Vastly Overrated as Motivator

Ooooo, golly gee if caps are put on executive pay all the talent will go elsewhere.

Spent a lot of my life training and hiring salespeople and it came as a shock to me that money only motivates those of us who are most likely to lie, cheat, and steal. I've found that the office environment (meaning a clean fucking place), fair treatment by management, and most importantly the real value of the product sold (you ain't selling phony shit) are the main motivators; above all else is the quality of the product being sold. Then, and only then, does compensation become a major concern. I was shocked. Shocked when I found this out, in fact I further believe that the higher the compensation the more likely the criminal behavior becomes. The talent pool becomes a "hire a thug" program; further when all you offer is high pay all you get is guys who will leave for better money. This is particularly true in all management below the very top people who actually are usually motivated purely by money, and it is this fact that this leads to cutting corners in places like product quality, sales practices, and mislabeling of products. I think if you'll check places like EU and Asia you will find that what I say is true.