In business, it seems that few things motivate people to accomplish more than greed. If I do A and B, then maybe I can work a raise out of the deal. All of us have thought like this at one time or another. Or, if I fail to get this done, maybe I will get fired. Living well and having as much money as possible are two of the greatest motivations we will ever know throughout the course of our lives.

Motivation in the sales and marketing spheres is not hard with a bonus system in place. By rewarding the top performers with bonuses, you are surely motivating people to go out and do everything they can to get those extra rewards. The competition in such an atmosphere can turn brutal at times, but there is no denying the effectiveness of bonuses for stimulating higher output.

The bonus can be a simple certificate the top selling person getting their name on it. The incentive need not be terribly elaborate or expensive in order to be effective, people just have to want it. Different groups of people will be motivated by different incentives.

Pay per performance can be a far more powerful motivation factor. On top of the annual raise, profits are set aside and given out to employees in proportion to their annual contribution to company performance. Yearly salary increases, end of the year bonuses, and other such incentives will practically motivate employees to walk on water but for those who like performing to superior levels and being rewarded for doing so, the results are undeniable.

There will always be employees who do not possess the ability to perform at elevated levels every day. It is wise to assess the incentive program and how it affects workers. If, for example, you were to offer $100 to anyone with perfect attendance for a month, you will no doubt see a lot more people in the office than you are used to.

Even the little things will surprise you at how effective they can be. Showing some empathy and compassion for people is vital but can also be very motivating. A great deal is said about your ethics and management style by the way you communicate with people.

I like it best when I am told what needs to be done and left to my own devices to see it through to completion. Unless I said something to him, my boss would leave me alone to do my work. But, if I shot him an e-mail stating that I needed to talk to him, you can bet he was giving me a call within an hour because he knew I was not the type to just talk to people about things unrelated to work.

Within a few months, my boss and I had our relationship down solid. He trusted that I was steadily pounding out the work and that if I did send that e-mail asking him to call me, it probably was not to talk about who won the game the night before. Before long, I was pulling in those bonuses mentioned earlier!