No matter how good you are at the sales game, a career in sales includes rejection. Lots of it. So, how can you stay motivated in sales? The key to not only surviving but thriving in such a difficult environment has more to do with you than the number of deals closed.
According to psychiatrist, author, and former FBI hostage negotiator Mark Goulston, our ability to overcome obstacles in life is the greatest indicator of our ability to succeed. Goulston states, “The more proactive and resourceful you are, and the better your judgment calls and decision-making are when you’re dealing with an obstacle, the greater the trust and confidence others will have in you.”
While he isn’t speaking directly about sales here, doesn’t it seem to just jump out at you? For example, “The more proactive and resourceful you are (in sales), and the better your judgment calls and decision-making are when you’re dealing with an obstacle (such as remaining motivated while trying to close a deal), the greater the trust and confidence others (future clients, superiors, etc.) will have in you. Learning how to stay focused, positive, and proactive in order to motivate yourself is crucial if you want to be at the top of your sales game.
The bottom line is motivation = success. Motivation plays a major role in increasing results and is essential for being a successful salesperson or building a high-performance team. That being said, remaining motivated in such an unpredictable world can be difficult. Take a look at our Top 10 Ways To Stay Motivated In Sales to give you some fresh ideas on how to stay driven and invigorated in your business.
1. Motivation Comes From Within
Motivation is something you do for yourself rather than something that happens to you, as many have commonly believed. It is a set of mental processes, and though it may not be easy, it is within your control. Average motivation simply will not cut it if you want to succeed in the sales industry. There are at least ten other people willing to do things half-heartedly, you must go above and beyond in order to stand out and thrive. Take the daily motivation challenge, a way to check your internal motivational temperature so to speak, by asking yourself, “How motivated am I right now?” or “What can I do to become more motivated?” Motivation is not endless. We have to check and renew it each day.
2. Remember Why
The root of the word motivation is motive. The definition of motive is, “a reason to act.” What are your motives for building a career in sales? What got you started along this path? What is keeping you here? Don’t let the routine of daily living dull your passions. Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a little routine, but know why this career path is important to you. Is it the thrill of landing a new client? The money? Your passion for the product? Remember what it is that is driving you in your business.
3. Rely on Past Achievements
Although rejection does come, you have undoubtedly experienced a number of past successes. Think back to those times where you have truly excelled and focus on that crowning achievement. What were some of the initial setbacks? What steps did you take to get to that ultimate finishing point? Talk with some of your top existing clients and find out what it is that makes them so satisfied with your product. Finding someone who is already benefitting from your service or who already loves your product is very inspiring.
4. Positive Self-Talk for Sales Success
Everyone self-talks, but how you talk to yourself when no one else can hear, does wonders for your motivation – both good and bad. Many people let their own inner critic beat them up on a daily basis, and this is no different for someone in sales. Stop it! It doesn’t have to be this way. Train your inner skeptic to be your personal cheerleader by changing your internal dialogue from destructive to constructive.
5. Surround Yourself With Motivation and Success
It is a well-known fact that you act like those you interact act with most often. So, if you are spending your time with unmotivated and uninspired colleagues it will be nearly impossible for you to rise above into sales greatness. Surrounding yourself with success is crucial. Why not lift where you stand? Be the motivator that helps others rise to their fullest potential. Misery may like company, but so does motivation. Create competition, exude energy, and persuade others to make selling more enjoyable.
6. Get Moving To Stay Motivated In Sales
One of the fastest ways to alter your mental state is to change your physical state because your physical state is directly linked to the way that you feel. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins. Similar to morphine, these endorphins trigger a positive feeling in the body. Feeling out of energy? Get some air circulating in your lungs, go for a walk, jump up and down, yell out loud, smile at a stranger, focus your breathing…you name it. Just get moving!
7. Dream Big
A lack of ambition when setting sales goals will not motivate or drive you above and beyond. At best, it will only pull you up to the level of mediocrity. Top salespeople set big goals because they expect success. They want something to stretch for, somewhere to focus their drive. Robert F. Kennedy said it best, “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” Set big goals, work hard, and see the enormous results.
8. Know Your Numbers
If you typically make a seemingly insignificant 20 calls a day approximately four days of the week, then in one months time you will have made a significant 320 phone calls. If out of those 320 calls that you make, you generally hear 15 yeses, you have now discovered your standard sales formula. Rather than feeling discouraged over the many no’s you are getting, know your metrics, use it to your benefit, and start predicting the number of successes you will generally expect to experience.
9. Motivate Yourself by Investing in Yourself
One way to get a step ahead of others in this business is to invest in your own personal development. Whether it is purchasing a sales training book, listening to a sales training podcast, or enrolling yourself in a sales training seminar, personal improvement will only lead to bettering yourself and your sales technique. The flood of new information you are gaining will help to counteract your negative memories and will instead fill your mind with positive inspirations. When you invest in your own personal development you let yourself know that you think you are worth investing in, which in turn increases your motivation.
10. Incentivize Yourself
Rewards are motivational in and of themselves because they condition the behaviour you want to have repeated. Incentivize yourself for working hard, pulling long hours, winning, learning something new, or gaining experience. Reward yourself because you deserve it and don’t forget to reward the small victories too. A great deal of motivation is emotional, and emotion is a powerful force in getting us going. Passion is an emotion, so fuel your passion.
