By Judy Preszcator – Attitude influences most outcomes in life and sales is no exception. Our attitude comes through in how we interact with others, whether we’re aware of it or not. Clients and prospects notice, so having the right selling attitude can directly impact our income.
An Attitude of Self-Pity
Some salespeople get upset when they aren’t reaching their targets and will attribute it to anyone or anything but themselves:
- My prospects don’t need what we offer.
- No one calls me back.
- The competition is undercutting us on price.
Their attitude is one of self-pity. If it wasn’t for __________, things would be different. The truth is, they are choosing to feel this way, and it causes missed sales targets.
The Right Selling Attitude
A good attitude is a powerful sales tool. Believing in yourself, the product you sell and the organization you represent, will serve you and others around you well.
When I first started in sales, the VP of Sales & Marketing reached out to congratulate me on my promotion. We had a great chat and I’ll never forget what he said: “You’ll have the highest highs and the lowest lows.” Boy, was he right! It took me a while to appreciate fully what having the right selling attitude entails.
Working on straight commission, I was excited to get started with my new and unfamiliar adventure. I was having fun and at times would think; people pay me for doing this! That’s the high.
Then we lost a sizable account because my customer’s head office, located in another city, chose a different vendor. I wallowed in self-pity as I believed that I managed that account well and lost it anyway. That’s the low.
The thing is you can’t afford to let the losses overshadow the wins. I learned that to be successful, one needs to believe in themselves and maintain a positive attitude. When representing your company, you take a little bit of each department with you when you go out on calls. For me, I truly felt their support behind me.
Start your Day with a Winning Attitude
You have the choice to start your day with an intentional positive attitude and having belief in yourself. Why would you want to start your day any other way?
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