Small Business, Big Lessons® — New Year, New Attitude!

Everything in life starts with your personal outlook. Think about people that exude positivity that are infectious. You just enjoy being around them. No matter how difficult a situation is, they find a way to look for the positive. Sames goes for sales, no one buys from the person complaining about their quota being too large or slowing sales. Who wants to be around a person that projects a track record of failure and faults everyone else around them?

You must adopt a winning mindset. Start the year off with a new attitude and shrug off anything from last year that may have been a challenge. New Year, New Attitude!

New Year, New Attitude:

1)    Reflect and move on – Spend a few minutes looking at last year, list what was a challenge and what was and was not in your control? Ask yourself if the things that you listed as “not in your control” really were not or if there a was way you can reshape the situation and take charge. Have a winning attitude that you will take responsibility visualizing having your best year ever!

2)    Ask for the order – All too often, salespeople love to talk. Know when to stop and ask for the order. If you have the order in hand, stop talking. I have seen too many deals “in-hand” fall apart due to unnecessary talking that all of a sudden introduce new variables and concerns. Take the order and book it! Remember, if you have done your job listening and educating the customer, you earned the right to ask for the order.

3)    Who else should you know – Ask for referrals. If your friends won’t help you, who will? Share stories how you helped someone in a similar situation solve their challenge and don’t be shy asking who else would benefit from this solution? Can you make a warm introduction? How much would you allow me to share on what we worked on together. Do not betray the confidence and share beyond what you have agreed to. Stories go way father than a listing of facts and figures. They create a visual image where the customer can see how you can help them.

Think through

Create a fun and winning new year for you and your business. It is easy to get burned out and miss the positives. My favorite part of selling is not even selling. It is sharing a story of how someone else had a problem that I helped solve. This works in all sales. I’ve used it in technology sales where a supplier came up short and we were able to come in and save the day or a caterer that canceled last minute for a wedding and how we stepped up to make that special day perfect.

How is your attitude this year? Feel free to post comments or email them to me. Small Business, Big Lessons™ – New Year, New Attitude!