Nobody wants this:
You pull on the interstate only to slow to a stop. A river of brake lights stretches for miles ahead of you. There goes your first sales call! Why didn’t you leave earlier? Right then, your phone chirps with a text from the Boss. The quarterly sales rankings are in and you’re..NO WHERE NEAR THE TOP?
Clearly you misunderstood that. Keeping your eyes on the road, you fumble in your bag for your iPad which is…NOT IN YOUR BAG? You must’ve left it charging on your nightstand! WHAT’S NEXT? As if on cue, your son texts. He wants to quit school.
Before you can respond, your phone rings. It’s the school principal who gives you the slightest tap. TAP? You look up as the driver ahead you twists to see what kind of an idiot you are. Yep, you kissed his bumper. MAKE IT STOP!!!
We All Have A Bad Day Behind Us…
I know I have. I’d wager all salespeople have. And, the longer you’ve done the job the more days from Hell you’ve probably endured.
Ok, we’ve all have bad days, the question is what to do? Admit it, on those days, the easiest thing to do is to give up, call a friend, and vent. And why not share a little misery? It works – for a few minutes anyway, then you get back to scolding yourself.
And that’s too bad, given the gut punch a horrible day can deliver, is only a few minutes of joy enough?
And A Bad Day In Our Future. Are You Ready?
What will you do when your next bad day strikes? Call whomever you want, but if you REALLY want to turn things around, do the following:
- Stop Beating Yourself Up! Just as when a storm hits, you take shelter, when all your plans crumble, take a step back. Important problems require creativity, not anger. Experts have found that positive, not negative, emotions are key to creative problem-solving.
- Assess The Damage. Get beyond the surprise and ask yourself what you need to do in that moment and act on it. Fortunately, most bad days don’t require a visit from EMS. Still, an appointment may need to be cancelled or a boss called. Do so and you’ll buy the time you need for the next step.
- Reprioritize and Reassign. “Don’t tell me about your goals. Tell me about your plan,” says Jeffrey Haden, author of The Motivation Myth. As it stands, your day’s original plan is meaningless. What you do with the time left is everything. Re-start the day from the beginning, jump in somewhere in the middle, or plan something new. It’s your call.
- Get to It! Don’t mourn what happened. Instead, take your new priorities and GO! According to best-selling business author, Ryan Holiday, some of history’s greatest achievements came from people who chose to head toward, not away, from their biggest obstacles. You’re likely to find more courage and skill than you ever realized!
- When the Day’s Over, Pause and Reflect. Don’t just pull in the drive, get the mail, and collapse onto the couch. Think for a few minutes of how your day started and how it finished. YOU pulled off quite a turnaround! Celebrate today’s victory so you’ll remember it when you face your next disaster. You might even find they become less frequent!
Of course it’s not enough just to read my advice. You must understand and DO it! All of us have a bad day coming. The question is, HOW WILL YOU RESPOND?
Sincerely,
P.S. If you found this or any of my other advice helpful, leave me a comment and subscribe to my email list! Whatever you do, tell only the colleagues you like. You don’t want to help a competitor! 😃 Seriously, I write articles like this to be helpful – you know, in the REAL WORLD! Any feedback you provide is a much-appreciated gift!
