Attitude is everything. 

When I am in a good mood, I sell. When I am not in a good mood, I don’t sell. Sometimes, it really is that
simple.

People don’t like to be around grumpy people. I tell my
son Phillip this all the time. Don’t you want to be around happy people?

I saw an article today on my LinkedIn newsfeed which brings that point home.

21 Habits of Happy People

What you can do to avoid messing up:

 1.    “Fake it ‘til you make it”: I have heard many times that when you smile, endorphins in your brain start working, and it makes you happy. I am assuming that this is true because it works for me.

2.    Be grateful for everything. This may be difficult for some of you but think about this:  

• I live better than more than 95% of all people on this green earth.
• I always have food on my plate for dinner if I want it.
• When it rains, snows, or is cold, I can go inside if I want.
• I am a somewhat healthy guy, as is my family.

If you can say these four things (or even three) then you have the right to be grateful… even happy.

3.    Do things that you enjoy often. If you like music, then listen to it when you are feeling down. If you have a lot of things on your mind stressing yourself out, go for a run or a bike ride. 30 minutes can reset your brain. Works for me. Find what makes you happy… no drugs please.

4.    If you are always grumpy at work, maybe you aren’t in the right business. A work life devoid of fun really sucks.  

5.    When I walk in the office in the morning, I walk past the front desk and say “Howdy!” It’s a running joke because my receptionist always tells me that I am way too happy. You can’t be too happy… or too rich.

6.    Stay away from the “Negative Nancys” in your life. When I was halfway done with this book, I was talking to a friend about it. He shot me an email telling me not to bother. “Don’t waste your time”, “You have no street cred” and “Who is going to read this book?” It was then that I realized that I didn’t care about who buys this book and if I sell 10 copies, I will still be happy that I got off my butt and wrote a book. While my inspiration probably was not his intent, his email inspired me more...btw, have you bought my book yet?  CLICK HERE

For a copy of my bestselling book, CLICK HERE

A friend of mine, Stacy Martin once told a new salesperson that sometimes you have to "let the water boil"
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Last week, I was on a conference call with a prospect.  He was asking us about our product's capabilities.  He was throwing a lot of tests our way, and we were passing all his tests.

"One more test", he said...

Finally, in desperation Jeremy asked the key question.

"So if we pass this next test, do we have a deal?"

This is a make it or break it line.  The next thing that the prospect says is going to tell us exactly what his intentions are.

1. If  the prospect says yes, we have a deal, right?
2. If the prospect wavers, it would seem that he is not really serious. 

The prospect paused and uncomfortably explained that he would have to get back to us on that.

So we stopped talking.  We waited.  We let the water boil. 

That uncomfortable silence led the prospect to tell us what was really bothering him.  He was concerned about other issues, however he used the tests as a way to justify holding off.  Jeremy and I addressed the other issues, and we are proud to say that we have a new client.

1. Silence is your friend:  Did you ever get that uncomfortable silence in a conversation with a friend, where you are compelled to say anything?  This happens to me all the time.  On a sales call, this is when you can wait out a response by your prospect.  He/she may give you a nugget of information.
   
2. When you are quoting a price to a client, say it as confidently as you would say your phone number...and then wait.  Wait for your prospect to speak.  
3. When (there is no "if") your prospect tells you that your price is too high, don't waver.  In my long sales career, EVERYONE tells me my price is too high, even the ones who eventually buy.  If you believe in your product, stand firm.