Before you can take your sales to the next level, before you even start the day, there is something we need to check. It is your attitude. You must have a POSITIVE attitude before you show up for work, before you make that first call, or send that first email. It is imperative to have a positive, “I am going to kick ass” mindset before you can sell anything. If your mind is in the gutter, if you feel tired, or if you just feel “blah,” your performance is going to show it!
As soon as you wake up in the morning, get into a positive mindset. Be grateful for everything you have. Smile at your loved ones. And tell yourself, “Today is my day. I am going to do great things. I will overcome anything that is thrown my way. I WANT to be here. I WANT to do this. I got this, and I can make anything happen!!!!” I am telling you, if you do this, you are 90% there with boosting your performance. Remember, you have to do this EVERY SINGLE DAY! Not just today, not just once a week, every day when you wake up.
Some sound advice on having a positive mindset:
- Get to bed early the night before. You need a good 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Don’t start the day exhausted or overtired. You will be more likely to be easily irritated. So get a good night’s sleep!
- Be grateful for everything you have. As soon as you get out of bed, don’t start thinking about deals or that call you have to make. First, start by taking a moment and being grateful for everything you do have. Your loved ones, your partner, your health, and the list goes on. Showing gratitude will remind you of all the things that you do have that you may take for granted.
- Have a morning ritual/routine. Each morning when I wake up, I have a healthy breakfast and then do a 10-15 minute brief Yoga/meditation session. I stretch, I focus on breathing, and I say a mantra that sets the tone for the day. (Read the book “The Four Agreements”). I tell myself during this morning ritual that today is going to be a great day, that today I will be better, smarter, faster, and stronger than yesterday. I tell myself that I can handle anything thrown my way and that no matter what happens, I got this, and that today will be a great day. I not only tell myself these words, but I BELIEVE in them. You have to believe in what you say.
- Act with energy & enthusiasm with everything! You got to want this! You got to want to be here living in the present moment and enjoying it! And with that comes high energy and enthusiasm with everything you touch. With every call you make, with every conversation you have, with every task you take on. Do it with energy and enthusiasm. Your peers will hear this in your voice and will see it in your body language, and so will your customers! Your energy and enthusiasm will result in making things happen that ordinarily would not.
- Live every day as if it were your last. Don’t just let this day pass you by. Don’t just let this be another Tuesday, or a so-so kind of day. You can make today one of the most exciting and memorable days of your life. You can leave your mark on the world. So don’t just go through the motions. Act as if today were your last. Do the best you can at everything you touch, make a positive impact on someone’s life, help a customer, help a coworker, do something that most people wouldn’t do. Go above and beyond. At the end of the day, you should reflect and think, “wow, today was incredible!”
- Tackle tough situations, problems, or calls with a little mental prep in advance. All of the above sounds great until you hit a problem or situation that may involve others who don’t necessarily agree with you, or are simply difficult, or who like drama. Here is how you can handle these tough situations while not letting them interfere with your positive all-day attitude: Take some time before handling those situations, or before making that call to mentally prep for it. Talk through how you will handle the situation, tell yourself that you will be patient, that you will listen, that you will not let your emotions get the best of you. Also ask yourself, what is it that you want to get out of this? What does the other person want to have happen? And realize that you don’t have to go it alone- you may need to bring in other people or resources to help resolve the issue. End your mental prep session by telling yourself, no matter what happens, no matter what gets said or thrown my way, they are just thoughts and words and that you won’t take those thoughts and words personally. This is going to take time and practice. Don’t get upset at yourself if you blow it! Practice being aware of your feelings and emotions and why you feel this way. Just the very act of self-awareness and understanding why your heart rate is elevating and why you sense frustration is going to help you. A little mental prep before tackling tough situations will allow you to maintain your positivity and continue on with your day without letting others bring you down.
-Enjoy!