|
Is Your Attitude Making You Money?
By Michael S. Finn, RRP
This article will part of a three part series. So you have that to look forward to or maybe
not. You can withhold judgment until you have read this one.
When I first got in the business way back in 1986, I sat in a training class of about 30 people. I had barely a
clue of what to expect. The great thing was that I had very low expectations. I had recently gotten out of college
and my recent work experience was checkered at best. In less than 18 months I had sold used cars, telephone service
and, yes, I sold aluminum siding. I had even sold meat and seafood door to door. After this experience I was trying
to swear off "sales" altogether. Well "Timeshare", or as we called it at the time "Interval
Ownership", offered the potential for travel, excitement and of course great money. Well there I was back
in training for another product.
The funny thing about this training was that it seemed the training was more focused on how to sell as opposed
to what to sell. In one of our first classes I was told there were three things that would determine my
success in this business; Confidence, Attitude and Enthusiasm. As I floated off mentally, as many of us
tend to do in a classroom environment, these words took on a life of their own to me. If I were the best in this
room with all three of these it would only make sense that I would be in the class. Being in New England in 1986
my mind than drifted to baseball (I will bring this around I promise). Roger Clemens was the best pitcher, for
the Boston Red Sox, he was their ACE. With a little rearrangement, Attitude, Confidence and Enthusiasm
became my acronym and tool to be the best, an ACE.
Looking at the first letter is normally the best place to start. Especially considering Attitude can make
or cost you more money than anything else. We have all seen it, things are not going our way and our head just
gets out of sorts. We can become distant or worse yet self-defeating. The next step happens when we let it permeate
to friends, family or co-workers. Now we are costing other people money, opportunity and happiness. How do we get
out of this rut? The best way is to fix it. Work on your Attitude and change what you can. If it is not
within your power take more training, a vacation, read a book or just take a "head day".
Now here is a little trick I learned years ago. If it is beyond your control and the energy to change it externally
exceeds the energy to change it internally, leave it alone. It may not sound quite forthright, but the term "fake
it till you make it" comes to mind. In other words, believe with all your heart that things are actually going
well. Invariably they will; it may take a bit of time, but they will.
While we are "faking it", let's fix it (or better yet, let the issue fix itself). Find a positive affirmation,
such as "I will write a deal today" or listen to a motivational tape. Motivational tapes include Lynard
Skynard, in my book. If I am starting to sound like a modern day Norman Vincent Peale, I am fine with that
because this is important. I have seen sales executives and marketers go in the tank for a month or more, because
their Attitude has predetermined their success. Lets look at the logic: because we are not comfortable with
the direction things are going so we are going to allow it to consume our time, happiness and money. I have seen
this logic cost people tens of thousands of dollars or worse yet a career.
Now to the good stuff, how do we keep our Attitude positive?
- Avoid the pit falls above.
- Segment your life; keep work things at work and home things at home.
- Dismiss bad experiences and do not let them effect your future expectations. It other words, flush it (you
get the idea).
- If you have something positive to say sing it from the mountaintop.
- If you have something negative to say, keep it to yourself or take it someone who can solve it, but do it behind
closed doors.
- Find something that gets you out of an Attitude slump.
- If it works well and you like it, do it as often as necessary.
Attitude can be the single most effective attribute to enhance your career and life for that matter.
Why would you allow that to be compromised? It is your personal happiness enhancer or moneymaker, why let it be
effected?
|
