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Sales can be challenging, and staying motivated is essential for success. Whether you're facing obstacles, seeking encouragement, or looking to inspire your team, the right words can make a difference.
That’s why we’ve compiled 100 + motivational sales quotes from influential salespeople, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and thinkers. These sales team motivational quotes will help you stay focused, push your limits, and refine your sales skills.
Let this collection of sales motivation quotes guide you toward greater success and a stronger mindset. But before we do, let’s understand the what the sales team stands for.
Types of sales teams
Motivation should be a priority for companies looking to develop a competent and productive sales team, irrespective of the world's crises. Therefore, to find the best ways to motivate your sales team, it is essential to understand the kinds of incentives salespeople respond to the most. Typically, there are two kinds of sales teams - product sales and solution sales:
- Product sales are typically for standard sales and involve salespeople who are highly driven and goal oriented. They are likely to respond to financial rewards and recognition for their achievements. Ways to recognize them include having visual leaderboards for the best performers, commission-based compensation periodically, and making them feel valued.
- Solution sales are typically for products tailored to meet the end goal of the customer. Solution salespeople tend to focus on customer satisfaction rather than sales figures. They are motivated by recognition for their ability to solve client problems intelligently and efficiently. Promotions based on customer surveys, for instance, are a good idea.
You have a sales career or are just starting out. Regardless of your role in sales, the need for motivation is always present. Here is the list of 48 Motivational Sales Quotes to help you get started.
100 + Best sales motivational quotes for teams to achieve targets
While you can always deploy specific systems (and you must) to maximize your sales team's productivity and subsequent performance, words of wisdom at the right time can pep up your sales team as nothing else will.
Whether they are struggling to find the right prospects or nervous about taking risks during the pandemic, here are the best motivational sales team success quotes to share with your salespeople and fill them with renewed energy. You can thank us later!
Relationship building motivational quotes for sales teams
1. People are starving for decisiveness. If you can give it to them, you can rule the world.
2. If you do not take care of your customers, your competitors certainly will! You do not want that in this economy. So, pull yourself up and get to work.
3. Trust trumps transactions. Never disappoint your customers. They should always be your #1 priority - no matter what anyone else says.
4. Identify what connects you with other human beings rather than what separates you from them. Sales are about understanding the challenges a customer faces, empathizing with them, and building connections.
5. Solve your customer’s pain-points, and they will be loyal to you forever!
Sales prospecting quotes
6. You cannot sell to others if you are not sold yourself.
7. Feedback is what champions thrive on. Do not be afraid to get feedback now and then. It is a great tool to improve yourself.
8. Expect the yes and embrace the no. That is how you master the close!
9. Clarity is power. No one can get anything done without clarity.
10. Do what others do not, and you will get what others would not.
11. Charisma might open doors for you, but the character will keep you in the building. Continuously work on yourself.
12. Never, ever, ever stop following up. It can be nerve-wracking, but it is essential in the game of sales!
Inspirational quotes for sales team
13. "Start with expecting great things for yourself. Then, go out and do them. Don’t let anything or anyone stop you from achieving your goals." - Michael Jordan
14. The secret to getting ahead lies in getting started. Start now. What are you waiting for?
15. “You are what you repeatedly do. Make excellence a habit, not an act that you do once a while." - Aristotle
16. 97% of the people who quit too soon are employed by the 3% that never gave up! Do not give up, ever.
17. "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." - Bruce Lee
18. Practice like you have never won; play as you have never lost! That is how you thrive as a salesperson!
19. People who wonder if the glass is half empty or full miss the point. The glass is refillable. Don’t stop trying to close that deal, no matter how many setbacks you face.
20. Hustle in silence with determination. Let your success make the noise.
21. "Amateurs sit around and wait to get inspired. The rest of us get up and get to work." – Stephen King
22. Focus on progress, not perfection.
23. Sales is not about being perfect; it is about being persistent.
24. A successful salesperson wakes up with determination every morning and goes to bed with satisfaction. Perseverance will be your best friend.
25. If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong place. Switch rooms, change your life!
Best quotes for sales motivation and achieving your goals
26. "I don't have dreams; I have goals." - Harvey Specter
27. Success is never owned, only rented - and the rent is due every day. So, get cracking today. Never stop hustling.
28. Done is worth more than perfect.
29. "Winning is not everything, but wanting to win is. That’s the attitude separating great salespeople from others." - Vince Lombardi
30. The dream is free, but the hustle is not! Be prepared for long nights, working weekends, and crazy deadlines. The reward is worth it.
31. If you see it inside of your head, at some point, you will see it in front of your eyes.
32. Do not just work IN your business; work ON it. That is how it should always be.
Courageous quotes for sales team motivation
33. The quality of the questions you ask yourself determines the quality of your life. If you are not questioning yourself, what are you even doing?
34. "Be miserable or motivate yourself. It is always your choice to do what you are supposed to do." - Wayne Dyer
35. "Courage is not defined by having the strength to go on. It is, in fact, going on even when you do not have any left." - Teddy Roosevelt

36. Your past does not equal your future.
37. Your self-worth will determine your net worth.
38. Success happens at the exact moment you do not feel like it.
39. When you feel like quitting, think about why you started in the first place.
40. Whenever you feel like you have failed, remember that even Coca Cola only sold 25 bottles their first year. Success takes time.
Sales motivational quotes for taking risks
41. You need to be okay with losing if you are truly committed to winning.
42. If you cannot do it, you must do it.
43. The difference between fear and excitement lies in how you THINK about it.
44. "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. Sometimes, all it takes is the first step to start Rest, follows." - Wayne Gretzky
45. Sometimes later becomes never. Don’t let anything stop you from doing it now.
46. Great things never come from comfort zones.
47. Emails that do not get sent do not close deals.
48. Fear is the road sign to growth and success.
Positive sales quotes
- Success is built on small wins. Celebrate each one, and the big wins will follow.
- The energy you bring to a conversation is the energy you’ll receive back. Stay positive, stay confident!
- A rejection today is just a steppingstone for a sale tomorrow. Keep going!
- The best salespeople don’t chase commissions—they chase impact. The money follows.
- You are one conversation away from your biggest breakthrough. Keep dialing, keep smiling!
- Selling is not about pushing a product; it’s about solving a problem. Do that, and the sales will come.
- The best way to predict success is to create it, one sale at a time.
- You don’t have to be the best to start; you just have to start to be the best.
- A great attitude creates great results. Stay enthusiastic, and success will follow.
- Every “no” you hear brings you closer to the “yes” you’ve been waiting for!
Funny sales quotes
- Sales is the only job where you get rejected 95% of the time and still feel like a winner!
- If selling were easy, everyone would be doing it. Lucky for us, it’s not!
- The only thing colder than a cold call is a cold coffee—so drink up and keep dialing!
- A salesperson’s favorite lullaby: “I’ll think about it…”
- Selling is like dating. If they say, “I need to think about it,” they’re probably just not that into you.
- “I love objections,” said no salesperson ever—but hey, they mean you're in the game!
- Following up: because “ghosting” isn’t just for dating apps anymore.
- The secret to closing? Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be standing until you do!
- Sales is the only career where rejection builds character and commissions build motivation.
- If enthusiasm was currency, salespeople would all be billionaires.
Sales leadership quotes
- A leader doesn’t create followers; they create more leaders. Inspire your team to rise.
- The best sales managers don’t just set targets; they build winning mindsets.
- Sales leadership isn’t about being the best seller—it’s about helping others become their best.
- A great sales team runs on trust, motivation, and an endless supply of coffee!
- Numbers matter, but people matter more. Build strong relationships, and the sales will follow.
- The best sales leaders coach, not command. Elevate your team to greatness.
- A good leader listens. A great leader acts on what they hear.
- Your team will sell the way you lead. Show them confidence, persistence, and resilience.
- A leader’s job isn’t to close deals—it’s to build a team that does.
- Leadership is about more than quotas; it’s about culture, consistency, and commitment.
Closing sales quotes
- The close starts at hello. Set the tone from the very first interaction.
- People don’t buy because of logic; they buy because of confidence. Show them why they need you.
- Never ask for the sale—assume it. Confidence closes deals.
- The fortune is in the follow-up. Always ask, always remind, always close.
- A great closer doesn’t sell; they guide the customer to the decision they already want to make.
- “I’ll think about it” is just another way of saying, “Convince me one more time.”
- Confidence closes more deals than discounts ever will.
- Sell the outcome, not the product. The right close speaks to the customer’s future.
- Your best closing technique? Believing in what you sell.
- If you’re afraid to ask for the close, you’ve already lost the sale.
Sales success quotes
- The best salespeople don’t wait for opportunities—they create them.
- Success in sales is like a marathon: pace yourself, stay consistent, and never quit.
- The top 1% of salespeople do what the other 99% won’t.
- Master your pitch, master your mindset, master the sale.
- A successful salesperson is always learning, always growing, always closing.
- Sales is a numbers game, but success is a mindset game. Win both.
- Every call, every pitch, every follow-up is an opportunity. Take it seriously.
- Success isn’t about closing every deal; it’s about never giving up on the next one.
- The best salespeople don’t just hit targets—they set new ones.
- Sales success comes from one thing: showing up every single day.
Customers experience sales quotes
- Customers don’t just buy products; they buy experiences. Make yours unforgettable.
- The easiest way to sell? Make your customers feel heard, valued, and understood.
- A happy customer is the best marketing you’ll ever have.
- If you treat customers like transactions, they’ll treat you like a receipt—easily forgotten.
- Your product is important, but your relationship with the customer is everything.
- Sell with integrity, serve with excellence, and success will follow.
- The best salespeople aren’t just sellers; they’re trusted advisors.
- A great customer experience turns a one-time buyer into a lifelong advocate.
- People remember how you make them feel more than what you sell them.
- The best closing technique? Leaving customers so happy they come back on their own.
Tips to motivate your sales team
While helping your salespeople improve their skill sets through performance management is easy, keeping them motivated can be challenging. Different people tend to respond to different kinds of motivation, and there are always external factors to contend with.
1. Ask your direct reports about what kind of management they would prefer
Effective managers are open to adjusting to what their salespeople would prefer in terms of the number of calls or interactions per week, the type of feedback offered, the nature of rewards and recognition, and the degree of frankness expressed.
By asking salespeople how they would like to be managed, trust can be solidified, and everyone can be more productive and motivated at work.
2. Allow them to choose their rewards
Generic gifts don’t always strike a chord with employees. Give them the flexibility to pick their rewards within a specified budget. Moreover, rewards don't always have to be monetary.
Automate incentives and commission pay-outs to sales teams using Compass, an incentive gamification software.
3. Understand their personal and professional goals
Motivating employees involves understanding what drives them. Ask them about what matters to them in their personal and professional lives, how motivated they are to achieve those goals, and your role in helping them achieve those goals.
Ask them to think about it for a day or two and then get back to you - this will prompt them to give more thoughtful answers that will help you better in the long run.
4. Incorporate gamification
Motivational quotes can spark inspiration, but let’s be honest sales is a high-pressure game. When rejection hits hard and motivation dips, Compass’s gamification feature steps in to turn the grind into a challenge worth winning.

Here’s how Compass can help your sales team stay driven, productive, and engaged:
Make sales fun & rewarding
Rejection and repetition are part of sales, but with Compass’s gamification software, you can transform the daily hustle into an exciting competition. Reps stay motivated when they enjoy the process—and that’s exactly what Compass delivers.
Run contests on KPIs that matter
Want to boost closed deals? Increase call volumes? Drive higher commissions? Tie sales competitions to the KPIs that impact rep earnings—because when their success translates into real rewards, motivation skyrockets.
Increase accountability with quota attainment visibility
When reps know exactly where they stand, they push harder. Personalized dashboards, real-time leaderboards, and team-based scorecards ensure full visibility into quota attainment, fueling healthy competition and higher performance.
Track performance & spot trends
Data-driven coaching becomes effortless with real-time insights. Sales leaders can analyze trends, track performance, and refine strategies—helping reps grow while making contests more effective.
Recognize & reward achievements
Whether it’s through points, badges, AI-powered nudges, or payout tracking, Compass makes success visible and rewarding. And when sales reps see their hard work getting recognized, they stay in the game.
A great quote can inspire, but a well-designed competition drives consistent action. With Compass, motivation isn’t a fleeting moment—it’s built into your team’s everyday workflow.
Wrapping it up
Irrespective of industry or business size, salespeople have to be on their feet all the time to meet their targets, bring in new clients, and help the company grow.
They are an asset of the organization that needs to be nurtured and motivated all the time. Hopefully, these 100+ best motivational sales quotes for the sales team will help you set a positive tone for your sales teams for the new year.
Want to know how to motivate your sales team? How to apply the right motivational strategies? All you need is Compass, the ultimate Sales Gamification Software to motivate your sales team. Ready to fuel your sales team's motivation beyond just words?
Try Compass and turn sales into an exciting, results-driven game!
FAQs
1. What is the most inspiring quote for sales?
"Success is never owned, only rented – and the rent is due every day." This quote reminds salespeople that consistency and effort are key to long-term success.
2. What to say to encourage a sales team?
"Every ‘no’ brings you closer to a ‘yes.’ Stay persistent, trust the process, and keep pushing forward!"
3. What is a good quote about selling?
"Sales is not about being perfect; it’s about being persistent."
4. What is the biggest motivation in sales?
The biggest motivation in sales is the ability to control your own success—whether it's through commissions, career growth, or the thrill of closing a big deal.
5. What is a salesman quote?
"You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take." – Wayne Gretzky. A classic reminder that taking action is the key to success in sales.