Like most people, you too are likely a creature of habit. You probably get up at the same time everyday, follow the same routine to wake up and get yourself ready for the day, drive the regular route to work, do the same things once you get to work, and take the same route home at the end of the day. Once there, you probably have dinner, watch television or read the newspaper, and follow some sort of routine until it ís time to go to bed. You set the alarm for the same time and when it sounds the next day, you start the cycle over again.
Don’t get me wrong. Routines can be good. They help us improve our productivity. They allow us to move effectively through the day. They make us feel comfortable, safe, and secure. They reduce stress. Plus, when we have developed a great routine, we can often generate more business. However, the drawback is that they can be difficult to break away from.
When you become accustomed to a specific schedule, it can be easy to forget changes in it. For example, if you usually schedule your first client meeting after 9:30 it is very easy to miss a meeting that was recently scheduled at 8:30.
So, how does this relate to selling?
As a sales professional, you need to recognize that routines can prevent you from achieving your full potential. However, if you persist at incorporating that new technique into your sales approach, it, too, will become part of your new routine. That ís the great thing about the human spirit and brain, it is very adaptable and can mold itself to various situations. The most successful people in business and in sales know that changes to their routine will cause them some discomfort. But, they are also very aware that these changes will become more comfortable and part of their routine if they work at it long enough.
It can certainly be challenging to change your behaviour and routine when you are used to making a certain number of calls every day, or meeting with a specific number of clients, customers, or prospects. When you have a specific daily routine, it is usually difficult to incorporate something new. Or, when you have developed the habit of selling in a particular manner, it is very stressful trying to change your approach. I see this in my sales training workshops all the time, and it is sometimes a challenge to get people to alter their routines.
People can intrinsically grasp a new concept or principle but experience difficulty trying to actually implement it into the way they sell. That is why many sales training programs don’t have lasting change; behaviors or routine immediately. The key is to keep applying the concept even though it feels uncomfortable and foreign.
At first the movements feel uncomfortable. Your moves are not smooth, accurate or natural. And this feeling usually persists for quite some time. However, just when you feel like giving up because it has become too difficult and frustrating, something clicks and the movements start to feel more natural. You have now progressed to the stage of being able to achieve results.
Routines are powerful. However, to get the most from them, you do need to improve them regularly to see consistent change.
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