What do you do in the middle of the afternoon when you feel a little sluggish and your eyes are getting a bit heavy? You might grab an energy drink like a Red Bull or maybe a cup of coffee? Perhaps you go outside and take in some fresh air or take a little walk. I had a customer who actually took a nap in the afternoon at a secluded place in his office in Washington, D.C. The fact is we all have ways to re-energize ourselves in the middle of the workday to be more productive.
But what do you do when your sales need the proverbial shot in the arm? Of course, when things are going well and business is booming our confidence is high and we typically have a very positive attitude. When we are ahead of quota and commissions are rolling in it’s easy to jump out of bed in the morning and start our business day. No need for an energy boost here!
However, how do we keep a positive attitude when sales are slow and we are behind quota? Or maybe you just lost a large deal after a hard-fought sales campaign with a major account? We all know that professional sales certainly have their highs and lows. To be successful long-term in this business you better be prepared to deal with the reality that it will not be all highs. Dealing with the highs is easy. Most folks can get used to dealing with the highs. However, in my opinion, what separates the true professionals from others is the ability to re-group and press on in the face of adversity, learning from your losses and using them as motivation to improve as a professional and move on. I wrote a blog on this topic back in September of 2012.
You may view it here: https://universalsalestruths.com/make-the-most-from-a-lost-sale/.
The true professional sales exec finds a way to remain confident and maintain a positive attitude when things are not going well. They understand that if they continue to execute on a solid long-term, client–focused philosophy they will experience much more highs than lows.
Over the last few weeks I’ve had conversations with two individuals who seemed to be in need of the proverbial energy drink. In both cases I saw a parallel. Although they are in completely different industries, both individuals work independently in terms of their sales efforts. They do not report to a traditional office where there are other sales people and a manager. However, they are solely responsible for revenue generation. Consequently, they don’t have the opportunity to talk with other people that are faced with the same day-to day sales challenges. Nor do they have the chance to talk through a sales strategy with a manager or another rep who might have faced the same situation at another account. In other words, they are pretty much on their own in terms of human socialization as it relates to sales support.
As companies cut back on expenses in general, one of the areas that typically get whacked is office space. More and more sales execs are working from home or in shared office space. So when business is slow and the rep is in need of a “shot in the arm,” where does he turn to for support? Talking to your spouse or significant other is not the answer. Nor is a close friend who cannot relate to sales. You need someone who can relate to the day-to-day challenges of being a professional sales exec. Ideally, someone who is in the same industry. But definitely a person who has “walked the walk” and can listen and offer valuable insight and feedback to help you get re-energized and excited about the opportunity in front of you.
Maybe what is needed is a sales psychologist? Just a thought.