The Great Key to Improving Your Sales, and Life, in 2010

Ahh, so the New Year has arrived. 2010 is now a reality and brings with it hope, optimism, and new goals to every sales and business person near and far. I’m often asked an important question by sales professionals this time of year-

If there was one thing I could do this year to improve my sales results, what would it be?

A New Year Begins....

This is certainly a great question, and it will be the focus of this article….

No doubt, there are about a thousand tips we could analyze, with a few being:

• Better closing techniques
• Building relationships of trust with clients
• More effective qualifying
• Stronger customer follow-up
• Crisper presentations
• More time invested in sales calls
• Etc, etc, etc

But in my opinion, there is one over-riding action you can take this coming year that will not only have the biggest impact on your sales performance(including all the actions mentioned above), but also your life for that matter:

Surround Yourself with Positivity!

Whether you’re a sales professional, a manager, or a business owner; work and life will always throw its obstacles your way. The constant up and downs that naturally come with such a profession can certainly throw one’s energy, enthusiasm, and productivity for a loop. And when I look back on 2009, I can think of many a conversation I had with unhappy and depressed sales professionals. Such is understandable, at least to a certain degree. Yes, it was a rough year, no doubt. Heck, imagine being the owner of a swimming pool company in this economy(that’s me)! But despite the utter challenge of 2009, the great lesson I will take from this past year will be the need we all have, assuming we truly want to reach our great potential, to surround ourselves with people, media, and activities that uplift and inspire.  

This truth came vividly clear to me recently when, upon working-out on my elliptical at home as I do for 1 hour every evening, I viewed a special on PBS with Dr. Wayne Dyer. I’m sure many of you have heard of this great man, author, and spiritual leader. He has written multiple books regarding the power of positive thinking, self-awareness, and gratitude. I’ve always loved Dr. Dyer’s writings but had never had the chance to watch him on stage as I did when his PBS special came on. As soon as I started watching the special, I decided to record it for repeated viewing in the future. Looking back, this was one of the greatest decisions I’ve ever made because now, every night while I work out, instead of watching mind-numbing or argument-laced television I watch at least part of Dr. Dyer’s special. As you can imagine, I have every word and phrase memorized by now but the impact it has had on my life has been nothing short of phenomenal.

Without fail, every time I watch Dyer speak I feel motivated, inspired, and ready to dig a little deeper within myself to reach the potential I know my Maker has set in store for me. Not only do I work with enthusiasm late into the night, but I also rise each morning with a new-found vigor and excitement for the potential of a new day. Now, throughout each day, I seek to only surround myself with positive thoughts, people, and media. And if there are things in my life that don’t fit this quality, I seek to remove them. This being said, I can say unequivocally that my work life and family life are at a level of happiness unreached before this point.  But again, none of this would have occurred without the powerful influence of constant positivity.

Just think about all the activities we do in life that are distractions and diversions but, at least in most cases, have nothing to do with uplifting us temporally, physically, or spiritually. Although I could go into detail about the different types of activities this may include, I submit that you just ask yourself this question regarding each activity of your normal, daily life:

Does this activity help me feel inspired, motivated, happier, and at peace in my life?

Although such a statement may sound cliché and drab, I have a personal testimony of its power and efficacy. Simply put, the more we ask ourselves this question and then follow the answers we receive, our lives will change drastically for the better and we’ll find we can reach heights never previously imagined.

Life is full of negativity, distractions, and mundane activity- All of which only hinder the abilities each and every one of us have to reach our God-given talents. So let 2010 be the year you eliminate the negative influences of your life. Take advantage of great men and women who have spoken and written regarding positive thinking and self awareness. Make this action an everyday habit and I can assure you that your success at work and at home will multiply magnificently.

Surround yourself with the positive. Move away from the negative. Reach new heights.

May 2010 be a tremendous year for us all.

Marcus Sheridan

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