How to Stay Positive in Sales
David Stern
Recharging for the roller coaster of sales
Let’s face it, some days - most days, really - aren’t diamonds, and it’s tough to don a positive attitude. Especially in sales, you put yourself out there every day with the likelihood of rejection, and it can wear on anyone. the good news is that you deserve a little reprieve now and then. It’s really key to learning how to stay positive in sales.
Have you ever bought rechargeable batteries? You may think: “Well, these will outlast regular batteries. I won’t have to buy batteries ever again.” But even rechargeable batteries run out of juice. Everyone eventually needs a break in order to stay motivated, especially salespeople.
We’re human beings. We work hard, and we run out of juice - sometimes too fast. We have to recharge. The way we do that is by taking care of ourselves daily. If we have a normal breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and we sleep for six, seven, or eight hours a night, or however much time we need, we won’t run out of energy so fast. A vacation from selling every once in awhile is always good. Recharging ourselves is how we live. It is how we thrive in the face of negativity, and keep the successes coming.
In sales, you must be self-motivating, and you’re putting out a lot more energy. You’re burning up a lot more energy daily than people who are standing on their feet or sitting behind a counter on a daily basis from nine to five, and because it’s YOUR business, it tends to be much more personal.
Your brain is moving faster and your emotions are driven all day long, with goals to meet and “just one more call” to make. You tire quickly, so you need to be careful and make sure you’re taking care of yourself in order to stay motivated. And I need to be clear about taking care of yourself in a positive and healthy way. Working all day long, and for some, partying all night long, means that, sooner or later, you’re going to burn out.
This happened to me. I’ve experienced times when I was working and making money from a lot of sales. This sales motivation led me to think I could go on forever. I’d go out to the clubs at night, have a good time, and not even think: I need energy for the next day! Well, guess what? This choice ends in a hangover. Eventually I had to stop, but I only stopped after I stopped doing so well, and asked myself “What’s going on here?”
I realized my time management was a little off. I realized that this lifestyle of “work hard, play hard” was killing my days, my weeks, and my months. My sales started to slip. Income started to slip. I only saw it when it was a little too late, so I had to make a change. I was burning the candle at both ends, and that doesn’t work for long.
I learned it’s important to leave the work situation at five or six o’clock without going to the other extreme of going out all night. Spend time with your family. Or if you’re single, go and relax, whether it’s a brisk walk or watching some television. Go to the gym. Read a book. It’s so important to take care of you and to recharge that battery in a healthy way.
Particularly when I go to the gym, I release a lot of tension because being in sales is not easy. Many times, you’re getting “no’s” all day long. You get rejected. You get stressed. When I am on the treadmill for forty-five minutes, a lot of that stress is released, and my mind is clearer. I feel good. I come home, I take a shower, and I go to sleep. I rest.
The next morning, and every morning, it’s a brand new challenge. It’s a new roller coaster ride, always changing, and we need to see the positives in our career to take a positive attitude with us on a sales call, and use our attitude to motivate sales. Of course many of our calls are met with “no.” That’s the roller coaster, which operates from the morning until the evening. Every day, it’s a new ride, and you need to learn to climb on and enjoy it.
Recharging for the roller coaster of sales
Let’s face it, some days - most days, really - aren’t diamonds, and it’s tough to don a positive attitude. Especially in sales, you put yourself out there every day with the likelihood of rejection, and it can wear on anyone. the good news is that you deserve a little reprieve now and then. It’s really key to learning how to stay positive in sales.
Have you ever bought rechargeable batteries? You may think: “Well, these will outlast regular batteries. I won’t have to buy batteries ever again.” But even rechargeable batteries run out of juice. Everyone eventually needs a break in order to stay motivated, especially salespeople.
We’re human beings. We work hard, and we run out of juice - sometimes too fast. We have to recharge. The way we do that is by taking care of ourselves daily. If we have a normal breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and we sleep for six, seven, or eight hours a night, or however much time we need, we won’t run out of energy so fast. A vacation from selling every once in awhile is always good. Recharging ourselves is how we live. It is how we thrive in the face of negativity, and keep the successes coming.
In sales, you must be self-motivating, and you’re putting out a lot more energy. You’re burning up a lot more energy daily than people who are standing on their feet or sitting behind a counter on a daily basis from nine to five, and because it’s YOUR business, it tends to be much more personal.
Your brain is moving faster and your emotions are driven all day long, with goals to meet and “just one more call” to make. You tire quickly, so you need to be careful and make sure you’re taking care of yourself in order to stay motivated. And I need to be clear about taking care of yourself in a positive and healthy way. Working all day long, and for some, partying all night long, means that, sooner or later, you’re going to burn out.
This happened to me. I’ve experienced times when I was working and making money from a lot of sales. This sales motivation led me to think I could go on forever. I’d go out to the clubs at night, have a good time, and not even think: I need energy for the next day! Well, guess what? This choice ends in a hangover. Eventually I had to stop, but I only stopped after I stopped doing so well, and asked myself “What’s going on here?”
I realized my time management was a little off. I realized that this lifestyle of “work hard, play hard” was killing my days, my weeks, and my months. My sales started to slip. Income started to slip. I only saw it when it was a little too late, so I had to make a change. I was burning the candle at both ends, and that doesn’t work for long.
I learned it’s important to leave the work situation at five or six o’clock without going to the other extreme of going out all night. Spend time with your family. Or if you’re single, go and relax, whether it’s a brisk walk or watching some television. Go to the gym. Read a book. It’s so important to take care of you and to recharge that battery in a healthy way.
Particularly when I go to the gym, I release a lot of tension because being in sales is not easy. Many times, you’re getting “no’s” all day long. You get rejected. You get stressed. When I am on the treadmill for forty-five minutes, a lot of that stress is released, and my mind is clearer. I feel good. I come home, I take a shower, and I go to sleep. I rest.
The next morning, and every morning, it’s a brand new challenge. It’s a new roller coaster ride, always changing, and we need to see the positives in our career to take a positive attitude with us on a sales call, and use our attitude to motivate sales. Of course many of our calls are met with “no.” That’s the roller coaster, which operates from the morning until the evening. Every day, it’s a new ride, and you need to learn to climb on and enjoy it.