Success Is Your Choice
By Richard F. Libin, President, APB, Inc., www.apb.cc
 
Nike had it right when they coined the slogan, “Just Do It.” And if people today simply focused on just doing the best job possible, client loyalty would never be in question. Like New England Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick said, “Just do your job - well.” Yet every day, people don’t deliver. Why? Often it comes down to attitude.
Every day, in every situation, every individual has a choice when it comes to embracing a positive or negative attitude. And in every instance, the attitude a person chooses becomes reality. In sales, a positive attitude drives the ability to do the best job possible. It drives willingness to make empowered choices. It drives the ability to help clients find the right product or service that specifically meets or exceeds their unique situation.
Consider this story. Years ago, there was a man who sold hot dogs. He didn’t listen to the radio, or watch TV, or read the paper. He simply sold hot dogs. He put up signs telling how good they were. He stood on the side of the road and cried, “Buy a hot dog, mister?” And people bought because he was so enthusiastic. And his business grew. One day, his son came to help him out. His son said, "Haven’t you heard? The economy is in terrible shape!” The father thought, my son’s been to college, he reads the newspaper, he listens to the radio, and he ought to know. So, he cut down on his meat and bun orders, took down his advertising signs, and no longer bothered to call out to sell his hot dogs. And his sales fell – virtually overnight. His conclusion – my son was right, and we are in a depression.
In reality, the man’s attitude changed. As long as he kept a positive attitude, the world around him didn’t matter, he prospered.
The ability to be positive at all times is the one thing that will ensure you're a winner in the end. When you are positive, people will find you irresistible. People will remember you not for how you handled life, but for how you made others feel. A positive attitude fosters creative thinking, which is a critical attribute in embracing an empowerment. In every situation, people should THINK – Transform, Help, Improve, Notice, and Know.
Look for ways to Transform the client experience, so it is memorable and positive.
Do everything possible to Help resolve issues and meet the client’s needs, wants, and desires.
Find ways to Improve your own skills by listening, learning, and acting.
Notice the little things you can do to make a difference, from wiping the restroom counter before you leave, to providing water to clients as they shop.
Get to Know your clients. Build relationships. Call them by name. Anticipate their needs.
Your attitude and your ability to have a positive influence on the attitudes of others will affect not only your sales, but every area of your life. Nothing in your life will pay more rewards than your ability to have and maintain a great attitude.
There is a song by the group the American Authors called “Best Day of My Life.” A colleague of mine told me that one day recently, she woke up and the lyric, “This is gonna be the best day of my life…” was going through her head. It was the only part of the song she knew, but it made her feel so positive as she woke, that it became her mantra for the day. Turned out, it was a pretty great day. Like my colleague, when you get up each morning you have a choice – be positive or negative. Find your mantra – a song, a phrase, a poem, a verse – then say it, repeat it, and come to believe it.
So how do you start to “Just Do It”?
Get up every day, and make a decision to embrace a positive attitude, to focus on what you want, and what your customers want. Think about it, visualize it, and say it over and over. More important than the words you say to others are the words you say to yourself. It can mean the difference between a bad day and a good day – at work.
Be conscious or aware of your words and thoughts. Focus on what you can control, not on what you can’t control. Practice catching yourself when your thoughts, actions, and words are negative; stop and make an immediate change. Catch yourself succeeding, and celebrate these successes, no matter how small.
Write down what you want specifically. Make a contract with yourself. Picture it in your mind. Once you see it clearly, you can move toward it. Practice. Practice. Practice.
Small successes and large achievements start the same way. Focusing on what you want, helps you make it happen, for yourself and for your customers. You may not win every sale, but if you can honestly say you did everything possible to satisfy the customer, then you won in the long term.
Every day, tell to yourself, “My job is to help my customers buy.” Every day, embrace an empowered work style. Every day and in every situation – from lousy traffic and slow service, to unexpected problems and disappointing news – everyone can choose whether or not it’s a good or bad day.
By making the right choices every day, doing your job becomes easy and more rewarding.
Richard F. Libin has written two acclaimed books that help people of all walks of life improve their sales skills, because as he says, “everyone is a selling something.” His most recent book, Who Knew? (Who-Knew.com), was published in early 2017. His first book, “Who Stopped the Sale?” (WhoStoppedTheSale.com), is now in its second edition. As president of APB-Automotive Profit Builders, Inc., a firm with more than 49 years experience working with both sales and service professionals, he helps his clientele, through personnel development and technology, to build customer satisfaction and maximize gross profits in their businesses. Mr. Libin can be reached at rlibin@apb.cc or 508-626-9200 or www.apb.cc.