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Being told to keep a positive attitude comes off as a lazy platitude.
After all, anyone who’s ever been in a slump will attest the last thing you want to hear is how turning that frown upside down will somehow turn the beat around.
Our problems, fears and insecurities are bigger than any tag line.
We need more than just a catch phrase to escape the clutches of a negative state when sales are down.
Social media, books and videos echo with pseudo Sales solutions.
Slogans like always be closing, don’t close a sale – open a relationship or the classic, customers only buy from people they like, play on a loop.
And though people post them without prejudice, they’re not strategies for getting out of a slump or increasing sales.
But, practicing gratitude is.
Your appreciation for the craft, how you see your products and clients all have a profound effect on your attitude and altitude.
In order to change a negative state, you have to change your thinking.
Adopting a positive attitude requires you to shift focus away from yourself by learning to be thankful while considering others.
And by slowing down to empathize with clients and understanding their motivations, you can begin to turn your numbers around.
Attitude is Everything
Whether you’ve been selling for ten months or ten years, it’s all about your attitude.
You’ll have bad days, quarters or even years.
None of us are immune to chinks in the armor.
But, internalizing these setbacks invades your psyche creating a negativity that stunts progress.
When you feel horrible about yourself or your products, it shows.
And when you transfer that negativity to peers and prospects, you’re a dead salesman walking.
“Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesman, not the attitude of the prospect.” – William Clement Stone
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The question is – how do you turn it around?
How do you change your attitude?
You do so by practicing gratitude everyday.
Remember, as a salesperson, you’ve earned the right to choose your income.
Your mental maintenance, motivation and daily activity are your Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s).
And how well you manage them determines whether you thrive or merely survive.
- Learn to appreciate the opportunity to help prospects and clients reach their goals.
- Understand that change happens on a gradual scale and the more you give, the more you’ll receive.
- Be grateful for the bounties bestowed upon you and don’t forget to thank yourself.
Change Your Reality
If you study “successful” people, you’ll recognize, they are givers.
For most of them, attitude and practicing gratitude are bedfellows.
They’ve realized that by genuinely being of service to others, they’ll eventually be rewarded.
Being selfless, especially in the face of adversity, feels counterintuitive.
As salespeople, our inclination is to think about ourselves first and clients second.
But by practicing gratitude, our attitude changes as we welcome room for growth.
Tap Out
Sales is a full contact profession and invariably, you’ll find yourself with your back to the mat.
Will you stand back up or tap out?
Personally, there’s always been a correlation between not making numbers and activity.
When I’ve wondered why my phone wasn’t ringing or why inbound emails slowed to a trickle.
The proof’s been in the activity report.
It’s always the same scenario.
I hadn’t made enough calls and/ or, my attitude’s been in the pits.
Tap In
Despite the fact the sales landscape is changing, we must accept responsibility for our shortcomings.
Our minds control our actions and conspiratorial forces are never the cause for us not meeting goals.
Either our activity and messaging lack luster or we need to get our minds right.
There are no other excuses; we can all do better.
It’s tricky though.
You can’t juke yourself into practicing gratitude.
Truth trumps B.S. ten times outta ten, so you have to mean it.
Luckily, we can train ourselves into being more appreciative while working on our humility.
And whether you believe in The Law of Attraction or not, deep down – you have to know that you get what you put out.
Your attitude directly affects your performance and ultimately, your quality of life.
The way out of a slump or increased sales is mostly mental.
It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy where the story you sell yourself drives the outcome.
Transformation
As your head hits the pillow tonight, think of a good thing that happened today.
It doesn’t have to be life-changing, grandiose or meaningful to anyone but you.
Simply – a positive outcome, conversation, act or interaction from the day.
Be grateful for it and recognize that you were instrumental in that moment.
And tomorrow morning, wake up to that affirmation.
Stave off negativity and keep it at bay by stepping into the day with positive purpose.
Rinse and repeat.
“The same wind blows on us all. What matters is not the blowing of the wind but the set of the sail.” – Jim Rohn