When I started my short term rental business, I jumped in with both feet! I had no sales training, and didn't know where to find leads for my business. Even with training, closing deals was hard work! Nothing I was doing seemed to "work". Pressure from my business partner to get more results created even more stress. Many times, quitting seemed like the best option to cut my losses.

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How about you? Does quitting seem like a good option when the pressure mounts? Do you ever feel overwhelmed, thinking, "I was better off without all these headaches!" Don't feel bad. We all get that way at one time or another. 

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Sales is a thrilling adventure! When we close a sale, we feel exhilarated! When we've made 20 phone calls with no call back, we can get discouraged. Prospecting, appointment setting and follow up are hard work. Hearing "No" can be even harder! In the times of hard work, we can be tempted to quit, and try something easier.

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Tough people learn how to weather the thankless, hard work to succeed in business. It's part of the job! So how do we get through those low spots to experience the thrill of victory? I'd like to share 5 ways I and other sales masters practice to stay the course when the going gets tough.

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Focus on actions,  not outcomes. 

The cure for discouragement is to get moving! "Focus on revenue producing activity," says my sales mentor, Eric Lofholm. Get more leads, make more phone calls, and get in front of more people. At the end of the day, review your activity and congratulate yourself for what you've done. By refocusing on what you are DOING, instead of what you DIDN'T DO, you will feel better about your work. And when you feel better, you are bound to close more sales! 

Read inspiring books EVERYDAY

Tom Hopkins say, "Spend more time developing yourself than on your business." Part of that is reading books to keep you encouraged during the hard times. Experts like Tony Robbins and Brian Tracy read inspiring books everyday before getting to work. I know I'd like to be successful, so here are some books that I read to stay motivated everyday:

The Self Motivation Book, by Jim Cathcart. I love reading Jim's recommendations to "Do what needs to be done, ...even when you don't feel like doing it.

"The Greatest Salesman in the World, by Og Mandino. In this allegory, you will see the ups and downs of a salesman, and how he overcame discouragement.

The book of Proverbs in the Bible: Timeless sayings for business and life.

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Join a mastermind. 

A group of like-minded professionals help you stay the course of success. Masterminds are powerful! Napoleon Hill states that a group of 6 or 7 salespeople can increase sales to unbelievable proportions by using masterminds effectively. When you are with other people striving like you, a synergy occurs. Something greater the the sum of the individuals propels your success just by being with and helping other people. If there isn't one in your locale, consider starting one.

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Ask for feedback

One of the most painful and important steps to getting out of the rut is to go to the people who didn't buy and ask what you can do better. Our critics can be our best teachers. In black belt training, my instructor gave me a lot of feedback. Why? Because he knew that if I didn't learn what I was doing wrong, I would continue to make the same mistake. He knew I wanted to be a black belt. He was helping me. Humbly receive feedback, listen for ways to improve, then try again. 

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Experiment with different scripts

My friend, Ben Gay III, author of "The Closers" Book series tells an interesting story about scripts. (By the way, Ben BELIEVES and USES scripts to close over 80% of his sales.) One day, when he was presenting his executive package to a customer, the prospect said, "Huh", and hung up without purchasing. That "Huh" prompted Ben to make one change to his script. He then made several more calls, testing the new script. Guess what? He was able to increase his closing ratio 4% more. With one change.  The golden rule in sales is "Test. Test. Test" If it worked for Ben Gay III, it will work for you!

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Have you hit a low spot in your sales? Feeling discouraged? Then I invite you book a FREE 20 minute Sales Breakthrough Session with me. In that session, we will discover what is going well, where you want to go, and how we can bridge the gap! If you are ready to make 2017 your best year, then click here and get on my calendar!