[This is the third in a series of posts about getting past the setbacks we all face in sales. For the first, click here.]
Salespeople often say selling is a numbers game. When you’ve had a setback, it may be more useful to think of it as a head game.
This life can be emotionally exhausting even when you’re doing well. Low points always follow highs. If you can’t manage both–and the stomach-churning transitions between them—you could spend your career feeling manic-depressive. And that may taint all aspects of your life.
The memory of failure tends to get into your head and stay there. When this happens it can erode your confidence. You question your own judgment. You get more tentative. Everyone around you can feel it, and then they lose confidence in you too.
To prevent this, you have to distill what you can learn from your setback, encapsulate it like radioactive waste, and then get past it as fast as you can. Maybe you can’t erase the memory, but overwriting it works almost as well.
Here’s a quick list of six positive things you can do:
- Be thankful for what you have.
- Don’t beat yourself up. Accept that your not imperfect. No trash talk.
- Distill what you can learn from the experience. Honestly list what went right, what went wrong, and what you’d do differently next time.
- Visualize your next success.
- Engage in pursuing your next goal right away. Do something you’re good at to rebuild your confidence.
- Do all the things Mom taught you: Take care of yourself. Exercise. Get plenty of sleep. Eat properly. Maybe Mom didn’t tell you to meditate, but it’s another good way to take care of yourself.
I’ll write more about each in future posts.
– Scott Silverback