People always blame their bad attitude on the day.
“I’m having a bad day” is bologna. What you’re really saying is: “I’ve let other people get to my attitude” or “I’ve let other circumstances get to my attitude.” That’s not only unjustifiable; it’s a sign of mental weakness. If you tell yourself you’re having a bad day, I promise you will have one, and if you tell yourself you’re having a great day, I promise you will have one. The day is not bad unless you declare it bad.
Positive attitude, or lack thereof, is the root of many circumstances.
Below are 5.5 random thoughts and insights on the cause, the cure, and the benefits of positive attitude:
1. Start at the beginning. “Philosophy drives attitude. Attitude drives actions. Actions drive results. Results drive lifestyles.” That’s a quote from America’s business philosopher, Jim Rohn.
- If you don’t like your lifestyle, look at your results.
- If you don’t like your results, look at your actions.
- If you don’t like your actions, look at your attitude.
- If you don’t like your attitude, look at your philosophy.
Most salespeople make the fatal mistake of starting in the middle. They start with “action.” If you have no philosophy and you have a lousy attitude, what kind of action are you going to take? And if I asked you for your philosophy right now, your most likely response would be “Duh!”
2. Develop a YES! attitude. There is a subtle difference between a “positive” attitude and a “yes” attitude. Both are GREAT, but “yes” is a bit more powerful because it assumes that everything starts with “yes,” even when it’s “no.” A “yes” attitude helps you formulate a response in a positive way. A “yes” attitude is more declarative. It tells people in ONE word that their expectations will be met, and that your answers to whatever they want or need will be YES. Everyone wants to hear “yes,” so if you think of yourself as a “yes” person, besides putting yourself in a positive frame of mind, you will also have positive expectations.
3. Attitude means celebrate effort, not victory. All too often, salespeople and their leaders only celebrate the sale. And while that’s important, it is equally as important to celebrate the work that went into making the sale happen. Your work ethic will lead you to more sales than any other element in your sales arsenal. If someone says, “Oh, that Mary, she really works hard,” that is a compliment of the highest order.
4. You know what to do-you just don’t do it. Salespeople are the smartest people in the world. As I go from audience to audience, they all have one common theme among them: Everyone knows everything. The problem is that they are not DOING the things they claim to know. There’s a big difference between knowing and doing, and most salespeople haven’t a clue about the power of that subtlety. After reading or attending a seminar, instead of thinking “I know that,” ask yourself, “How good am I at that?” That question will lead to more knowledge. And you do understand that knowledge is power.
5. Attitude means time management – or what’s important now. Most lessons in time management are pretty much a waste of time. You know what to do. You even know when to do it. What you need is a lesson about procrastination or a lesson about building a higher self-image or a lesson about fear of rejection or a lesson about preparation. Those lessons will give you what you need to execute the things you believe you “don’t have time for.” The truth is: You are just avoiding them.
5.5 Be selfish. Learn for yourself. Do it for yourself. Selfish wins. Before you can be the BEST you can be for others, you must be the best you can be for yourself. Before you can be the best salesperson, you must be the best person. Before you can be the best Dad or Mom, you must be the best person you can be for yourself. When you achieve BEST for yourself, then and only then, can you be your BEST for others. I know this sounds selfish, but if you think about it, you will come to realize that your shortcomings in all of your endeavors stem from the fact that you’re not being the best person you can be for yourself. At the root of “best” is best attitude.
Positive attitude is defined as “The way you dedicate yourself to the way you think.” But be careful when putting that definition into action, because the same words hold true for a negative attitude.
Free GitBit
Want more ideas on positive attitude? Ways you can use attitude to become more successful? It’s yours by going to www.Gitomer.com, register if you’re a first time user, and enter the words ATTITUDE FOREVER in the GitBit box.
