Stay Motivated
Successful sales start with a good attitude.
Source: CUSTOM HOME Magazine
Publication date: 2006-03-01
| By
Paul Montelongo
|
All salespeople have good and bad days but for those who sell custom homes, the highs can be really high and the lows down-in-the-dumps low. With so much time and money riding on each potential sale, it's feast when a sale is made and famine when the deal goes sour.
To ride out this emotional roller coaster, maintain a steady course and keep motivation high. Staying motivated can help you withstand the ebb and flow of the new home sales market.
Here are several tips for maintaining your motivation in the dog-eat-dog world of custom home sales:
Avoid excessive eating or drinking that can sap your energy, which will show up in your sales presentation. Make sure you get plenty of exercise and a good night's sleep to keep up your stamina and mental edge.Find a hobby. All work and no play make for a very dull salesperson. Workaholics tend to suffer high amounts of stress, lack creativity, and become desensitized to the real needs of their customers. Extracurricular activities, when done in moderation, bring a fresh outlook to the daily grind of dealing with leads, prospects, be-backs, customers, etc.Have a PMA (positive mental attitude). Above all else the power of your mind will bring you the needed motivation to excel at selling. Immerse yourself in reading, studying, and learning from the best in the business. Convert your car to an automobile academy with CDs and audio books about sales and communication. Strive to learn one salient point each week about how to have a successful sales career. Over time these will add up to a veritable mental library of information.Create a network. Get out and expand your customer base instead of fretting about one deal that didn't work out. The broader your network of contacts, the deeper your database, and the more contacts you have can result in more business. Can you serve on a committee in your association that will enhance your credibility? Could you get more value out of your chamber of commerce membership if you attended one extra mixer each month?Work less. Like most entrepreneurs, you may work 60 or 70 hours each week. It's nearly impossible to stay motivated without giving yourself some much-needed time off. Try working just one hour less each day and dedicating that hour to another area of your life. Go for a walk, play tennis, get a massage, or do some gardening. Do something to balance your life. During this time, turn off your cell phone, shut down your e-mail, and enjoy an activity that brings your life into balance.If you are truly committed to being a custom home sales professional, do everything you can to stay motivated. It's directly related to your sales success.—Paul Montelongo has been a builder for more than 23 years and is a nationally recognized speaker and consultant to the construction industry. Visit Paul at www. contractorofchoice.com.
