Sell Your Way Out of It!

I’m currently consulting for a fairly large insurance agency. While conducting a one-on-one coaching session with one of their sales representatives, I offered some advice that many salespeople–or anyone for that matter–can benefit from. And it starts with this:

Get out of your own way!

This was the situation. Zach (not his real name) was struggling. He had some personal issues including some outstanding debt, and this was affecting his work. His sales were down, and he was feeling pretty discouraged.

This is common, because we tend to view temporary problems as permanent and can’t see past our immediate struggle.  Rather than seek a solution and make a consistent effort to change things, we always seem to want things to improve right now.  It’s like we wish we could microwave the thing and be done with it.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way.  And when things don’t get better immediately, we feel as though we are stuck under the weight of the world. The situation often becomes one big bundle of stress, and it impacts all of our business dealings as well as our personal relationships. It’s not fun.

The beautiful thing is that, in reality, you have control over it, especially if you’re in sales. But first you must choose to put the struggles on hold (they aren’t going anywhere for the moment) and work, make progress, make sales, and change your life.

The snowball

When you have financial challenges or personal struggles, and you allow them to affect your productivity at work, it just makes everything worse. You feel discouraged, so you sell less and you feel even more discouraged, so you sell less, feel worse, sell less, feel worse … you get the point.  Talk about a vicious and unproductive cycle.

However, if you sell your way out of it, you will slowly but surely start to make things better.  While money may not be the most important thing, it can be an incredibly effective tool for self-empowerment. Earn more and your self-esteem grows. Your debt decreases, which makes your self-esteem grow more, so you make even more sales and so on. … That’s the kind of cycle you want to be riding!

Like a swagger in my heart

When you earn more money and feel more successful, it has a trickle-down effect on your personal life. You get your swagger back, and you feel more joy. So clear your head, focus on the task at hand, and do your job.

“Obstacles, of course, are developmentally necessary: they teach kids strategy, patience, critical thinking, resilience and resourcefulness.”

~ Naomi Wolf

Rather than dig yourself into a deeper hole by allowing life’s challenges to get the best of you, dig deep down into yourself and sell or work your way out of it!