Picture a triangle. The triangle is made up of three corners. Obviously, each one of those corners is a vital part of the whole. Remove a corner, and you no longer have a triangle. There are three vital aspects of sales, and of your work life as a whole. These three aspects are: attitude, behaviors, and techniques. We often refer to this as the triangle of success.
We will cover each of these aspects in our Triangle of Success series.
Why Attitude?
Attitude is absolutely vital to success, not only as a salesperson, but in any profession. While a tremendous amount of research and discussion has been given to the importance of attitude, it can be all summed up in one idea: your attitude is a filter through which everything (thoughts, words, actions) flow. If the filter is bad, out will come negativity. If the filter is good, out will come positivity. It’s pretty clear which will build better relationships, sustain you through hard times, and keep you happy, to name only a few things.
Mind, Body, and Spirit
Attitude isn’t just about making yourself think positively. It’s a combination of the state your mind, body and spirit are in. Sounds a little whacky? Think of your body as a vehicle. Picture your body as the physical car. Your mind is the one setting the direction, and your spirit is the gas which powers the engine to run at peak levels.
Physical well-being: make sure to do things like exercise, and eat healthy, and get enough sleep. These sound like basic things you’ve probably heard before, but they make a difference.
Mental well-being: while things like goals are important, remember the “why” behind what you do. Take time to read, reflect, or talk with interesting people outside of your normal circle. Find ways to challenge your default mindset.
Spiritual well-being: Just like a gas tank, you have to stop and refill. Take time away from your work, to relax and recharge. Every once in a while, participate in a charity or something that is bigger than your daily grind.
What a Good Attitude Isn’t
A good attitude isn’t wearing blinders to the negatives around you. You are fully aware that bad things will happen, and positive thoughts aren’t going to stop setbacks from occurring. Which is exactly why you need a good attitude. Mike Tyson once said “Everybody has a plan till they get punched in the mouth.” You can formulate a plan for positivity and an attitude improvement, but what about when your biggest deal falls through, your industry takes a hit, or your competitors release a new product? Facing very negative circumstances and remaining optimistic, is what will truly separate you from the crowd.
Where To Start
Where do you start in your journey of improving your attitude? Start with attitude awareness. Attitude awareness is achieved by forcing yourself to be aware of your attitude. As you sit down to work each day you are probably aware of whether you are hungry, sleepy, or if your neck hurts. But if you were asked what you attitude was like, would you know what to say? We simply aren’t aware of our own attitudes. Increase your attitude awareness by asking yourself what your attitude is. Once you’ve determined where you are, you can begin making the right decisions to have the attitude you want.
Your attitude awareness is the first step. However, to continue growing you must continue to learn and challenge yourself. To learn more about how to build the right attitude, develop correct behaviors, and apply successful sales techniques, check out our top notch Sandler Training Solutions by contacting Sandler Salefish today.
