Thursday, May 22, 2008

Attitude

One of the primary sources of concern for sales managers is the attitude of their salespeople. Attitude is a concern for sales managers because most times, the sales person cannot or does not recognize when they have an attitude problem. Identifying weaknesses in approach or closing skills is easier for the individual to recognize, but attitudes can be the result of years or even decades of habit.

Furthermore, it can be really challenging for the sales manager to coach the individual sales person's attitude. Coaching other skills through role playing and like is fairly straightforward. However, a change in attitude must come from within.

What's important is for the sales person to recognize the exceptional value that can be discovered from improving their attitude, not only in terms of sales, but in the rest of their relationships as well.

Truthfully now, who wants to spend time with a negative person? Who wants to purchase something from a negative person? Very, very few prospective buyers will feel comfortable enough in this situation to make it through the sales process attentively. In fact, the reality is that people are attracted to positive people. Positive people exude an aura of personal power, of strength, of assurance, of "can-do-itiveness". As a result of that, people want to be around them. It gives people hope and warm feelings to be around positive people.

So, what's a person with a not so stellar attitude to do?

Well, the first step is to choose to change. You have to understand that you can make a difference in your life just be applying a little focus. Then, you need to begin training yourself to look at the world through a different lens. Rather than focusing on the negative aspects of things, start attempting to find the positive. Look for the opportunity.

What I did was to surf the internet looking for inspirational quotes. I just googled inspirational quotes, and surfed the pages that the search returned. I identified specific quotes that resonated with me, and copied and pasted them to a text document on the computer for later use. I ended up with about 4 pages of them.

I believe that the quotes that resonated with me when I first read them were special and should be read and memorized. They resonated because of their inherent truth, and because they spoke to something that I needed to hear. I read them every morning, when I remember. I have noticed, since beginning this exercise, that I've begun memorizing some of the quotes, and they tend to pop up in my mind at times when I could really use them. For example, there are times when I find myself doing something not terribly productive. At those times, I might remember that: "failures do what is tension relieving, while winners do what is goal achieving."
- Dennis Waitley

At the beginning of the day, I find it very helpful to remember that "
every life form seems to strive to its maximum except human beings. How tall will a tree grow? As tall as it possibly can. Human beings, on the other hand, have been given the dignity of choice. You can choose to be all or you can choose to be less. Why not stretch up to the full measure of the challenge and see what all you can do?" - (Not sure who said this...)

At any rate, the point is, when you do this every morning before you start the day, you begin to feel different. You begin to feel more motivated, more energized, more positive, and more focused. The key is to have spent some time seeking out the quotes that resonate with you. That process in itself will begin you on a path that has the potential to change your life.


- Happy Selling!

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