Your work doesn’t need to be your entire life.
There. I said it!
I’ve felt this way for awhile, but that hasn’t always been the case. When FITzee Foods was still open, I was grinding it out, working ALL the time. So many of my friends told me I was borderline miserable to be around. Yikes! I had no idea ;/
Looking back, I can definitely see it and I don’t want that for any of you reading this. Your goal should be to determine a way to mesh your work into your lifestyle, so that it fits well.
So, today, let’s talk about how we can still be successful in sales, without dedicating 100% of our life to our career/business.
Sales are Important and Can Wear on You, If You Let Them
There’s no way around it, being a salesperson is tough, especially if you don’t learn how to do it properly. Hearing NO after NO is enough to lead anyone to throw in the towel, unless you learn how to cope.
After my Success Unfiltered guest, Wes Schaeffer, left the Air Force, he immediately went for a position as a stockbroker. He was hired, but after only 6 months he ended up in a contract dispute which lead to a lawsuit that took several years for him to win. During that time no one wanted to hire him, because of being laid off so quickly and because of the lawsuit.
Wes ended up getting a job straight out of the classifieds selling mobile homes. In his first year he earned $100,000. This was HUGE, but it happened because Wes followed the framework he was given.
So many people want to start a career in sales and want to reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t work that way. The tried and true systems do!
Yes, Wes could have adopted a bad attitude after he was laid off, but he had a wife and child at home to care for. He could have been disappointed that he took a job selling mobile homes, but he never did. He took the framework, aka the tried and true system he was given and rocked the crap out of it!
The point here is that Wes knew his life was within his control. Maybe he couldn’t control the answers his customers would give him, but how he looked at and approached it WAS within his control. This helped to ensure that he got the YES’s he needed.
For example, at Oakwood Homes, every morning, you’d put your name on a whiteboard, in order of when you arrived to work. The first person would get the first customer, the second person in, the second customer, and so on. Wes knew there were five salesmen, so if they typically got 6 customers a day, he needed to be there first so that he would get the first and the last customer of the day (this equalled more chances of hearing YES).
Be mindful of what is within your control and then do what you can to make it work for you. Never letting sales get too overwhelming!
It’s Good to Shut Down and Turn Off on Occasion
Once you’ve realized that you are only able to control yourself and the things in your circle, it’s easier to accept NO’s. You’ll know you need to work hard, but not so hard that you become overwhelmed.
However, if you find yourself constantly pounding caffeine or energy drinks to make it through the day, and then doing shots of alcohol at 5:30 pm so that you can sleep at night, it’s time to back off! You’ve allowed your overwhelm to go TOO FAR.
Things are out of balance and it’s time to reel things in!
I understand that hearing a NO from a client that was pretty much “in the bag,” is hugely disappointing. It may even feel like you need to get back out there and hustle your butt off, but stepping away, taking some downtime (just not too much) can actually be more effective.
Are you shocked to hear that from me?
Don’t be! I worked 10+ years of my life doing non-stop work and I’ve come to realize that success comes just as easily with hard work, dedication and sufficient down time or what I like to call ME time.
Wes, at the age of 57, shares that he uses exercise, the church and personal development, as a way to step away from his job, and get his mind straightened out, so that he can come back mentally stronger. Not only that, he makes sure to surround himself with the right people, family, mentors, and others looking out for him.
Wes says, “Keep all of those in balance, your faith, your family, your friends, your fitness. To me people just work themselves to death. They think if I can just grind a little harder, I’ll get to where I need to be, and that’s just not the case.”
Trust me, I know this for a fact. I grinded it out and I didn’t get to where I wanted to be with FITzee Foods. Many of us are spending 70 to 80% of our time at work, working on our business or in our jobs. It might be sales, or it might not, either way, it can be so easy to fall into the trap of working too much!
Take the time to enjoy life!
For me, yoga is my church. I’ve started doing aerial silk for three reasons. One, it is extremely challenging. Two, it has improved my flexibility. And, three, it is challenging me every single day to face my fears & be in the unknown! It takes me out of my comfort zone and is a little bit scary, just like when I’m experiencing those NO’s and rejections in business, that we all get throughout our careers.
I also love to listen to podcasts (one of my favs is Sean Croxton’s Quote of the Day Show) and audiobooks (The 5 Second Rule is a favorite).
These are things we have control over. You have the ability to choose your workout, and control what you eat. Focus in on creating a ritual or routine that works for you and your schedule because if you don’t take care of yourself, then how are you going to take care of others at a high level?
In Conclusion
Work hard, but do not allow your business or career to overrun your life. Be sure that you take time to enjoy the things you love, whether it’s reading or yoga or going to church.
Those are the things that make you happy and joyful. A happy, joyful person is going to do better work than someone who is exhausted and miserable.
How do you make time to do the things you love? Tell me in the comments!
