One Bite at a Time:
Beating Procrastination
Accomplishing profitable sales often means overcoming our innate human need for immediate gratification and focusing on tasks that have long-term results.
Procrastination happens because we spend time trying to convince ourselves that the sales task will be excessively painful. The desire for most salespeople to put off cold calling is driven from the belief that we will "suffer" painful rejection by making calls.
However, the rewards of getting what you want, and accomplishing your goals -- financial and personal -- make the pain and the present-moment sacrifice well worth the hassle.
Nando Pelusi, PH.D (clinical psychologist), offers these suggestions for fighting procrastination:
1. Start small. My yoga teacher used to push us by stating, "you can do anything, hold any pose for 2 minutes." He was right, AND the same applies to any business task you are currently avoiding. Use the 15-minute mark as a time frame. Make calls for 15 minutes, non-stop with no interaction. You can do anything for 15 minutes. In most cases you will build such a strong momentum that you will continue at the task until it's completed.
2. Challenge yourself. Dispute the idea that you "can't do it." Often we learn by trial and error. And if you take a long-range view, you'll find that you can do something you once perceived as difficult.
3. Keep tabs. Write out your goals daily. You're most likely to stick to your plans if you monitor your progress towards your goals on a regular basis.
4. Commit to others. Game theory in business calls this "Credible Threat." The idea is that if you tell others what you are attempting, you are more likely to accomplish the task. The intrinsic motivation provided by others will make you more conscientious about getting it done.
5. Accept incremental progress. Dispute the idea that you need comfort and immediate reward. Getting rid of those ideas can refocus you on your long-term goal.
6. Reward yourself. What gets rewarded gets repeated! Relax after a period of sustained effort. Professional athletes know that in order to play their best when it counts, they need to rest their bodies some of the time. In order for you to be at your emotional best, you need to rest your brain once in a while, too.
Source: Colleen Francis, president and founder of Engage Selling Solutions (www.engageselling.com, 2008)
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