So who would have thunk that a good attitude is imperative if we want to kick ass in sales? Of course we need to have a good attitude but riddle me this Batman, what do you do when thy attitude sucketh, when life keeps taking a poke at the Castain voodoo doll and when the stars are aligned and seem to be spelling “Screw You”?
Here are 12 ways to give that attitude an enema Moy Pronto!
1) Don’t get caught up in that whole “turn that frown upside down” BS! Get it out of your system, vent, talk about it. If you are angry, call it like you see it! If your attitude is a result of a person, clear the air, say what you need to say and then get on with your money activities. Obsessing over negative things makes you unproductive. So does sweeping things under the carpet that need to be dealt with!
2) Beware that misery loves company! This has two deadly sides to it. The first involves our natural tendency to not stop at one thing that pisses us off. We therefore search for other things about a person, a situation and our lives that can join the “F You Party”. The other side of this is that we love to complain to others about how rotten things are. Once again, there is nothing wrong with venting to the right people in your life, when it develops into a “Pity Party” you are heading for trouble and at the very least non productivity! Remedy: When you find yourself taking a negative inventory, interrupt that pattern by taking a positive inventory of all the good things you have. Can’t think of one? How about being above ground and vertical? When you find yourself an active participant in a “Pity Party” simply disengage, end the conversation and get out of there quick!
3) Express your gratitude to someone who has helped you. Doing so reminds you of the good and helps you step outside the things that are bringing you down.
4) Give: Giving takes the focus off of you and is an instant high if you ask me.
5) Move! Motion leads to emotion! Get up, move around. Take a walk. Clear your head. Throw some cold water on your face. Get some fresh air.
6) Smile and Laugh! Its really hard to have a bad attitude when you are smiling or peeing your pants laughing! By the way, do you keep a mirror by your phone? You should. Trust me when I tell you that the person at the other end of that phone can hear it the same way they can hear a bad attitude! Listen to comedy to break your negative pattern. Do you have comedy playlists on your I-POD at the ready as sort of a “Break Glass In Case Of Emergency” pattern interrupt?
7) Are you getting enough sunlight? I make the mistake quite often of getting so wrapped up in my work that I forget to open the blinds or even get outside believe it or not. I can tell you first hand that it makes a big difference in your attitude so make sure you are getting enough sunlight. For those of you who make lots of phone calls and are sort of chained to your desk, perhaps you could bring in a beach chair and make a few of those calls outside on a sunny day?
8) Music: For those of you who didn’t read my post on the importance of music, you will want to check it out here:
http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/2009/07/soundtrack-for-success.html
9) Power Questions: I completely ripped off this concept from Tony Robbins. Its simply asking yourself questions designed to get you into a more positive productive state. The brain is such an awesome computer that we truly get what we ask of it. Too many times we are so busy asking lame questions such as “Why me?” that we miss an opportunity to leverage the positive qualities. Think about questions such as “What could I learn from this situation?” “What’s funny about it?” “What am I most grateful for in my life?” Action Item: Come up with 5 solid power questions of your own.
10) Stay away from the news! I don’t know who the genius was who assumed that the news has to be filled with murders, foreclosures, wars and disease but there is only so much one can take of it. My suggestion is to simply scan the news items online or the newspaper. Anything beyond that and you are weakening your body armor!
11) Get something good in your head every day. Read about those who made it under impossible odds here
http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/2009/08/when-odds-are-clearly-against-you.html inspirational quotes, educational items to help you hone your craft. The more you focus on positive, productive things, the more you build up your defenses.
12) Allow yourself to vulnerable to ask for help. This is very hard for us as sales professionals to do because that wonderful body armor we have called an ego can get in the way of us seeking the counsel of others. To that, I will simply say, sometimes all of us need to get over ourselves and learn how to ask for help.
And if by chance this didn’t do it for you:
How about a full page of Zig Ziglar podasts?
http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podcasts/20533
If that dude can’t get you tearing bumpers off of cars, no one can!
OK, good talk. Let's go sell something!
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http://salesplaybook.blogspot.com/2009/09/when-your-attitude-needs-enema.html
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