3 Ways to Achieve a Winning Sales Attitude

Written by Colleen Stanley

In the competitive world of sales, everyone is seeking the magic bullet that will accelerate revenue. Companies run brainstorming sessions, hire consultants, and invest in expensive technology.

But there’s a simpler way to increase market share: Make your sales organization more optimistic.

Don’t roll your eyes; this isn’t going to be a Pollyanna article. Research shows that salespeople with high levels of optimism make more money for their companies.

Dr. Martin Seligman’s work with insurance company Metropolitan Life is one of the more famous case studies. Met Life was spending $30,000 on sales training per salesperson, but 80% of their reps had left within four years. Seligman started testing job candidates for optimism. His results proved soft skills do produce hard sales results.

Salespeople who scored high in optimism sold 33% more insurance than those who scored lower. After two years, these optimistic salespeople were thriving in their positions. Turnover decreased and sales increased because Met Life focused on hiring for optimism, not just hard selling skills.

What’s the baseline attitude at your sales organization? If your company is more pessimistic than optimistic, start at the top. CEOs and sales managers set the tone for the entire business.

Emotions are contagious.

This condition is called “emotional contagion” or “the transmission of moods.” Moods are typically communicated and transferred to others, whether those emotions are positive or negative.

To create an optimistic environment — and reap the bottom-line benefits — use these three methods. Read more…