Motivation can be defined as momentum that stimulates action. It comes from within you. Nobody can "make" you be motivated. It's up to you. So, how do you keep your motivation on a daily basis, and especially during these economically hard times?
First, let's go there and talk about where LACK of motivation comes from and how it manifests itself into your life. Lack of motivation is usually caused by fear and lack of self-confidence. I've seen this so many times when working with under-producing sales professionals. Maybe you've been on a roll. Sales have been great. You've been the "golden players" on the sales team. Maybe you're struggling just to get out of the gate.
All of a sudden somebody or many people say "no." The economic climate changes. You lose a client or maybe more. Prospects dry up. Fear begins to set in about job performance, money, etc. If you are being highly scrutinized because of falling sales, fear and self-confidence set in and begin to spin out of control.
Fear and lack of self-confidence will paralyze you from doing what you need to do to move forward. Where there is fear and lack of self-confidence, there cannot possibly be motivation.
Ok. Enough of that! We all know what LACK of motivation can do. But when you're down there, how to get up again? How do you keep your self-motivated day after day in a tough marketplace full of competition and rejection?
Let me give you 4 steps to recover your motivation, get out of the rut and get your "Mojo" back!
1. Make A List: When you've fallen into a slump you might feel as though you're at the bottom looking up ad you can't dig yourself out. Your thoughts are spinning about all the things you should do, and need to do. It's impossible to figure out what to do and how to do it when your head is spinning! Make a list. Sit down someplace quiet, breathe and write down everything that is spinning around up there. After you've made the list you can then start to prioritize. If sales are down and you need to make 10 sales, the goal is to make sale. Notice I said "a sale" not 10, not 2, not 6. ONE. Whatever your goal is, chunk it out into smaller, more reasonable pieces that will give you success quickly. When you succeed at the first goal that success will spur you on to the next.
2. Post Your Goal: Make your first goal real by putting in front of you. Also, put a positive spin on your goal. Don't just write, "One Sale" or "I need to make one sale." Instead write something like, "I can make one sale." Then post ion your bathroom mirror, on your refrigerator, in your car, in your home office, etc etc. Make this goal your mantra.
3. Don't Quit! Make a list of 4 or 5 ways you can get to your goal. Who do you need to see? What referral do you need? Who in your network can you call on for help? Keep putting one foot ahead of the other, one step at a time. This is the most important step to get where you want to be.
4. Squash Negative Thoughts:. For every negative thought that pops into your head and runs around in there, identify where that thought comes from. For instance, if you are thinking, "I'm a loser."
Who said that to you? Why to you feel that way? When you've identified where the negative thought comes from, select an opposing thought to replace it. Instead of, "I'll never make my sales goal" think I will make my sales goal because sales is a numbers game I know I can win!
Remember that sales is a numbers game. By setting goals and being consistent your Mojo will return and not only will you make your sales goals, you'll beat them! You are a winner. Act as if you are!
Jill Freeman is a dynamic and motivational coach with over 20 years of sales, marketing and business development experience. She has been called "The Go-to Sales and Marketing Maven" by Stacey Kelly, founder and CEO of PM Squared in Houston TX. Jill is the founder of ROAR! Growing Your Business With Pride. She is a graduate of Eastern Mennonite University and holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Organizational Development. Jill lives in South Central PA with her husband and children. You can learn more about ROAR! by visiting http://www.roarcorps.com
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