Five Ways to Stay Motivated in Sales

Joe Weinlick
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Salespeople need to be enthusiastic, personable, and compelling to excel at their jobs, but even professionals need guidance on maintaining an upbeat attitude in the face of stress or setbacks. To meet your sales goals and improve productivity, follow these five tips on staying motivated at work.

Staying motivated at work means keeping your professional and personal lives separate. Don't let work commitments dominate your schedule; the end of your shift should mark the beginning of a work-free evening or weekend. Use your free time to pursue activities that help relieve stress and lift your mood, whether it's dining out with friends, attending yoga classes, or cooking with family. Make these personal engagements a regular commitment so that you have something to look forward to each week. Personal fulfillment puts you in the right mindset to experience sales motivation at work. 

Difficult customers may be unavoidable, but you can cut out or cut down on unpleasant interactions with nonessential individuals at work. When other sales reps start griping about their quota or clients, tell them you're busy with work and politely excuse yourself from the conversation. Being on the receiving end of someone else's negative talk is one of the quickest ways to dampen your mood and sales motivation.

If you're having trouble staying motivated at work, tedium may be the culprit. Try motivating yourself with challenges such as turning your sales target into a competition. Enlist one or more coworkers in a battle of sales, and whoever makes the most calls or sales receives a small reward, such as a free drink or gift card. Even if you don't win, you'll have benefitted from the support of your coworkers and a fun break in routine.

Staying motivated at work can be difficult after a lackluster day of sales. Instead of fixating on one failure, though, remind yourself of past successes and record them on paper for easy reference. When you need a daily reminder and motivational boost, decorate your computer with individual sticky notes of major sales milestones you have reached. Acknowledging your competence as a salesperson can motivate you to push ahead and establish new achievements.

A busy day can sap you of energy, and staying motivated at work requires a bit of strategizing to ensure your performance doesn't waver. Instead of aiming for fifty phone calls in a row, break your lead list into more manageable chunks. Apply this strategy to all activities, including email, research, and administrative work. Devote one or two hours to one task, and then move onto something else to prevent burnout.

One of the best ways to guarantee long-lasting success in the sales field is to know how to thrive in a variable environment, whether it's by turning boredom into a challenge or stamping out negativity in the workplace. On some days, your sales job may seem demanding, unrelenting, and sometimes tedious, but with these five tips on staying motivated at work, you can overcome common hurdles and keep up with the best performers.

 

 

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)

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