Too many salespeople spend way too much of their time listening to people who only wind up doing one thing — hurting their sales performance.
Sales motivation is about having momentum and that comes from being motivated.
Here are the 5 people I believe salespeople should avoid having contact with:
1. Talk radio hosts.
It’s easy to justify that listening to talk radio is entertaining and a way to relax. As much as I’d like to buy this, I just can’t. About 75% of talk radio is negative and emotional in context. Result is it gets inside your head, and before you realize it, your outlook on things is not as positive as it once was.
2. Poor performing salespeople.
Yes, they might be who you hang out with. They might be ones who are in the same softball league. But the fact remains that poor performing salespeople rarely have a positive outlook. These people want to share with you information, and it is almost always negative in nature. This is their attempt to help justify in their mind why their results are beyond what they can control.
3. Negative family members.
Every family has them. I’m not even going to try and list who they might be, but every family has them.
You may have family obligations that require you to spend time with them, but keep in mind you’re doing so at your own risk. If you have to spend time with them, make sure you take a shower when you go your separate ways. The shower I’m talking about is a shower of positive interaction with a positive family member to prevent the negativity from slipping any deeper into your mind than necessary.
4. High-maintenance customers.
Go ahead and admit there are customers who can suck the life out of anyone. It seems as if no matter what you do, it’s never good enough, and they want more and more. The way they show they want more is by complaining.
It’s not always possible to minimize contact, but just as with a negative family member, you need to take a shower. In this case, the best way is to contact a positive customer you enjoy dealing with right after you’ve had to deal with the high-maintenance one.
5. Anyone who has a negative outlook on life.
By now you’re getting the message. Interaction with negative people rubs off and the consequences are never good. High-performing salespeople are high-performing because they manage themselves in every situation.
Pay close attention to how you spend your time, and avoid being with people who are only going to bring you down.
Copyright 2012, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog.
