At Motive, everyone plays a part in closing deals.
“Every function — sales, product, executives and supporting departments — is engaged and actively customer-facing throughout the sales process,” Senior Vice President of Sales Jonathan Jenkins said.
While everyone plays a role in driving sales success, it’s Motive’s sales reps who carry the weight of this task. That’s why Jenkins ensures team members stay engaged through coaching, mentorship, feedback and other avenues. These efforts, coupled with access to AI-powered tools, enable the company’s sales reps to thrive while hitting sales targets.
“A feedback-rich culture, combined with organizational buy-in and AI investment, enables Motive to innovate rapidly and align with customer needs — building accountable, high-performing teams ready to scale and achieve ambitious goals,” Jenkins said.
To further drive engagement, Jenkins said that sales leaders should take certain steps to set an example, such as playing an active role in driving deals when possible.
“Reps become far more confident and motivated when they see you jumping in, tackling problems firsthand and guiding conversations,” Jenkins said.
Below, Jenkins shares more about his leadership philosophy, how he keeps team members engaged and his advice for other leaders eager to motivate their own teams.
About Motive
Motive’s AI-powered operations platform is designed to automate vehicle and equipment tracking, driver safety, compliance, maintenance, spend management and more.
Describe your leadership philosophy as it relates to employee engagement.
At Motive, my leadership philosophy is built on the conviction that we win as a team. Every function — sales, product, executives and supporting departments — is engaged and actively customer-facing throughout the sales process. We expect everyone at Motive to join the front lines, not just supporting sellers from a distance, but stepping into deals, collaborating directly and driving outcomes together.
This cross-functional, customer-facing approach compresses our feedback cycle and ensures rapid learning across the organization. By actively engaging diverse teams on every opportunity, we create real-time input loops that foster collaboration, accountability and a culture where feedback and adaptation are part of everyone’s job. This structure breaks down silos and makes engagement organizational, not just individual, fueling team success.
What types of resources — coaching, tools training, mentorship, etc. — does your team leverage to keep sellers engaged? How does this engagement directly impact their success and the success of the business?
Beyond selling the best product on the market, Motive drives seller engagement through a team-based approach built on coaching, training, mentorship, feedback and cross-functional collaboration. Our coaching develops both technique and resilience, fostering a growth mindset where leaders encourage reps to learn from challenges, embrace improvement and value effort as much as results.
“Our coaching develops both technique and resilience, fostering a growth mindset where leaders encourage reps to learn from challenges, embrace improvement and value effort as much as results.”
Motive also invests in advanced AI resources to boost engagement and results. AI-powered tools enhance conversational intelligence, account enrichment and account planning, making it easier for sellers to prepare, analyze insights and deliver value in every interaction. This model delivers measurable impact: sellers ramp faster, adapt quickly and build resilience. Clear expectations and high-touch support drive higher quota attainment, faster growth and lower attrition. A feedback-rich culture, combined with organizational buy-in and AI investment, enables Motive to innovate rapidly and align with customer needs — building accountable, high-performing teams ready to scale and achieve ambitious goals.
What advice would you offer to leaders in your field eager to drive greater engagement on their sales teams?
Join them! If you want to spark real engagement on your sales team, get out there with them on calls and in the field. When leaders show up to help drive actual deals, it sends a powerful message that you’ve got their back. Reps become far more confident and motivated when they see you jumping in, tackling problems firsthand and guiding conversations. You’ll also learn much more about your customers, your product’s strengths and weaknesses, and your team’s approach than you ever would about a summary or scorecard.
Plus, joining your team in action lets you spot coaching moments on the fly, provide instant feedback and help move deals forward faster. It makes the process more collaborative and accelerates everything, from gathering feedback to course-correcting strategies. Being present is one of the best ways to build trust, boost confidence and drive better results for everyone.
