...you’re in sales.”

As a sales trainer, I understand that I have to work on people’s attitude about selling and not just teach the latest sales behaviors. If people have a bad attitude selling, they’ll never try the great sales ideas.

Recently, a successful franchisor was telling me about her business and the critical role sales plays in it.

“One of the reasons people buy this franchise (a local advertising guide) is because they are sold on the concept.” she said. “Then, they call on a few potential advertisers who don’t buy and they become discouraged. They finally realize they’ve bought a sales job and they become upset. At that point, they either break through and rediscover their passion or they give up and start talking to other franchisees how tough things are.”

Apparently, she’s not alone.

I Googled “franchisee revolt” and it returned up 326,000 results. One explanation for franchisee revolt is people who pay $25,000 for a franchise expect that to turn into a $250,000 salary and quickly become disillusioned when they discover they have to work hard for results like that. They might have to go out and sell something.

Q: Do you know what they call an attorney who can sell?

A: Partner.

As long as you’re in business you’re in sales. CEOs sell to get buy-in for new initiatives. Dentists sell their patients on getting a root canal. And salespeople sell products, services and concepts. Once you start selling, you might discover that it’s not as easy as you thought and that could affect your attitude.

See if this helps.

Dr. Sue Morter was one of the keynote speakers at the National Speakers Association Convention on July 14. Dr. Sue spoke to us about “thinking” and health and said something that startled and stuck with me.

Life is hard until it isn’t.

Dr. Sue says we make life harder by dwelling on and labeling negative things instead of being grateful for them. How can you be grateful for adverse conditions? Well, you could be grateful for what you learned about your ability to cope and the positive changes you had to make because of them.

Could you say the same thing about selling?

Selling is hard until it isn’t.

There are four basic feelings: glad, mad, sad and scared. One of the ways we make selling hard is to judge and label things that happen in the normal course of a day as negative: A lost sale, a dissatisfied customer, a cancelled meeting.

How can you be grateful for a dissatisfied customer? Well, you’re getting valuable feedback that could help you save the relationship and learn how to serve and satisfy other customers.

Simon T. Bailey made another of the keynote speeches at the NSA convention. He said something that startled and stuck with me.

Failure isn’t final. Failure is feedback. And feedback is a blessing.

Here’s what I’m learning. If I judge pain, fear and challenges in my business and personal life as negative, I lose a lot of power. If I believe something shouldn’t have happened, I get mad. And since that something has already happened the anger isn’t useful. Being grateful for experiences for what I learn from them lets me stay in the moment and not worry about past or future events.

Can you be grateful for...

...ending up in sales when you wanted to be a doctor?

...making cold calls on indifferent buyers?

...working late on a proposal late at night and not closing the deal the next day?

...a demanding boss?

...a tough competitor?

What is it costing you (business- and health-wise) to get worried, angry or sad about any of those things or other so-called “negative” things that come up in sales?

In The Power of Infinite Love and Gratitude, Dr. Darren R. Weissman writes, “Gratitude empowers you to go through life without judgment. With this feeling you see the value of any experience as an opportunity rather than being a victim of your own circumstances.”

Selling is hard until it isn’t. Start thinking about what you’re thinking about. And when you begin judging or labeling a situation as negative, see what there is to be grateful for.

Warning: Life Changing Advice Above

Chris Lytle believes training is a planned program designed to impart specific knowledge, skills and attitudes that will increase desired behavior in measurable ways. He wants to give you a powerful online “7-Minute Seminar” entitled “The Magic Question.” Contact him at 773-278-2728 or e-mail info@apexperformancesystems.com.

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