The Attitude of Gratitude

Yes, I know Thanksgiving was last week. That's the point; it was obvious then, but do we really need a day of the year to remind us to be thankful? Shouldn't the attitude of gratitude permeate EVERY day of our lives?

In sales, we spend so much time talking about KPIs, funnels, objections and closing ratios that we often overlook one of the most potent performance tools available to us — gratitude. It's not soft. It's not fluff. It's neuroscience. And when you understand what it does to motivation, stress and team cohesion, you start realizing it might be one of the most underused competitive advantages in our business.

Research cited in Chief Executive reveals something stunning: 80% of people say they'd work harder for someone who regularly expresses appreciation, yet only 15% say they get it. Over one-third say they've never been thanked at work. No wonder so many teams run on pressure, not passion.

Leaders, please read that again. 80% would work harder, and only 15% are currently getting it.

Gratitude activates dopamine (motivation), oxytocin (trust) and reduces cortisol (stress) — which means it directly affects how your team shows up, engages, thinks and sells. But here's the key: gratitude must be intentional and specific. It's not just saying "thanks." It's about where and how you express it.

Gratitude as a performance practice

Gratitude is not just for leaders and managers; it's a practice that improves team effort, client relationships and more. In the article, they give three ways where in peak-performing sales teams, gratitude shows up:

Relational gratitude: Directly acknowledge someone's effort, thoughtfulness or collaboration. This strengthens trust and cohesion—the foundation of a strong sales culture.

Reflective gratitude: Take time as a team to recognize shared wins or lessons learned. This builds a sense of collective momentum and belonging. It reminds people, "We're moving forward together."

Restorative gratitude: Express appreciation in the face of stress, pressure or setbacks. Studies from Martin Seligman and others show that gratitude expressed under strain may be especially powerful because it helps regulate stress responses and restore emotional balance.

When leaders and sellers practice all three, they create what behavioral scientists call prosocial feedback loops — cycles of recognition, cooperation and motivation that reinforce high performance over and over again.

How to operationalize gratitude

Turning gratitude from a nice idea into a repeatable sales habit requires structure. Here are three practical, biology-informed ways to make it part of your rhythm:

Start with the micro: Begin meetings with a quick round of appreciation. "Who helped you this week?" One sentence is all it takes. This small ritual activates the brain's trust circuits and sets up a collaborative tone before you ever talk about numbers.

Pair feedback with thanks: When coaching, always acknowledge what's working before focusing on what needs to improve. Dopamine makes learning stick. Gratitude makes feedback easier to receive.

Close the loop: End the week with a short note of thanks — one meaningful contribution you noticed. These micro-moments compound into a powerful current of motivation.

Here's the bottom line: Gratitude is a force multiplier. It boosts performance, sharpens focus, deepens relationships and builds a sales culture people actually want to be part of. In a world where everyone is chasing the next big tactic, gratitude might just be the simplest — and smartest — one to start using today.

It's Friday, will you give it a try today? Find one thing that a colleague, team member or client did this week that you noticed, and you can offer them some gratitude. Not only will it make their weekend, but you'll feel pretty great too!

Think Big, Make Big Things Happen!

Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at Jeff.Schmidt@rab.com. You can all so connect with him on X and LinkedIn.