Have you ever heard these words spoken by other sales reps?
- How come Bill gets all the big deals and we don’t…
- If I only had a better territory…
- If I only had better leads…
- My manager micro manages me…
- I’d hit plan, but my boss put me in a crappy territory…
- The new comp plan sucks…
- Finance lost another deal by refusing terms…
This is what I call “your attitude sucks”. This negativity spreads like wildfire and before too long it can spread throughout an entire sales organization. Left untreated it’s often kills the spirit of great sales teams. The simplest and most effective cure is a rapid infusion of Positive Mental Attitude (PMA). You can always chose your attitude, so which attitude do you choose?
If you think you may be infected by a negative attitude, start surrounding yourself with positive people, books, audio programs and any other type of inspirational tools. Remember, those negative sales reps CHOSE to be in sales and effective sales reps always finds opportunity amongst adversity. Some people need a medium to vent, just don’t let it fall onto your ears. Remind yourself that if you didn’t relish adversity and accountability, you could have chosen a different career path.
Some of the most powerful and well researched books about attitudes have been written several decades ago. One of the most well known authors regarding attitudes is Napolean Hill. In 1937 he wrote “Think & Grow Rich” one of the most inspirational success books ever written and has help guide millions of people to personal wealth around the world. If you are serious about a career in sales some of the books and authors below that can help remind you why a positive mental attitude is worth money in your pocket.
Useful Resources
Think & Grow Rich – Napolean Hill – Book
Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude – Napolean Hill – Book
Why some Positive Thinks Get Powerful Results – Norman Vincent Peale – Book
The Power of Positive Thinking – Norman Vincent Peale – Book
Jeffery Gitomer – Website
Never Give Up – Donald J. Trump – Book
Always remember that a negative attitude can be highly contagious and can cost you money in the long run. As soon as you hear negativity come from any sales person around you, don’t be rude and walk away from them….RUN AWAY. There are enough challenges for sales professionals not to get caught-up in an excuse spiral.
Having interviewed 1,000’s of sales people, I have heard 100’s of different excuses why they didn’t hit their quota. The funny thing is that all the successful sales reps I’ve ever interviewed, never complained and they all had the same thing in common “A GREAT ATTITUDE”. So as Jeffery Gitomer says in his “Little Red Book of Selling – KICK YOUR OWN ASS”.
If you want to make sure you don’t miss your quota, stop complaining about what’s not working and find a way to make it work. There truly always is a way to make it work if you have the right attitude towards selling. Choosing to complain about why it’s not fair or that you don’t have the right tools are only excuses and can only lead you down a negative path of self destruction.
Here are a few questions to ask yourself to make sure your attitude is in check.
1. Do I have a positive attitude right now?
2. Are people around me a positive influence?
And finally ask yourself,
3. If attitudes are contagious is mine worth catching?
