PSYCHOLOGY


How to Beat Follow-Through Blues DANA RAY


Every day – on sales calls all over the United States – salespeople are waging war with themselves. They want to do better, make more calls, or improve their closing ratios, but, for many professionals, some- thing always seems to thwart their best-laid plans. Sometimes it’s just a matter of bad timing or com- petitive forces that are beyond their control. But, according to one consultant and a clinical psycholo- gist, the problem is inside the salesperson.


Here’s how they explain how sales- people shoot themselves in the foot by failing to follow through with their positive plans for improvement. Everyone has a weak (but smart)


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force they call “The Wise One,” who urges you to do what’s best for your- self and your sales. Everyone also has another side, they say – a stupid (but very strong) force they refer to


as “Thor,” who tempts you with more appealing options, such as leaving work at the stroke of five o’ clock to catch your favorite game instead of making the extra cold calls you said you would, or staying in bed for an extra hour of sleep instead of keep- ing your vow to get an early start on the selling day. To win the war, you must control Thor – or at least get him out of the way – say the pair of experts. Instead of relying on self-discipline or will- power, they explain exactly how you can follow through to get the job done. Their three-step plan works by creating compelling reasons, leading the horse to water, and striking while the iron is hot.


WEAK WILL


The psychologist, who works in a cardiac rehabilitation unit, noted that some recovering heart attack patients


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Help your sales team get better at getting better.


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