Self-Motivation: The Key to Attacking the Sales Grind

Entrepreneurs are a special group of professionals. They not only have the drive to succeed in a challenging industry, but they also have the ability to self-motivate. There’s always something to be done: prospecting, cold calling and sales presentations (to name just a few).      

When the sales grind begins to take a toll, it becomes even more important to stay motivated. This doesn’t come naturally for most, but once you find your source of motivation, you’ll thank yourself for how it helps you and your business.    

Track your activity levels

At the end of the day, sales is all about results; it’d be naive to think otherwise. With that said, the activities you do on a daily basis are much more important to track than a simple closing percentage. Whether or not your appointments lead to great results isn’t the only metric to measure. Your effort is the most important thing to notice. Embrace the mundane and remember all of your work helps you inch closer to the results you want to see.   

Be forward-thinking 

A disappointing sales pitch can leave you feeling discouraged, but it shows just how much you want to succeed as an entrepreneur. Don’t let the word “no” take over your mindset. Instead, use it to fuel the fire inside you. The quicker you’re able to move forward, the quicker you’ll reach your end goals. The best entrepreneurs train themselves to have a short memory and keep an eye on the future.   

Establish mini-goals

It’s great to dream big, but it’s easy to lose the motivation you’ll need to turn your dreams into reality. Keep yourself motivated on a day-to-day basis by establishing mini-goals for yourself. Remind yourself of your higher “why” and start accomplishing the little things that will bring you closer to it. How many cold calls do you need to make today? How many sales do you wish to close this week? As you work towards your bigger goals, establish short-term goals that give you a great sense of achievement.  

Every entrepreneur finds sources of motivation in different places. Figure out what pushes you to complete your best work and use that to reach your goals. The sales grind never stops. And neither should you.