There are many books and CD’s you can invest in to help you “develop an attitude of gratitude,” but the easiest way is to simply make a list of 25 things you’re grateful for right now.  Do it after you finish reading this article, and you’ll know what I mean.

The holidays are finally here. To most sales people, this means extra days off, and half days before Christmas and New Year’s; it means holiday parties, year-end bonuses (if they’ve been good and made their quotas), and even promotions if their company offers them. It means holiday cards from vendors, and it means long lunches spent at malls trying to avoid the crowds.

It also means gifts. There may be gifts from co-workers, bosses, department heads and clients. There may be gifts from themselves (the best kind), but also from family members and friends. It’s a wonderful time of year, as many of you know, and if only we could make these feelings last the whole year…

Well, maybe you can. What if you were to receive some gifts that could make all the feelings you have right now last throughout 2015? What if you were to receive some gifts that would guarantee that you would have a better year in sales next year than the one you just had?

Here are three gifts you can give yourself that will pay you back over and over again for years to come:

Gift #1: The gift of a positive, expectant attitude. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is more important than a positive attitude. Zig Ziglar said it best all those years ago: “It’s your attitude, not your aptitude that determines your altitude.”  This is true in life, of course, but especially true in sales.

The number one thing you can give yourself this December is a resource to help you nurture a positive attitude.  There are scores of books out there, and my favorite is still, “The Advanced Formula for Total Success,” by Dr. Robert Anthony.  It’s out of print, but you can still find some used copies on Amazon.

My favorite way of developing a positive attitude, though, is through the use of subliminal recordings. I especially use these at night to fall asleep to, and they always work for me (and millions of other people, too). Click here to find a recording that resonates with you, and then start listening. 

Gift #2: The gift of proven, specific sales techniques that will improve your sales skills. Let me ask you: Do you believe that practice makes perfect? If you said “yes” then you’re wrong. Practice only makes permanent. If you are adlibbing and using ineffective sales techniques, then you’re just going to keep getting substandard results. And that’s what most (unfortunately) sales reps do.

If you want to truly have a better 2015, then you have to improve your sales skill set. And the way you do that is by investing your time, money and energy to get better. It’s kind of like setting a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight.  If you want to do that, then you have to invest some time, energy and money (if you’re going to join a gym or buy new sneakers) to get the new result, right? In other words, you’re going to need to change what you’re doing.

It’s the same with your sales results. If nothing changes, then nothing changes. Here’s an easy way of making more sales next year: Invest in my eBook of Phone Scripts, or take advantage of this incredible holiday deal on my powerful 5-CD program. Remember, only practicing good techniques is what’s going to make you a better sales professional. 

Gift #3: The gift of gratitude. Want to know the fastest way to improve your attitude and your life? Become grateful for everything in your life. Yes, I mean EVERYTHING. Oh, it’s easy to be grateful for the good things in your life, but what would happen if you became accepting and even grateful for the things that are not going your way right now? 

Being grateful for everything in your life means you are grateful for being alive. My first mentor used to say that every day he woke up on this side of the grass, it was a great day. The same is true for you: If things aren’t going your way right now, or if there is a problem you’re dealing with, be grateful you get to go through it – it means you’re alive and on this side of the grass! And on this side, the grass is always greener…

Another mentor of mine seemed to be happy all the time. I once asked him how he maintained such a good attitude, and he told me it was simple. He said, “I don’t expect anything, and I accept absolutely everything.”  Sounded petty Zen like to me.

There are many books and CD’s you can invest in to help you “develop an attitude of gratitude,” but the easiest way is to simply make a list of 25 things you’re grateful for right now. Do it after you finish reading this article, and you’ll know what I mean.

So, do you want to extend this holiday feeling into 2015? Give yourself any one of these gifts and you will be on your way. Give yourself all of them, and you’ll live each day with this holiday feeling!