So many blogs, books, articles today focus on maintaining a positive attitude and this will help you to be successful. Napoleon Hill's, "Think and Grow Rich" is a perfect example of utilizing positive reinforcement to help you achieve your goals. What the book offers is insight into your beliefs to help you achieve your goals. But too many people are searching for this get rich quick scheme, especially in today's economy. I bet half the people who read it don't even finish the book, which is sad because it's a fascinating look at the world, although somewhat dated (1937).
I think one of the keys to Mr. Hill's success is that he wrote this book when there was nothing else out there to compete with it in the marketplace. He was a pioneer of the "Science of Success" and as a result he became rich. I think the book should be retitled "Write and Grow Rich."
In sales, as in life, there are often two schools of thought:
THE HAVES – This school is characterized by overly obsessive positive thinking. In other words not only is your glass half full, it seems, to you, that it’s almost full because you're ridiculously positive. You ALWAYS think the customer will buy from you, no matter what the circumstances. You don’t even drink coffee because you don’t need it. You are that pumped up to start your day. You'll visit the same customer 500 times because you're so certain that everyone will buy that you simply cannot give up. You have Successories posters all over your house, office, garage, and in your car. You listen to tapes in your car, not cd's: TAPES. Every morning you wake up, look in the mirror, and say, "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it. People like me!"
Richard Simmons, Tony Robbins, and Stuart Smalley are your heroes.
Your school’s mascot – Tigger
THE HAVE NOTS – The opposite of "The Haves", where everything is someone else’s fault and through no fault of your own you suck at sales, life, and everything else. You have to overcome so much just to get the prospect to the table that it’s a miracle you get out of bed in the morning. You would be number one in your region if the stupid customers would just buy from you. Every customer to you is a potential asshole, and when they don't buy something from you, they are an even bigger asshole. You want desperately to be successful but can't stop listening to Goth music, and the Smiths long enough to go out on sales calls.
Marilyn Manson, Donnie Darko, Chicken Little, and Debbie Downer are your heroes.
The school’s mascot – Eeyore.
Several different authors have perceptions about why people are successful and why they are not. You are not interested in those people. You should be interested in what will make you successful and only you. Because each snowflake is different, so is each level of personal success. Why the hell would you care if a rep in Poughkeepsie is number one. Care about yourself and your numbers and keep it in perspective.
Don't be so positive thinking that you waste your time with customers who will never buy because that, in itself, is pathetic. You're not perfect and not everyone will buy no matter what all the books tell you. I read one book which recommended that you should never read the newspaper or watch television. Why? Because it's depressing...great advice ,let's just block out all reality. Books tell you to never let a negative thought creep into your reality because then you're entire psyche will tumble like a house of cards. C'mon are you that weak? NO! Realize that not everyone loves you and there are times when you "fish" or "cut bait"
In contrast, don't be so morose that you would depress the customers. Have you ever been around one of those people that just looks at every thing that is negative in the world, because they're unhappy with their life? I had an associate who used to be an Intensive Care Unit nurse and so she had a slightly warped perspective on life. She had been around death for the last 10 years so she didn't know how to turn that switch off. On one of my very first sales calls with her, she started talking about her friend's battle with breast cancer. I felt bad for her friend but this was not the time to be discussing the issue, and she brought it up while we were discussing something like bariatric beds. The contact emailed me the very next day not to bring her around anymore because she was TOO DEPRESSING.
As a rep your job is to get people excited about your products and services, not ruin their day. So stay positive in the call, because you want people excited to see you, not running away from you. It's all about your perspective. Stay positive, but stay realistic, and you'll do fine.
Have a great day selling!
-M
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