ONE: List Your Goals.
Start small. What are your goals for today? (For example: Make 10 phone calls; 3 contractors, 3 architects, 3 panel/modular companies and 1 developer.) List who you are going to call/email and what you want to talk about. Making a little list can keep you on track and keep you motivated for the day.
Write your monthly goals. Maybe you want to send out X amount of estimates for that month or hit a financial goal. Then, move to listing your annual goal. Maybe you have a goal of 500 cold calls/ emails and a big financial goal.
TWO: Stop! Collaborate and Listen!
Speak with some of your colleagues or management and get new ideas. I ask some of the other reps ” What do you talk about when you cold call a contractor?” “What do your typical cold emails look like?” “Who do you usually contact at an Architect firm?”… etc. I’ve spent 2 hours in a meeting with all of our reps (there was about 6) just talking strategy. This was SO helpful. Learning about new techniques helped me develop my own and made me more comfortable.
THREE: Vay-Cay.
TAKE A BREAK! Even if it’s just something nice for the weekend. Go do something different, get excited for something. I live in Southeast Kansas,which means I’m about an hour south of Kansas city and a couple hours away from everything else “exciting”. I took a weekend vacation to Tulsa a few months ago and did some wine tasting, went to a brewery, a couple bars, and went to a very nice Italian restaurant. 10/10 recommend that mini vacation. Next weekend is Bentonville, Arkansas. We’ll see how that goes! After that maybe we’ll go explore some Ozark caves. Take a look around where you are and find something interesting, you deserve it!
FOUR: Do Something Different.
I get a little burnt out visiting the same city. Every month. Going to the same places. Usually I will go to Portland then fly to Seattle in the same week. This time, I took a train. I have never been on a train before. So it kept me a little motivated to go back out again. Maybe plan ahead and find something fun you can do when you’re off duty. Last time I went to Seattle I got a ticket for the Space Needle, that was fun! Check out the local attractions and events.
FIVE: Be Someone’s Yoda.
OK, I may have missed the mark with Yoda… but you get the point. Helping others understand what you do and how you do it can be refreshing and a confidence boost. When you’re teaching someone else about the things you do, you’re looking at it all from a different perspective. You may do a little research to help them find their technique, all the while learning more.
SIX: Remember Why.
Why are you doing what you’re doing? Were you ever happy doing it? Why this company? When I’m feeling like what I’m doing “doesn’t matter”, I start to think back to why I’m here. In my case, my parents worked for this company when I was growing up. There are a lot of things here I have to be proud of that they contributed to. Also this company believes in their people and their community. Look at the things they’re doing for you. Be it a health program, free tobacco cessation programs, gym membership contributions, tuition repayment, 401k matching, profit sharing, community donations, etc. Find what it is you like and feel that passion again.
SEVEN: Live Life Outside of Work.
When you go home, turn off the sales stress button. Find a hobby, focus your mind on that. Some people read, write, watch tv, fish, workout, grill, play guitar… Me? I like to make succulent arrangements, sew dog collars & leashes, play with my cricut, play fetch with my dogs…
Here are some hobby ideas. Men click here. Women click here.
EIGHT: Bond With Your Coworkers.
Let’s face it. You have to see these people every day, you might as well be “Friends”. Some of us like to go for drinks on Fridays after we get out early. Last weekend we had a company sponsored tailgating event at Pittsburg State University (we won BTW). It was a great time with barbecue, beer, and free t-shirts! Others meet up once a week and bring their spouses to play board games ( pretty sure they’re gettin’ down to some DND ).
NINE: Training & Speakers
It is a VERY good idea to stay up to date on the industry trends and stay sharp on your knowledge. Maybe look for a few small training sessions regarding sales and the industry that you work in. A few that I am doing are: Consultative Sales, Office 365 and Microsoft Teams, Hurricane & Blast requirements in construction, and customer reaction training.
I’m looking into watching more Key Note speakers. I have seen Janine Driver for body language and Tiffani Bova from Salesforce. I highly recommend both. If you have any suggestions, leave a comment!
TEN: Join an Organization.
I started to feel unmotivated when I moved to the town where I work. This is a new place, it’s hard to make new friends my age here, and there’s nothing to do ( so it feels ). So, I joined a group called YPL. This is the Youth Professionals League. This year it’s really small, but I hope to become a key member of this organization and become more involved. Staying busy keeps me motivated. This group hold a “brews and brushes” event where we paint and drink beer. Honestly, a group of people that drink beer is PRECISELY where I need to be.
Thanks for reading and I hope you get the motivation you need to keep selling!
Midwest Millennial 