No need for headlocks or physical intimidation to improve attitudes through coaching!
It is important to have a positive attitude. The seven principles of building a powerful attitude can help reps shape their demeanor in order to build greater sales and a greater capacity for success. These seven specific techniques and methods will allow any inside sales professional to truly reach their potential when facing difficult selling conditions. A positive attitude is ultimately the key factor in what differentiates super-stars from average inside sales people.
The following are the seven principles of building a powerful attitude:
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Belief System. What you believe ultimately becomes your reality. If people have doubts, then that is ultimately going to follow us as we progress in our careers. When we have these doubts, we will doubt our abilities, and it will come across as so when we engage with our clients. Our belief system is fueled by what we have faith in, what we read, what we say and what we have been taught to believe, amongst other things. It is a system that is made up of a variety of factors that will always be at tug-of-war with one another. It is easy to be negative and take the easy way out because it typically requires less effort, whereas building a positive attitude and a positive belief system takes time, energy and a firm commitment.
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Language. The language of a positive attitude is always predicated around opportunity. So even when a sale is lost, a good inside sales person must ask himself or herself, “What opportunity does this present?” This enables an inside sales person to truly look at the rejection as a positive experience and a teaching moment as opposed to playing the role of the victim and refusing to see any good in the situation.
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Give and then receive. Giving ultimately has a way of coming back positively, but too often, we are focused on what we need, the sales we need to get and the things we need from customers and our internal peers. By giving to other people in the form of thank you cards or articles of interest, we begin to invest in relationship development, and even though it may not pay dividends right away, it often makes us feel better about ourselves as well as the customers on the receiving end.
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Positive affirmations. Most people rarely execute or practice positive affirmations. Positive affirmations are those positive thoughts that fuel our mind. They usually start with, “I am”: I am a good inside sales person; I am going to have a great day; I am upbeat and positive on each phone call I make to prospective customers. Positive affirmations, if done two to three times a day and in one to two minute increments, can literally change the way we sound and are perceived by prospective customers.
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Fuel the mind. Fueling the mind is about listening to positive, motivational, or inspirational content. Speakers, such as Les Brown and Brian Tracy, have the ability to make us feel positive by just simply listening to their words. If we do not fuel our minds and we surround ourselves with negative people or situations, then it will become increasingly difficult to lift our own attitudes. So, be certain to listen to people that have positive language and it will set you in the right direction for attitude development.
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Surround yourself. Surround yourself not only with positive people but also images that conjure up positive feedback to your mind. For example, in a recent discussion with a sales person at a client site, it became apparent that she had a dog that she absolutely loved. At the time, she was having a tough time when it came to her inside sales. She said she felt often very negative and discouraged when she got on the phone. I asked her, “What do you look at before you make your phone calls?” She looked at me completely perplexed and said, “I’ve never really given that any type of thought!” And I said, “Why not place a picture of your dog right next to your PC? Look at him and smile before you make each and every phone call.” It is these little things that we can do that can make a difference in having a positive attitude, which ultimately allows our output to be energetic, passionate and contagious.
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Build triggers. A trigger is a response that we typically have to situations or people or circumstances. It is much like when you attend a social gathering, and you see that one person that you do not particularly care for. The minute you see that person or hear their voice it triggers a negative response, and your immediate reaction is, “Oh no, they’re here.” As an inside sales professionals, we tend to forget that we can build our own triggers. For example, when a customer challenges us with a price objection or threatens to go to a competitor, the trigger should not be, “Oh no, here we go, I’m going to lose a sale.” Rather, think, “Wow, I really appreciate my customer challenging me and continually giving me an opportunity to earn their business.”
Having a positive attitude is contagious, and if you approach your clients upbeat and confident, then they are more likely to reciprocate the feeling. So, if you follow these seven steps to building a powerful attitude for sales you will start to become a high performing inside sales rep and your sales will begin to grow.
Upcoming "Coaching Attitudes" Webinar: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/coaching-attitudes-in-the-workplace-successfully-14-day-program-tickets-10965828087
