right mindset, your team will overcome obstacles and fulfill their potential.
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