Resiliency and Sales Results – Part III and IV

R = Reach. Dr. Stolz’s research shows that highly resilient individuals and organizations are able to limit the reach of adversity. In other words, they don’t kick the dog when they get home. Salespeople who are not able to handle adversity experience higher levels of stress which leads to the production of the stress hormone, cortisol. High levels of cortisol affect cognitive performance which can affect a salesperson’s ability to think and act appropriately. Top sales producers manage stress by limiting the “reach” of a lost sale. They look at it for what it is: one lost sale. They don’t allow negative self-talk to take over their thoughts. I.e., I’ve lost my touch, no one is buying or the competition is better. E = Endurance. This is a person or company’s ability to do a reality check on the adversity. Is the adversity temporary or permanent? Take the case of the economy. We have come off of a deep recession where companies imploded in a matter of weeks and the stock market has looked like a ride at Six Flags. The highly resilient salesperson knows financial cycles come and go. This cycle is serious and deep, however, at some point it will be temporary. (Anyone lived through the interest rates of the 80’s?) The mantra of highly resilient sales organizations is ‘this too will pass.’ When adversity is perceived as permanent, inaction and paralysis takes over. What is your sales teams CORE score? Remember, tough times don’t last, tough people do. Take control, own the outcomes regardless of the origin, limit the reach and know that bad economic times are not forever. Good Selling! Colleen Stanley