Attitude, your attitude, affects everything you do and every accomplishment you achieve, or don’t achieve.
Some people don’t think attitude is that important. Those people are wrong.
- Think about the five most successful people you know. How’s their attitude?
- Now think about Olympic athletes, entrepreneurs. How does their attitude affect their success and their outcomes?
- Now think about salespeople. When a successful salesperson loses a sale, they don’t bring that bummed out attitude into the next sale.
- Now think about me. When I was selling Cutco knives (my first sales job), my manager had me call him in between each sale. I later realized that whenever I lost a sale he pumped me back up for the next one. Whenever I won a sale, he capitalized on the positive attitude I had to pump me up to be even stronger for the next one. But, no matter what, I walked into my next sales call with a positive attitude and ready to win the sale.
- Now think about you. In life, there are negative aspects that can get in the way of your attitude if you let them. Ever call a close friend or family member on the phone and hear them answer, “Hello” in a melancholy tone? Obviously, they are trying to tell you something without actually saying much of anything — that everything is not okay. And their tone of voice can affect you, or not — it’s your choice.
- Now think about how you respond. From an attitude perspective, what’s the best way to reply to their tone? The answer is to ask a question that doesn’t include the word, “why.” Asking why makes people defensive, and it tends to breed a reply that’s not the whole answer. Think about when people asked you “Why?” and why you didn’t give a full answer.
- Now think about your family. Think about the person in your family who is always negative, the one who always complains, the one who never sees the positive first, and who always finds what’s wrong. “The Kvetch.” Can’t identify one? Or maybe you have more than one? Most families have that person. If you can’t identify them then hopefully it’s not you.
The point is while you can’t control other people’s unhappiness, you can control yours.
Here’s what you can do to build your attitude fortitude and attitude antioxidant immunity:
- Your morning routine sets the tone for the day. Smile in your mirror, greet everybody in a friendly way, read something positive, write something positive or watch something positive.
- Clear your mind of the clutter created by unfinished to-do items. Just write them down.
- Start happy. Approach everything you do with a positive mindset. Always. Shower happy. Brush your teeth happy. Pee happy. Be happy.
- Look good. If you look good, you’ll feel good and think good.
- Check in with yourself. Is someone pissing you off? Why? How are you reacting? Make sure your actions and reactions are consistently positive.
- Help yourself. If you find yourself unhappy, ask yourself why. NOTE: asking yourself why is different than asking others. Be honest with yourself. Write about it to yourself.
- Use attitude antioxidants when you need them. Take a bath or shower, or steam shower if you can. Listen to music. Watch a comedy on TV. Go for a walk. Workout — sweat a little. Meditate. Whatever you choose, have fun and think fun.
If you’re unhappy or have a negative mindset, you must first uncover why. Then, discover what you need to change, do, act, or respond to make yourself happy. Do it.
If you’re dealing with something specific that turns your attitude upside down, think about why it’s affecting you. Think about what’s preventing you from responding positively or taking positive action.
In my most inspirational city, Paris, there seem to be a lot of unhappy people. I think it’s because there’s no incentive to work hard or earn more. Are incentives enough to affect attitude? Would you be happier knowing that you could earn more or would you be happier earning the same? I choose incentive.
Charlie, my 4-month old puppy, is food incentivized. For the past few weeks, I could not get her to go up a flight of stairs. One day I offered her (kosher) salami, and she made it up a few steps at a time — if the salami was in front of her. The next day, she ran up the stairs knowing the salami would be waiting for her.
Your past dictates your future. Your past experiences, your successes, and your failures all create, test, and transform your attitude. Life, business, career, family, all have their ups, downs, and twists.
Ask yourself, how do you respond to any and everything that happens to you?
Tell yourself to have a little faith in you. Tell yourself you can choose your attitude and change it however needed.
And remember the immortal words of Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.”
Want to improve your attitude and be a better sales leader? Alice can help! Call her to chat about it at 775-852-5020 or schedule an appointment.
This post was originally published by Jennifer Gluckow on Sales in a NY Minute.
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