“I need more sales. I need more sales,” you say. Welcome to the club. Everyone needs more sales.
“No, no, you don’t understand,” you say. “I REALLY NEED MORE SALES DESPERATELY. My back’s up against the wall. I either make more sales or I’ll lose my business (or get fired). I’m so worried about it, I…
- lose sleep at night
- drink too much
- have a short fuse
- blame others
- can’t get any work done at all
- can’t concentrate effectively
- all of the above.”
If this is you, I have bad news and great news. The bad news is…
- Worry causes stress.
- Worry causes negative response.
- Worry causes ulcers.
- Worry causes insomnia.
- Worry causes headaches.
- Worry causes more stress.
- Stress causes illness, uncertainty and self-doubt.
- 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.
Yuck! Who wants that? Well, nobody wants it, but a lot of people have it. Here’s the great news…Getting rid of worry isn’t as difficult as you may think. You can totally change directions and outcomes with five words…
- Relax
- Identify
- Plan
- Act
- Smile
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’s 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 brain cancer it 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. The real cause of your worry may surprise you.
Here are some things that may be adding an additional dose of worry without you realizing it…
- Non supportive spouse, parents
- The national news (all bad news)
- The local news (all bad news)
- Accepting the blame of others
- Arguing with others about petty things
- The newspaper (all bad news)
- People who complain
- People who meddle
- People dwell on problems
- People who are depressed
- 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. LIST YOUR CAUSES.
Try plugging five or six things into one electrical outlet. It is 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 realize 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.
Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of twelve best-selling books including The Sales Bible, The Little Red Book of Selling, and The Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude. His real-world ideas and content are also available as online courses at www.GitomerLearningAcademy.com. For information about training and seminars visit www.Gitomer.com or email Jeffrey at editorial@mhwmag.com.
