MOTIVATION
and stays mum about what’s occur- ring. But, says a sales consultant, a step toward maintaining nonstop optimism is to break the taboo of si- lence, to talk with others about what’s going wrong – but to do this with a focus on turning things around.
CHANGE IS A CHALLENGE The consultant adds that an early question to ask when a rep begins to stumble is, “Has anything changed?” It could be that the marketplace dy- namics have altered – maybe there’s new competition, for instance. When you hit a downturn, a way to start the healing is by ascertaining that, in fact, outside forces need to be addressed. Or, if they don’t, then a rep needs to turn inward in search of internal optimism. Toward that end, one business coach proposes a three-legged “holistic” cure.
The first step is what he calls the social aspect. Don’t be a lone wolf. Don’t believe that stoic silence is the only path to success, says the coach. He advises that reps talk with other reps who are prospering and listen to their secrets. Most will gladly share what they have learned about clos- ing sales. Bottom line: Don’t become victimized by staying silent. The technical aspect is his second step. “Develop a data-driven view of the enterprise so that temporary set- backs can be viewed in context,” he says. Case in point: On average, how many customer contacts are involved in reaching a sale? Know that 13 calls typically have to be made before the 14th results in a sale. Each of the unsuccessful calls can be viewed not as a rejection, but as a step toward the goal. In this same vein, dig deep into marketplace dynamics and trends that impact what you are selling – and do this with an eye on unearthing infor- mation that will help you sell more by understanding the marketplace better. The psychological aspect is the
third step. “We can control undesir- able mental states,” he says – which is another way of saying that, when
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negative thoughts pop up, we already know how to extinguish them. And being successful in selling neces- sitates recognizing and doing this. Every day. A powerful way to stay permanently upbeat, suggests the coach, is to know the tools that let us control our minds and our emotions. This is a task that ought to come eas- ily to many sales reps because most of them are upbeat by nature. The coach stresses that the rep who wants to stay on an empower- ment path needs to pursue all three steps simultaneously. “That’s what produces the greatest results,” he says. Don’t think that one path alone will effect a cure of the blues – and don’t just dig into the path that seems easiest or most enjoyable. Pursuing all three, in sync, is what will provide a lasting platform for prolonged optimism, he says.
GETTING PSYCHED UP Stuck on the third leg – priming the psychology to stay upbeat? That’s un- derstandable, particularly in a period when the rejections just keep coming and optimism seems as rare as rain in the Sonoran desert. But the mounting scientific evidence is emphatic: We can create our own positive attitude. That is firm advice from Dr. Wood, who recommends using self-improvement tools that, increasingly, have been seen to work. She suggests, for instance, that a sales rep use affirmations – such as, “I am enthusiastically selling my company’s product line” – to repro- gram the brain, neuron by neuron, to banish negativity and implement posi- tive thinking. Don’t dismiss affirmations as only so many words. Affirmations – which include “I” and an action verb and a goal – are emerging as corner- stones of success. Besides, no harm could possibly come from periodically, throughout the day, closing one’s eyes and silently repeating, “I am closing all the sales I need to.” Another tool Dr. Wood recom- mends is visualization, where we vivid- ly and clearly see ourselves achieving the goals we dream about. Scientific
‘‘ Only I can
change my life. No one can do it for me.
CAROL BURNETT
evidence mounts, she stresses, that this visualization – which might seem like pointless daydreaming – in fact helps prepare the brain for success. The key is to make visualizations detailed and vivid. Really see yourself talking to that stubborn prospect – and closing the sale. See every step in the process and, then, when you are actually doing it, success comes that much more easily. A third technique, extremely use- ful in dealing with periods of high stress, is to learn how to meditate, which is as simple as emptying the mind of thoughts and staying still, for perhaps 10 minutes. It sounds easy but, in fact, is very hard to master – and those who try it say they are calmer, more centered, and better able to deal with negativity that arises in the course of the day. Meditation may be particularly ef- fective in recovering from a series of rejections. Just put the phone down, close your eyes, and think about… nothing.
When the 10 minutes are over, somehow we feel refreshed, ener- gized, ready for more. Keep doing those three things
– affirmations, visualization, medita- tion – and, eventually, the brain is reprogrammed to accept continuing success and to always stay optimistic – even when times are sour.
LOVE SELLS
Kick all these steps you are taking up another, big notch by falling in love again with what you are selling. It’s frankly hard to stay pumped up selling a product about which one is
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