“Surviving the economy” has almost become a mantra for a lot of salespeople today in an effort to keep their motivation up. I do not believe the state of the economy should be a reason why anyone’s sales are down. When you acknowledge the economy as being the reason why your sales less than stellar, you’re giving up control and saying that factors beyond what you control are dictating your success. I absolutely refuse to believe this! Sales is all about controlling your environment by being confident in what you’re doing.
This past weekend, this Super Bowl was held in the US. Prior to the event, I doubt either of the two quarterbacks said their performance was not going to be up to par because of some fans, the weather, or anything else beyond their control. Instead, being true leaders, both quarterbacks made up their mind to go out and win the game. Of course, in the end, there had to be a loser, but you didn’t hear him complaining about things he couldn’t control.
There will always be things that will be unmanageable in sales. However, it is your job as a leader to know how to work around these things and not allow them to interfere with your results. This economy is creating significant opportunities for those who are willing to get outside of their comfort zone, to challenge their current selling strategy, and to step up their game. I firmly believe the economy will come back, and those who have been focused on how they are selling now will be the ones who are able to fully leverage the opportunities when it does respond.
