“A man who wants something will find a way. A man who doesn’t will find an excuse.” ~ Stephan Dolley
The Mental Game of Sales is an enormous factor in your success. You could argue it is the most important aspect of achieving your goals. Your attitude, focus and passion affect your performance and commission check every day.
It is vital to make a commitment to making every minute of every day productive and focusing on high-gain activities. While one part of your brain – the whiny, negative part – may say: “I don’t feel like prospecting today. I’m too tired. I have too many other things to do today.” The assertive part of your brain must trump this negative self-talk by saying: “Prospecting is a vital part of my success. I want to earn as much as possible and achieve my goals. And, to do so, I must prospect every day.”
Give yourself a ME CHECK three times a day.
Every morning (during your drive to work, in the shower, while brushing your teeth or before you go into your office), give yourself a “check up from the neck up” (Zig Ziglar). Ask yourself: “Is my attitude right now going to positively affect my commission check today?” If it is in any way negative, take a moment to prepare your mind to conquer the day and your goals. Carpe diem!
Designate a time, mid-day (before or after lunch), to review your mental state and activities to determine if they are excelling your toward your goals or if a change of course is needed.
At the end of the day or before you retire for the evening review how your mental state affected your activities, actions and outcomes and prepare a mental plan for the next day.
You may wish to set a reminder in a scheduling/appointment app (there are several free options) or on your calendar to reminder yourself to conduct these vital ME CHECKS.
This is also another key time where the Mental Game of Sales is critical. Before you pick up the phone or walk into a prospect’s door, tell yourself that you help businesses increase profits and achieve success (accomplish their goals, save time or money…). You provide significant value to them and while your main goal is to secure a meeting that will ultimately lead to a presentation and sale, you will also be successful if you simply have a positive interaction because you are still selling yourself and establishing yourself as a trusted advisor.
The other side of this discussion and the conundrum of the Mental Game of Sales is that you also should tell yourself that more than likely:
The prospect is going to give me an objection that I will need to address.
I am going to have to employ my Professional Exit Strategy.
It is going to take me a minimum of five contacts before I am able to secure a meeting.
While you definitely want to project absolute confidence, if you appreciate that it will take numerous contact to build trust and secure a meeting, you can prepare for each interaction. You will be in complete control because you expected these interactions to occur. No one will throw you off your sales game.
After each prospecting call determine your follow up strategy and remind yourself that 80% of sales are made between the 5th and 12 th sales contact ~ getting a temporary “no” is part of the process.
Give yourself a ME CHECK right now. Is your current mindset propelling or deterring your efforts to achieving maximum success? If you are off course, remind yourself that you are a confident, positive professional, you bring value to businesses and you can conquer any challenges that come your way.
Being positive is not a mood, it is a work ethic!