How to Tell if You’re Firing on All Cylinders or Just Burning Oil
DR. CHARLES LARSON
We’ve all had bad days, when nothing seems to go right: the buyers don’t buy, the managers don’t manage, and everybody else’s job seems better than our own. It’s when those isolated tough moments seem to be- come the routine that it’s time to take action and make changes – before we’re burned out.
There wasn’t much to distinguish Bill Meade from the other sales representa- tives attending the two-day training semi- nar. Middle-aged, in sales for 20 years, moderately successful – Bill might have been just one of many career-minded professionals hoping to improve their selling skills.
But Bill distinguished himself. Before the two-day training was over, Bill stood out
as a man in trouble, a man literally fighting for his life.
He talked in short bursts – his words like gusts of wind rushing at you so fast and hard you felt you had to brace yourself against them. And he was always in mo- tion: hands, feet, and body perpetually shifting to and fro. He, more than most, complained about the reluctant buyers, rising prices, and aggressive competition that make any salesperson’s job tough. His face flushed as he threatened to quit his job, tell off his buyers, and maybe start over somewhere else. He longed for escape. The perspiration beading on his forehead, the deep sighs he used to punc- tuate his speech, and the “indigestion” that nagged him seemed to promise he would soon earn his rest – fretting his way into a hospital.
Sound familiar? This salesperson, per- haps like someone you know, is but one of dozens we have encountered over the years. Angry, frustrated, and depressed, they were burning out. The stress of their profession, combined with the overly critical expectations they had of themselves, was threatening their careers and their lives.
SELLING POWER DECEMBER 2019 | 21 © 2019 SELLING POWER. CALL 1-800-752-7355 FOR REPRINT PERMISSION.
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