Category: Motivation

Top 10 Components of a Success Mindset in Sales

Success starts with mindset. Different mindsets give different outcomes. A poor mindset leads to poor results. A positive mindset leads to success. While your experience, education, and skills can matter a lot, your mindset can make all the difference. In no other profession is this this more evident than in the profession of selling. Can you have a poor mindset as an accountant and the books still balance, yes.

Luckily, anyone can develop a mindset primed for sales success . It’s certainly easier and less time consuming than mastering a complex skill!

Create a mindset that creates success! Include these components in your mindset:

1. Gratitude. Be grateful of what you have and have already accomplished. Be happy for the success of others. If you can’t feel happy for others when they are successful, your own success will be limited. I have seen both ends of the spectrum in sales where individuals felt that the company or the world owed them something and took for granted the resources they had available, and thus they never built any momentum to experience joy and success. Others who became successful through their results, and developed an attitude of superiority. They too felt the world owed them something due to their performance and thus began taking things for granted. Whatever spectrum one may find themselves on, an attitude of gratitude is a must for a sustained experience of joy and happiness.

2. Evaluation of risk and reward. Successful salespeople are masters at evaluating risk and reward. Unsuccessful salespeople, or salespeople that have plateaued, either refuse to take any risks or take on far too much risk for the potential reward. Neither is a successful way to approach life. While balance is key, risk avoidance is a sure path to a deteriorating career in sales.

3. Focus on emotional and physical health. Sacrificing your health for success isn’t true success. What do you really gain if you achieve your goals but sacrifice your physical or emotional health in the process? I have witnessed many people join the sales profession in the last twenty years that did so because their “chosen” profession didn’t work out. Selling can be an emotional roller-coaster in the beginning. A weak foundation in your emotional and physical well-being only makes it more difficult on you.

4. Abundance. Believe that there is enough to go around. A scarcity mindset can lead to ethical issues. One of the most fun aspects of sales is the competition, but only when it’s fun and productive. Ultimately you will want to build your skills and competency where you’ll only be competing with yourself. Reaching that point in your sales career opens up unlimited possibilities. Along the way you’ll maintain a more positive attitude when you believe your dreams are possible. What do you believe is possible for you to achieve?

5. Keeping mistakes and failure in the proper context. Failure is guaranteed to happen more often than not. Learn from your mistakes and failures and try again. When mistakes are internalized as failure that action can become a limiting belief. All initial failures are learning opportunities. Repeated failures are choices.

6. Growth. Placing a priority on growth is a necessary part of success. Carol Dweck, the author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, has done some pioneering work in the field of motivation. Dweck, in her book, outlines the implications of what she terms a “fixed mindset” versus one of a “growth mindset”. I highly recommend her TedTalk for a quick primer on her work. You can find the link here. You can’t achieve anything new without growing in some way. It might be your skills, attitude, discipline, or courage that need to grow. Rest assured, something needs to grow if you’re currently stuck.

7. A willingness to be uncomfortable. Growth isn’t pleasant. There will be discomfort as you develop yourself, fail, and make mistakes. As you take risks, deploy new tactics, engage in new habits, and strive to reach things previously unknown to you- you will undoubtedly become uncomfortable along the way. Even success can be uncomfortable. How uncomfortable are you willing to be to become successful in sales?

  • The willingness to be uncomfortable is the limiting success factor for most salespeople.

8. A positive attitude. How much are you willing to do if you’re certain you’ll be successful? A lot. How much are you willing to do if you don’t have high expectations? A lot less. Give yourself and your abilities the benefit of the doubt. As you approach areas of your career that are unknown the discomfort and/or failures can easily turn into fear. Remember this acronym for fear as it might serve you well.

False

Evidence

Appearing

Real

Notice how you think and how you talk to yourself. Is it positive or negative? What impact do you think that has on you? Most of the fears that develop are due to a negative anticipation of a specific event. It’s rarely a result of what is actually happening in the moment.

9. Planning. Success for each salesperson is a precise goal. I’ve seen salespeople spend more time planning their NFL Fantasy Lineup than they do on their professional goals. You’re not going to what you want on accident. If you do, it wasn’t really a goal to begin with. Without a destination in mind and a plan for getting there, you’re relying too much on luck to reasonably expect success.

10. A great mentor. A mentor that has achieved the success you desire knows where your head needs to be. There is a lack of good mentors in the workforce today. It’s unfortunate and an avenue that many companies need to be more intentional about. So, when you spot someone who’s willing to spend time with you, don’t take it for granted. They don’t come around very often. In a mentor, he/she knows what’s important and what’s just noise. Your mindset will be more accurate and effective if guided by a qualified mentor.

Think about your current mindset and compare that to the results you’re currently experiencing in your life. Can you see the connection?

If you feel that you have the skills you need to be successful in selling, but still come up short, it might be time to take a look at your mindset. Anyone can choose their mindset. There are no prerequisites for having a great mindset. You can just choose. Put your mind into a positive state that aids in your success and those around you.

Self-Reflection Questions:

  1. What do I think about during the day? Are those thoughts likely to lead to actions that will bring success?
  2. What was the primary cause of my last failure? What can I learn from it?
  3. What steps do I need to take today to reach my goals?
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14 Ways to Find Your Way Back From Burnout

Burnout can be experienced in any type of work, but especially so in sales. Preventing burnout protects your overall health and your career. However, if the way you work changed radically over the past year, your old defenses may not be enough.

How do you know if you’re experiencing sales burnout?

Some of the most common signs include low energy, irritability, and lack of motivation. You feel tired and unable to control your circumstances. More aspects of your work begins to feel routine.

If you’re feeling down and your productivity has dropped, you can recover. Try these 14 strategies for bouncing back from burnout.

Fighting Burnout During Work Hours:

1. Evaluate your expectations. Burnout is often caused by pushing yourself too hard for too long. That was easy to do over the past year. Many sales reps took on more customers, larger territories, and finding themselves having to do more with less. Sales people who have a hard time saying “no” will find that saying “yes” to everything that comes your way limits opportunities for rest & rejuvenation. Look at your to do list and see what you can eliminate or delegate. Focus on your top priorities.

2. Set small goals. Working towards something you want to achieve provides instant inspiration. Big goals is what drives a lot of salespeople, however its the big goals that require discipline over an extended period of time. Break long term objectives down into daily and weekly targets, so you’ll get to experience the joy and relish the achievement.

3. Limit distractions. Burnout makes it difficult to concentrate. Create quiet spaces where you can work at the office or at home. Turn off your phone and stay away from websites and apps where you tend to lose track of time. Block off times of 30-minutes of uninterrupted work. Sometimes its easier to break work down into 30 minute chunks of time rather than looking at a big to-do list for an entire day.

4. Find allies. Do you feel isolated or have more conflicts with your coworkers? Burnout can take a toll on your relationships. Participate in social activities at work when you can. If you feel safe, talk with your boss or a trusted colleague about what you’re going through.

5. Have fun. As burnout takes hold work begins to feel very routine. The jokes you tell customers are no longer funny to you. Remember to have fun! Call some of your past customers that are big advocates and ask them how they’re doing. It’s always a nice shot in the arm to hear how some of those customers are better off after working with you. Pass along a funny joke or an intriguing news story.

6. Pace yourself. How many hours are you working a week? Sales is rarely 9-5. Are you spending your evenings working on reports, sending out proposals, or checking emails? Think about how you can create new boundaries. Parkinson’s Law states that work will expand proportionally to the time you have. Give yourself five hours to complete a project and it will take you five hours. Give yourself, on that same project, three hours and you’ll complete it in three hours.

7. Take time off. It may help to get away from your routines for a while. Over the past year taking a vacation to your favorite destination may not have been in the cards. You stayed home and it became easy to feel as if you haven’t rejuvenated. If you’re short on leave, you could try a spa day at home or check into a local hotel for the weekend.

8. Be patient. Burnout often builds up gradually and it may take a while to turn things around. Give yourself credit for making an effort. Appreciate signs of gradual progress.

Fighting Burnout Outside of Work Hours:

1. Address root causes. While there are many things you can do to cope with burnout temporarily, lasting change depends on resolving the source of your troubles. Is there anything that you’re avoiding that’s the source of longer hours? Did an event happen at work, or maybe the avoidance has more to do with your personal life. Whatever the reasoning may be without addressing the root cause any attempts to overcome the burnout will be temporary.

2. Set boundaries. Remote work blurs the line between business and leisure activities. Try to keep office items out of your bedroom. Let your customers know the hours when you’re unavailable.

3. Sleep well. Go to bed on time, so you can wake up feeling refreshed. Stick to a consistent schedule, even on weekends and holidays. This may be one of the most underrated tips on the list, however maintaining a similar sleep schedule on the weekends only makes the weekdays easier.

4. Work out. As a busy professional and parent it’s easy to allow physical activity to be one of the things that doesn’t get prioritized. However if your health is important to you physical activity relieves stress and gives you more energy. Design a balanced program of cardio, exercise, strength training, and stretches.

5. Learn to relax. Another tip that may fall under the captain obvious moniker. For some, learning how to actually relax is a learned activity. Set aside 20 minutes in the morning for meditation. Take a walk during your lunch break. Managing daily tensions with stress-relieving activities is especially important with the added workload that some have taken on over the past year.

6. Consider counseling. If your burnout symptoms persist, you may benefit from working with a professional therapist. Some employers have extended mental health benefits as a result of COVID-19. If you’re on a limited budget, contact a community hotline to explore low-cost services.

Burnout can seem overwhelming, but you probably have more options than you think. Change your daily habits and ask others for help if you’re struggling. Taking constructive action will help you to regain your balance and increase your job satisfaction.