To be successful in sales, you need more than money for motivation. Luckily, there are plenty of growing tech companies with business models to satisfy any ethical aspirations, covering everythingfrom admin efficiency in mental health care to carbon dioxide emissions in the trucking industry.

Oh, and they make money in the process.

To learn more, we spoke with reps at some of the top tech companies across the nation about how they stay motivated.

ZestFinancesmachine learning algorithms ingest thousands of variables to help money lenders make fair, transparent credit decisions. Founded by a handful of Google data science alumni, the technology has applications in auto financing, commercial lending, mortgages and more. The Burbank company has raised more than $200 million in funding to date.

Sales Manager Bobby Flanigan finds motivation in his companys mission to provide credit for those who may not qualify under traditional vetting practices.

Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?

I like to make an impact right away, and being in sales is the most direct way to help solve business problems. Zest software changes our customers core business in a major way were talking 10-to-50 times the return on investment in the first year. That makes these challenges extremely fun to solve. At Zest I get to work with some of the smartest people I have ever met, including rocket scientists, PhDs and engagement managers from top MBA programs. I learn from these people every day as we collaborate to create something awesome.

When hospitals and other medical facilities need nurses, lab technicians and other staff, they turn toMedelyson-demand platform. Professionals who value flexibility can find per diem work, while healthcare systems can shore up their staffing ratios and avoid surgery cancellations. Headquartered in Santa Monica, the company works with more than 3,000 healthcare facilities.

Senior Account Executive Blake Baird has enjoyed seeing Medelys technology taken up by thousands of organizations in the healthcare industry.

Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?

What really attracts people to startups is the opportunity to come in and make an imprint on the company. Im motivated each and every day by the big picture of what this can be. I have seen us grow from a single city to more than 60 cities in a few short years. Its validation that what were doing is making a difference, and for me, the possibilities continue to drive me each and every day.

While replacing binders and textbooks with sleek laptops has eased achy backs at schools all over the world, the digitization of school materials has created new challenges for educators and their students.GoGuardiansChromebook management software technology monitors, filters and prevents the theft of devices, helping educators manage how school technology is used.

Director of Customer Success Terence Davy loves the way his job allows him to learn new skills and confront stimulating challenges.

Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?

Learning and growth are core to my being, and the real reason that I get out of bed every morning. GoGuardian has provided constant opportunities to solve interesting problems and develop new skills, which is a great motivating factor. However, the thing that fuels me even more than my personal development is that I have the ability to observe and participate in the growth of the incredibly passionate, creative and intelligent people that make up my team.

Banks are conservative by nature, and tend to flee any kind of business that they deem risky. The result is that a broad range of organizations from nonprofits to hunting retailers find it tough to gain credit card processing services.PaymentCloudhas stepped into this gap, offering the necessary technology for tens of thousands of businesses.

Senior Account Manager Amanda Castro said she loves to help merchants grow their businesses.

Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?

What motivates me the most is being able to help our merchants. A lot of them have struggled to find an appropriate solution and are relieved when they finally hear that they are approved. Merchants are proud of their businesses and being able to provide a resource for them before, during and after approval can be invaluable to their success. I love being a part of the last step to growing their businesses.

Video gaming has become an inherently social activity over time, allowing users around the world to meet, socialize and chase each other around with laser guns in cyberspace.Mobcrushis one of the foundational technologies that helps these interactions take place, with a video streaming platform that helps gamers broadcast and watch streams, and chat in real time.

Head of Eastern and Midwestern Sales Lee O'Connor helps Mobcrush fund these efforts by bringing gaming content creators and like-minded brands together.

Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?

I am motivated by the constant innovation and opportunity in the live streaming space. There is no other medium out there that can create instant buzz and brand awareness the way live video can. Since the advertising community hasnt had as much experience in the live realm, its also an opportunity for me to constantly learn and help to educate the industry. I love that we can give a brand amazing results while also contributing to the success of the creators we work with. Its a win-win-win.

Pasadena-basedRedgate Softwarebuilds tools designed to help businesses get the most out of the Microsoft Data Platform. With digital tools designed to service various stages within a companys database DevOps process, Redgate focuses on building technical tools that are tough to build, yet easy for users to get the hang of.

Enterprise Account Executive Stephen Fontanella highlighted Redgates leadership in the field, and the culture that has grown up around building data tools for customers.

Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?

Im primarily motivated by the culture that has been built at Redgate. I care for the people I work with and I know that the company is invested in me because of the programs theyve put in place, from ongoing professional training to office-wide activities. Going above and beyond my sales target means that we can invest more in our solutions, we can acquire well-built technologies that integrate with ours and, most importantly, we can expand our workforce. Those are difficult goals to attain if I dont make my sales quota, so my main objective each day is to be a part of our collective success.

Darla Iuliucci, Regional Field Sales Manager, previously closed the books on herteaching career, but shes taken hersyllabi/notes with her. That academic information and motivation has come in handy at herNewselasales role. She told us that doing a job shes passionate about (among supportive teammates) makes the work significantly easier. Shes always been a lifelong learner and shes not going to stop now.

Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?

As a former classroom teacher, Ive seen first hand how great content can open up a students world. And when their curiosity carries beyond the classroom, students become more empathetic, engaged global citizens. With Newsela, I get to support that on a larger scale, which makes my role all the more energizing. I not only love that Im helping make a true impact on K-12 learning, but I get to do that with an incredibly supportive team (from our sales training and enablement leaders who teach me about our users and buyers each week to our sales engineers who join me on large, complex sales to my sales colleagues who celebrate our collective wins).

Andrew Nagelberg has his plate full atSevenRooms. The Senior Account Executive pitches the operations, marketing and guest engagement platform to organizations in the hospitality space. Their software allows users to plan out reservations, reduce their fees, and streamline a large portion of what can quickly become otherwise clunky in an ever-evolving industry. Nagelberg takes his wins and losses as they come, but is always looking straight ahead.

Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?

It is incredibly exciting to be a part of a company that is turning an industry on its head. Having a real sense of ownership alongside amazing teammates in a fast-paced, high-growth environment is an experience unlike any other. Working through challenges, learning from losses, and celebrating wins is all part of the fun.

For Peter Miller, Account Executive atTeampay, its important that everyone in the company from the CEO to summer interns is on the same page about product transparency and continued growth. Hes on board with selling a product that saves users time and allows them to, quite simply, do their jobs. Teampay uses Slack as a communication tool to merge and condense expense-related tasks. Below, Miller explains why he loves to show it off.

Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?

I am motivated to do what I do because when I succeed, we all succeed. The camaraderie and support of the team here and not just people in sales hits me when I walk into the office each day. I feel grateful to work for a company that values and invests in its employees. From Andrew (our founder and CEO) on down, everyone is on the same page, dialed-in and enthusiastic about collaborating to reach our company goals.

Freight forwarding isnt necessarily dinner-party conversation. The concept can seem difficult to understand and unnecessarily complicated. While it might still remain in the transit, supply-chain ethos,Flexporthas made it their mission to change all that. Maryana Kessel, Senior Global Account Executive at Flexport, told us how they go about creating a seamless experience from beginning to end.

Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?

When our customers have an exceptional experience with Flexport, it not only improves their daily workflow but also ultimately helps their businesses be more successful. In numerous situations, my clients have been able to allocate resources to strategic priorities when working with Flexport, instead of spending time connecting the dots of spreadsheets and emails. We have helped customers execute critical product launches, rerouting cargo when one store sells out faster than another. I love being in the trenches with my customer. Every critical shipment, product launch, or streamlining opportunity is a moment to see the inner workings of another business unfolding. Its a privilege to have such a meaningful impact.

Taking business risks can be a good thing. In fact, most C-suite employees are not usually known for their risk-averse nature. But opening up your companys security to possible loopholes isnt a risk anyone wants to take. Thats whereComply Advantagecomes in. They use data science and machine learning to better understand risk and keep their clients apprised of potential breaches.

AML Sales Executive Rodrigo Regi told us exactly why hes so excited about the future of the business.

Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?

What motivates me is having a real impact in the growth of the US market, and being aware that my success here will have direct effects for the next round of fundraising and development of the product. The more we grow, the closer we will get to reaching our IPO.

Social media influencers attract views and engage their audiences online. Chris Curtis ofCreatorIQattracts marketing professionals who manage those social media influencers. He might not do so with glittery filters or witty captions, but dont think he doesnt take his clients success seriously. The Senior Director of Sales tells us how he keeps up in an industry that changes at the drop of a tweet.

Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?

The success of the clients I work with truly motivates me. I get to watch their careers advance due to the success weve helped them achieve. Weve also been incredibly effective in putting together a team of thoughtful professionals who teach me something new every day. Its hard to not be motivated when you look across the office and see a unified team striving toward a common goal.

When ex-Amazonians Dan Lewis and Grant Goodale learned that a third of the trucks on American highways are hauling empty trailers, they saw a problem waiting for the right software to fix it. Account ExecutiveClaire Mackeytook us through howConvoyis boosting profit margins and reducing the environmental impact of an $800 billion-per-year industry.

Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?

There is a constant buzz of excitement that flows through the halls of the Convoy office. Big things are ahead for us as a company. As a sales team, we take each individual win as a step forward and we celebrate each step together. The teamwork mentality that surrounds me is a huge source of motivation. I want to be a part of the team which completely changes the freight industry, which cuts down on industry wastes, which improves the work lives of both truck drivers and shippers and which contributes to a more sustainable future.

Home improvement and renovations can be a stressful and costly process, and helping people find contractors, solidify plans, take digital walkthroughs of finished projects and more is a key motivating factor for sales reps at Belltown-basedPro.com. Sales team Project ConsultantBrooke Archillasaid her company centers its services around people, not projects.

Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?

The ability to help individuals navigate decisions that directly impact their lives in a positive way is priceless. Homes are such personal spaces and I feel honored every time a client is willing to open up their doors and trust me to guide them down the often-stressful path of bringing their home project visions to life. Its also an incredible experience to see all the pieces come together and be able to celebrate those amazing end results with my clients. We really do love improving lives by improving homes.

SuplarisAI-enabled technology sifts through a business financial data to find overlooked opportunities to save money and protect themselves from potential risk. As Sales Account ExecutiveBrad Slitzexplained, this allows finance and procurement teams to move from simply laboring over exhaustive reports to a more strategic role within the businesses they serve.

Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?

The one thing that truly motivates me above all things in life is doing something that truly matters to the people I have the opportunity to work with. Suplari as a company truly cares about the people with whom we partner, and it shows in the way we spend time listening, understanding and crafting our platform to exceed our clients expectations.

Changing work schedules are the bane of any wage worker and their manager. However, managers and employees at companies that useShiftboardcan communicate, adjust schedules and improve overall operations through a single app. Vice President of Inside SalesTyler Kimseysaid this mission combined with Shiftboards motivated team makes it a great place to work.

Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?

This is a company that is growing, and its a culture where everyone is a shareholder. We work hard and were committed to success, but its also a lot of fun. Its incredibly rewarding to work with a small team, aligned around a common goal and celebrate reaching our milestones together.

Sometimes, its the mission that matters. Thats certainly the case for sales reps at Seattle-basedValant, which builds electronic health record software for mental health and psychiatric care providers. Account ExecutiveBrett Quelchdiscussed how boosting efficiency within this industry is a great motivator for him and his team.

Beyond a commission, what motivates you to succeed in your role?

Im motivated knowing that every sale has the potential to help providers provide better outcomes for their patients, and make their job easier. Getting to work with people who are passionate about Valants mission and overarching goal of helping providers also inspires me to succeed. Lastly, Im motivated by our sales teams ethos and collaborative approach. Our director treats everyone as a valuable member of the team. She solicits and listens to our ideas, and makes sure we know that our contributions are important.

Read more:
Sales Team Motivation Advice From 17 Reps - Built In