It took me years to figure out that self-interest drives all decisions. Normally I am not a believer in absolutes of any kind (an exception is that 45% of all sales inquiries turn into a sale for someone), but I believe people ultimately make all decisions and take actions based on their own self-interest.
Even those who are the most altruistic, upon examination, succumb to this maxim. 
Of course, acts of heroism, in private life or the military may be the exception (so much for absolutes). Even in these extreme cases where the ultimate sacrifice is risked and sometimes paid, people universally feel it was done because it was the right thing to do and that is a form of self-interest.
Before you accuse me of not trusting in my fellow man, let’s consider how this affects us in sales and marketing, especially those of us who deal with Sales Lead Management, CRM or Marketing Automation.
None of these systems or processes can stand alone without human intervention and that is where the self-interest surfaces. If you introduce anything new to your senior management, sales or marketing people you must first appeal to their self-interest; known as, “What’s in it for me?” Ayn Rand called it the Virtue of Selfishness. (2)
This is a hard-core reality. You have no choice but to address this if you want to avoid wasting money on lead generation and sales lead management (CRM and Marketing Automation).
Salespeople must realize that through CRM/MA they will sell more, be more prosperous, and keep management from haranguing them. They can track more prospects and balance a larger pipeline and manage their daily activity better if they comply. Without presenting CMR compliance in terms of their self-interest you risk massive and expensive failure. Marketing must appeal to the self-interest of senior management for them to adopt Marketing Automaton. after all, it wasn't too many years ago that CRM systems were supposed to be the end game that brings competitive results and now management has to swallow getting a Marketing Automation system to be competitive.
Just remember, grab them by their self-interest and selling management or salespeople on a new CRM or Marketing Automation system will be much easier.
1. The phrase "Never Underestimate the powewr of grabbing someone by thier self-interest"is attributed to Glen Powell an engineer with one of my clients: NAVCO. If you use the phrase attribute it to Glen Powell, National Design Engineer.
2. Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness A New Concept of Egoism, The Objectivest Newsletter Inc., 1962.
