Whether you call it positivity, self-confidence or just plain chutzpah, the truth is that with the right attitude you can see your business sales soar! If it doesn’t come naturally, don’t despair – with a few simple strategies, it will soon be second nature. So, kiss goodbye to lackluster sales figures and start smiling all your way to business success…
Sure, some people believe they can sell ice to Eskimos, but we’re not aiming for such unabashed optimism as this. A little realism never goes amiss, but with the right mindset, you should be able to convince most of your customers to consider giving your products a go. So, here’s five top tips for staying positive to seriously ace those sales:
1. Affirmations for breakfast
Before you even speak to a customer, there is plenty you can do to achieve a positive mindset and set yourself up for success. First thing in the morning, as you get ready for the day, try talking to yourself to create a positive mental attitude – far from being the first sign of madness, this is a VERY smart move! Affirmations such as ‘today I’m going to have a great day’ or ‘this is an amazing day!’, help you to start the day in a great frame of mind and actually act as self-fulfilling statements. Don’t feel daft talking to yourself in the mirror, this is a strategy that successful salespeople swear by, and is certainly worth a try! In preparation for the day, you could also try visualising your sales success – running through that important presentation you plan to make, in your head, seeing every twist and turn in your mind’s eye and imagining you’ve nailed it. Try this technique, and you’ll be in good company, as this is a trick Olympic athletes use – so, to ‘go for gold’, start visualising your victories!
2. Reasons to be cheerful
To achieve such victories, a vital tool in your positivity toolkit is goal setting. In work and in life, setting achievable goals can bring a great sense of happiness as well as success, as they give you a target to aim for and a reason to be cheerful when you achieve them. Drawing up a step-by-step work plan and sticking to it, is a great strategy to maintain momentum and keep yourself happy. However, as well as setting work-focused goals, be sure to set yourself personal targets too. These should be strong goals that really drive you on when times get tough – the ‘Why’ that gets you out of bed in the morning and stops you from giving up. For example, something inspiring, such as ‘I want to be able to afford to send my kids to college’. To keep yourself cheerful, it’s also important to boost your confidence, and one way to do this is to gain all the training you can get. Short, online courses can be particularly good for fitting around your busy sales schedule – for example, you could try LEO Coreline, which offers a wide choice of innovative courses to strengthen your sales skills and lift your spirits.
3. Accentuate the positive
As the much-covered, classic song by Mercer and Arlen goes, ‘Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative…’ This may sound inane, but is in fact great advice. Recent research has actually proved that by focusing on positive thoughts, and not allowing yourself to wallow in negativity, you can improve your chances of success. Of course, you’re only human, so this may take time to perfect, but like any habit you want to break, eliminating negative thoughts can become second nature with practice. So, if you find yourself dwelling on defeats, just distract yourself with something positive – such as a list of your greatest achievements. Why not start keeping a record of your successes – even collecting the corks from your celebratory champagne bottles would suffice – and remind yourself of these when your positivity levels need topping up? It’s crucial to celebrate even your smallest wins – concentrating on the good things is great for motivation and helps to recharge your batteries. It is also important to surround yourself with positive people – mentors, work colleagues and friends – this can have a profound effect on your happiness and success.
4. See the funny side
When you’re experiencing the day from hell (yes, we all have them!) try switching on your sense of humour to see your sales soar. Seeing the funny side can be great for your morale, and a little laughter may help to diffuse a tense situation, building rapport and trust with your customers. So, although achieving your sales targets can be no laughing matter, you may find a little well-placed levity actually boosts your business. In fact, putting a trying situation in perspective with a touch of humour, can lift your energy levels, giving you a better chance of closing the sale. Of course, you do have to be careful how this is used – poking fun at your prospect is NOT a good move! But some subtle humour, such as gently making fun of yourself or the situation, can raise a smile and go a long way. However, if all else fails, and the situation becomes beyond a joke, just imagine what a great anecdote the experience will make when you’re relaxing with your feet up later!
5. Keep calm and carry on
This motivational slogan, used by the UK Government to boost the beleaguered British people’s morale during the Second World War, is strangely appropriate here – When things aren’t going great, DON’T PANIC! It’s inevitable that you will encounter obstacles, but instead of letting them defeat you, try to look for the positive in them – sometimes, failure can be good for success. When setbacks happen, as they inevitably will, don’t dwell on them, just determine to do it differently next time. By learning from any failures and looking for the hidden benefits in them, no matter how small, you can maintain a positive mindset and be more successful in the future. You could also try building your arsenal of ways to cope with difficult situations, such as learning to handle objections from customers effectively and with good humour. The trick is to stay focused, keep calm and carry on!
So, if your sales figures slump, don’t throw in the towel, simply shake off the negativity, try these straightforward strategies and start smiling all the way to SERIOUS success!
