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Most of the time, we associate Attitude with an
outlook of possibility or an outlook of limitation. The
dictionary defines it as a state of mind regarding a person or
matter. We all carry attitudes about our employers, our products
or services, our marketplace, our prospects and, of course,
ourselves.
If you jump out of bed every day,
dive into your work with a zing, and find nothing more exciting
than reviewing your financial statement for 2008 and projections
for 2009, skip to the next article. You don't need to read this.
If, on the other hand, you
occasionally start your day with some "I don't want to be here"
chatter in the shower, dread making prospecting calls, or
plummet into a dark mood when things don't go "right," these few
words might help you make this new year a bit brighter.
David Sandler was clear that
attitude is an integral part of the Success Triangle. He placed
it at the top, above Behavior and Technique, stating that
Attitude dominates all of the other functions of success. In
other words, your performance is consistent with the way you
view yourself conceptually.
At any given moment, your state of
mind can be one of possibility or one of limitation. Do you see
yourself as a leader or a follower? Are you at the top of your
game or at the bottom of the heap? You can see and accept the
reasons and means to make something happen, or you can see and
accept the reasons and obstacles that block your progress.
Here's the kicker: it's your choice,
and the choice you make is potent. The outlook you take is
generally the result of previous experience, or a perception
based on someone else's experience. The reality is that your
previous experience or the history of others may not be relevant
in the moment.
You Are Always Right
We humans are a habitual bunch, typically more aware of
information that is consistent with the outlook we choose - even
when that choice is subconscious. Henry Ford once said, "Whether
you think you can, or think you can't, you're right." If you
believe your marketplace is saturated, you'll likely believe
that your quota or goal is unattainable. Once you've accepted
that judgment, it will color all of your actions. If your
attitude is one of resignation, for example, you will be more
likely to forego setting goals, making plans, and taking action
steps, and be less likely to commit and follow through on the
techniques that make the Sandler Selling System® so unique and
rewarding.
Your actions are influenced by the
judgments you make, and the judgments you make are influenced by
your attitude, which ultimately governs your behavior and the
techniques you employ or forget. Albert Einstein defined
insanity as, "doing the same thing over and over again expecting
different results." Einstein was a pretty smart man - with an
overwhelming outlook of possibility.
Is Attitude a Problem for You?
Pay attention to the conversation going on in your head when you
wake in the morning. Notice how the lightness, darkness, or
neutrality of your thoughts colors the way you approach your
clients and your daily tasks - if you let it.
David Mahoney, former chairman of
the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, once said, "There comes
a moment when you have to stop revving the engine and slam it
into gear." Changing our attitude takes the same kind of
practice as learning to drive with a manual transmission - there
will be some sputtering and jerking, but eventually the shift
becomes smooth and natural.
Final Thought
Choosing a new attitude is a commitment you make with yourself.
The guide lines are simple. Ask yourself:
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Where are you experiencing
difficulty?
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Is it painful enough to change?
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What are you willing to do to make
it different?
Changing one thing for the better is
worth more than proving 1,000 things wrong. Make it your goal
today to change just one thing about your approach to your life
and your business, and remember the words of Thomas Edison:
"Hell, there are no rules here - we're trying to accomplish
something!"
© Sandler Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
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