Each day every person makes a choice about how they intend to approach their day.  They can get up and embrace the day positively or grumble about the awful day ahead.  In either case, their attitude becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

A salesperson’s approach to work can be one of the most telling aspects of how he is regarded by customers and co-workers.  Think of someone you’ve worked with who didn’t bring a positive attitude or put forth the effort and performance you expected.   Did he follow the company’s processes or just think about the shortcut to results?  How did you feel every time you had to work with him? A salesperson’s approach defines who he is and impacts his ability to deliver 100% more than any other factor in sales.

The key to maximizing results for customers, employers and themselves is to give 100%.  The formula never changes:

100% Attitude + 100%Effort + 100%Performance = 100% Results.

Attitude

Each day every person makes a choice about how they intend to approach their day.  They can get up and embrace the day positively or grumble about the awful day ahead.  In either case, their attitude becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Maintaining a positive attitude is the first step in keeping buyers and converting them to customers and eventually to long-term clientele.  Focusing on the negative – lower sales, higher overhead, problems with the economy, or even a “bad morning,” shifts attitudes and negatively impacts performance.

Consequently, opportunities don’t receive attentive service, don’t enjoy the experience, and sales fall.  Managers look at the salespeople and think, “I don’t have a very good team,” or “Don’t they know how to close a deal?”  Salespeople can be heard lamenting, “We have more people coming in, but they don’t really want to buy, not what we have to sell, how can I make any money?”

Not only do negative attitudes telegraph to customers through body language and words, but they re-enforce the importance of closing the deal immediately versus finding the right product for each customer.  Words like “No, Don’t, Won’t, or Can’t” slip into a salesperson’s vocabulary more frequently and only serve to help kill the opportunity.

Consider the impact word choices have on attitudes.  Stop using words like “shoppers,” people who visit stores in search of articles to buy, or “customers,” an individual who makes a single purchase and leaves.  True sales professionals think of their customers as clients, people with whom they should foster a long-term relationship.

Performance

First, set goals.  Know what the objective is and what has to be done every day to achieve it.  Is it calling three clients?  Setting two appointments?  Writing five thank you notes?  Attending a networking event?  What has to be accomplished consistently every day, 100% of the time?  Performance is defined by Webster’s as “the execution of an action.”  Once goals are set, it is the responsibility of each individual to perform them fully, 100%.  If you commit to making three calls, make them.  Period.  If you don’t you only hurt yourself, your performance and ultimately your attitude.

Effort

Webster’s defines effort as “a conscious exertion of power; hard work; a serious attempt.”  Once goals are set, every salesperson must give 100% effort toward achieving them.  Turn off Facebook or Twitter, skip the personal calls, and focus on achieving the goals.  With 100% effort, achieving 100% performance is simple.

Results

Everything a salesperson does impacts his results.  Bringing a 100% positive Attitude, adding 100% Performance and 100% Effort will bring 100% Results.  If you’re having a “bad” day, stop and honestly check these three factors – attitude, performance and effort.   Then, make adjustments and go after the results.