Motivational Sales Training:

It is 6am on Monday morning. The alarm has just shaken you from a cozy slumber. It is still dark outside and you want nothing more than to burrow deeper under the covers and sleep for another hour or more. In fact, you really wouldn’t mind spending the entire day in bed.

Sounds like you have a case of the “Undercover Blues.” We’ve all found ourselves at times not wanting to get out of bed in the morning. The question is how do we deal with these undercover blues?

The roller coaster ride of sales, with its “highs” of closing a deal and its “lows” of facing rejection, fosters the emotional need to occasionally hide from the world. However, a quick recovery is essential for a salesperson.

By following these four simple principles, you can beat those undercover blues and ensure a speedy recovery:

1. GENERATE ENTHUSIASM IN YOURSELF.

Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re probably right.” Life is a self-fulfilling prophecy, and it is imperative that we take control of our own destinies. It is important to acknowledge that we are human and will have days that are low, but we cannot let the down days dictate our lives. As sales associates, our success hinges on our ability to generate enthusiasm with our customers. But, how can we do this until we ourselves are enthusiastic?

Take an inventory of those aspects of your job that have always excited you.

• What are your strengths?
• What do you like about your job the most?

Evaluate your own personal strengths. By focusing on what you enjoy most about your job and what you do well, you will automatically generate enthusiasm in yourself.

PERCEPTION…ATTITUDE…BEHAVIOR

BEHAVIOR (I do)

ATTITUDE (I Think/Feel)

PERCEPTION (I See)

Adjust your attitude.

Smile. The attitudes your customers show you are a direct reflection of your own attitude. A simple smile can directly influence your customer’s perceptions (See above chart).

2. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR SUCCESSES AND FAILURES.

A review of past successes can help confirm and restore your confidence.

Maintain a binder or file of your success stories. Sales can be a brutal business and facing rejection on a daily basis can bruise your ego. When you analyze the success you’ve enjoyed in the past, you can generate the positive reinforcement you may need to rejuvenate your enthusiasm.

3. CREATE CONFIDENCE IN YOUR ABILITIES.

It is vital to your success as a sales associate to thoroughly understand your market, your customer’s needs, and your competition. It is equally important to constantly refine your personal sales skills. If you are an expert in your craft, you will create self-confidence which will, in turn, elicit your customer’s confidence in you.

How well you present your product, how you create rapport and develop the customer relationship, and how well you negotiate are all crucial skills to your success and credibility as a professional sales associate.

4. PROVE YOURSELF TO YOUR JOB.

Approach each day with the anticipation that you will accomplish something great. To guarantee success, set short-term and attainable personal goals that will make a difference in your day. You will get out of your day and your job only what you put into it.

Still in bed?

Try implementing the above four principles and you will beat those undercover blues. You will find a new enthusiasm for your life and work.

But, YOU have to be the one to get out of bed to make it happen.

Author: James A. (Jim) Baker
James A. Baker is the Chairman and Founder of Baker Communications. Baker is a sales training and development company specializing in helping client companies increase their sales and profits. He can be reached at 713-627-7700 or jim.baker@bakercommunications.com.