10 Ways to Make A Bad Sales Day Better

We all have bad days as sales people. Perhaps you got stuck in a traffic jam on your way to work (That never happens in "Big D"...riiiight😉), argue "energetically" with a co-worker who "took" your prospect, or you spent 5 hours on a deal only to have the customer bail at the last minute and buy from another seller because its his brother-in-law. OUCH!

Whatever the reason, bad days are part of life in general and sales in particular. However, we can choose how we react to them.

One option is to dwell on the situation, and let our negative emotions persist throughout the day. But this is unpleasant, and there's a good chance that our mood will spread to others. Instead, we can take the initiative and find ways to make a bad day better. This choice is empowering and positive, and it puts us in control of our actions and emotions.

1. Give The Matter The Attention It Deserves. Whenever nonsense shows its face in my life I try not to spend too much time thinking about it or dwelling on it . . . when I'm able, I simply let it go and move on. Granted there are some things that you can’t dismiss and that’s where items 2-10 will come in handy!

2. Try To Find Humor . . . in either the event or just think about something funny to get you laughing. Can’t think of something? Why not listen to some comedy and while you’re at it, have a comedy playlist on your phone for those “Sales sucks" moments!

3. Try Doing an Activity That Requires A High Level Of Focus: My Grandfather did silver engraving. The work took the focus off the bad day. There a many mindfulness practices that you can incorporate to shift your focus. Mine is to observe animals.

4. Move! Motion creates emotion because certain types of movement release endorphins which create that “runners high”. You can walk, exercise, pace or do the Hokey Pokey as I often do in the offices of Smart Development. (What if the Hokey Pokey is really what it's all about?)

5. Engage Your Spiritual GPS! Certain things are simply beyond us and we need all the help we can get.

6. Say “Thank You.” I’ll preface this one with a firm “I know how difficult it can be to do this” We’re saying thank you because we are about to receive a lesson in something. Whether it be in dealing with a Grade A Jerk or a lesson in keeping ourselves calm, cool and collated as our printers at Office Max like to say!

7. Go through a “Gratitude Inventory.” Many of us have the bad habit of taking a “Screw You” inventory of everything that stinks in our life. A gratitude inventory gets you in into a frenzy of positivity!

8. Talk With Someone! Vent and then shift the conversation to what your learned from the situation and what can you do better next time.

9. Ask Yourself Problem Solving Questions Such As. “In what ways can I _______________?” “How can I turn this around?” “Who do I know that could help or offer advice?” 

10. Think And Use The Old “Start, Stop, Continue” Framework! Ask yourself “What do I need to start doing or do differently to improve this?” “What do I need to stop doing to improve this?” “What should I continue doing to improve this?”

Bonus tip. Make Robert Kiosayski's famous quote, 
"You either win or you learn" a mantra for your life.

To your greater happiness and success!

Peter Mclees, Sales Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant

petercmclees@gmail.com

Mobile: 323-854-1713

Smart Development

Smart Development  has an exceptional track record helping sales teams, ports, restaurants, stores, branches, distribution centers, food production facilities, nonprofits, government agencies, and other businesses create a strong culture, leadership bench strength and the teamwork necessary for growth. Having worked with several companies throughout their growth cycle, we have valuable insights and strategies that would help any late stage startup, small or medium sized company achieve sustained growth and prosperity.