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Forming Good Habits

October 17, 2011

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Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.
- Vince Lombardi

Both for good and for bad, as humans, we are creatures of habit.  In order to be successful, we must train our brains to pick-up habits of success, rather than habits of mediocrity.  These habits are developed through analyzing your day-to-day actions, determining which actions deserve merit, and then continually practicing these actions in pursuit of perfection.  On the flipside, if we give up too easily, hone in on failed attempts, and give up at the sign of a troubling obstacle, then we will begin to form poor habits.

Habits are easy to form, and they are tough to break.  During our development as sales reps, we are given the choice on the habits we want to acquire.  In order to ensure victory, we need to analyze what we are doing well, as well as what we can improve upon.  This should be done on a regular basis, as it allows us to continue to develop the skills that are working, and more importantly, it gives us the knowledge to put a halt on the bad habits that we may be acquiring.

As sellers, we face rejection on a daily basis.  Even for the best, it takes a lot of “no’s” to get a “yes”.  Rather than looking at each “no” as a failed attempt at a sale, we need to start looking at them as opportunities to pursue habits of success.  The emotions that are derived from being turned down should be focused on moving forward down the road to perfection.  Winning cannot always be defined by whether we won or lost a specific account.  Instead, winning should be a direct reflection of the effort and passion we put towards our future success and development. 

Winning takes practice, as does losing.  No one begins a career in sales understanding which direction they will fall, but as time progresses, we start to face obstacles that define our paths.  We are the only ones that can determine the direction to proceed, whether success or failure.  Our attitude towards challenges and our ability to overcome adversity becomes routine, whether we realize it or not.  If we choose to quit, then we will continue to follow the path we know best, but on the other hand, if we choose to prevail, then we will form a habit of success that will carry on into everything we pursue.

SMART GOALS

Start creating good habits today by setting clear, attainable and measurable goals for yourself.  The following acronym will help you in your goal creation:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-Bound

When you set new goals, focus on making them as specific as possible.  This will allow you to formulate your game plan and stay on track.  For example:  A general goal would be, "Improve Sales." But a SMART goal would say, "Improve weekly written business to $ 100.00 per week by the end of the quarter."