Learning to effectively deal with pressure and stress will have benefits at work and at home.
Learning to effectively deal with pressure and stress will have benefits at work and at home.
Worrying about not making sales is usually a fairly accurate predictor that you won’t, actually, be making many sales.
Everyone needs more sales; many of you are desperate to make more sales, but it’s how you respond to the challenge that makes all the difference.
Worrying can cause you to lose sleep at night; drink too much; have a short fuse; blame others; lose effectiveness at work; and lose concentration (among other things).
If this is you, I have bad news and great news. The bad news is:
• worry causes stress;
• worry causes a negative response;
• worry causes ulcers;
• worry causes insomnia;
• worry causes headaches;
• worry causes more stress;
• stress causes illness, uncertainty and self doubt; and
• self doubt causes self destruction and failure.
Worry blocks creative thought. The creativity you so desperately need to get out of the hole you’re in.
And while nobody wants it, a lot of people have it.
But there’s some good news – getting rid of worry isn’t as difficult as you may think; you can change directions and outcomes if you relax, identify, plan, and act.
Relax
I’ve had a statue on my bookshelf since 1959. It’s a ceramic bust of MAD Magazine’s (smiling with one front tooth missing) Alfred E Newman. Inscribed on the statue is his famous (only) quote, ‘What – me worry?’ It has been my credo for more years than I care to acknowledge, but it’s also one of the deep, dark secrets of sales success (or causes of sales failure).
There’s nothing to worry about – it’s not a terminal disease, it is just sales. You’re not ill, you’re just ill-prepared. You’ve got the total cure within you.
Identify
You can’t sell if you’re distracted by worry. You can’t let your worry or stress show to your customers and prospects. They won’t have confidence to buy. But before you can get rid of worry, you must identify its real cause (and the real cause of your worry may surprise you).
Here are some things that may be adding an additional dose of worry without you realising.
• Non-supportive spouse, parents.
• The national news (all bad news).
• The local news (all bad news).
• Accepting the blame of others.
• Arguing about petty things.
• The newspaper (all bad news)*.
• People who complain.
• People who meddle.
• People who dwell on problems.
• Violence on television.
• Violence in the movies.
Look at other aspects of your life that cause anxiety. It may not just be a lack of sales. There may be double (or more) stress points.
Try plugging five or six things into one electrical outlet – you’re likely to blow a fuse. It’s the same with you. Identify the real causes and unplug a few things by taking them out of your daily routine.
Plan
Once you identify the area that causes worry, change the worry item into an action plan for success. Write a separate plan for each item. Create ways to look at it differently, adopt a new (and better) attitude toward it, or just avoid it.
Act
Concentrate on the action (solution) and the worry automatically goes away.
It is critical to realise that stress and worry are not someone else’s fault. You bring it on yourself. There is only one sure thing you can get from worry and stress – a heart attack. The alternative is much better and much more fun; you can proactively attack your worries and create a wallet bulge. It’s your choice.
*Editor’s note: except Business News, of course.
Jeffrey Gitomer is an American author, professional speaker and business trainer, who writes and lectures internationally on sales, customer loyalty and personal development. © 2016 All rights reserved. Don’t reproduce this document without written permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer.
