Cold calling is the most effective way to acquire high-ticket clients fast. There’s no denying it.
But if you’re a sales rep or sales leader, you know that cold calling is a marathon, not a sprint. Success doesn’t happen overnight.
There’s daily rejection, targets and quotas, and the constant low-level anxiety of having to earn your keep. (Of course, this is also what makes sales the most thrilling line of work!)
So how in the world do you get motivated — let alone stay motivated — in b2b sales? What tangible and intangible tools are at your disposal. And what psychological strategies can you implement to master motivation?
Today I’m sharing exactly how to fan the flames of your sales career. You’ll want to bookmark this page and revisit at least once a month to keep you locked in and hungry for another day of dialing. Let’s get right into it.
RELATED: 5 Proven Ways to Motivate Your Sales Team
Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation
Before we dive into the tips and tricks, you have to know the difference between extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation.
Extrinsic motivation is the motivation that comes from things like money, women, and awards/recognition. And intrinsic motivation includes things like satisfaction or joy, personal growth, family, and fulfilling potential.
You can think of these as “shallow” and “deep” motivators. And believe it or not, you actually need both to succeed in sales and business.
So before picking up the phone to dial, cast a glance at your vision board (you do have a vision board, right?). You’ll be reminded of all your internal and external drivers. And sometimes that’s all you need to start dialing like you mean it.
FYI: You have to know your “Why.” What makes you get out of bed in the morning? Is it to provide for you and your family? Is it to create generational wealth? Is it to leave behind a legacy of hard work and determination? Is it to buy a Lambo? I’m not here to judge your “Why,” I’m just saying you have to know what it is and be completely driven by it. You simply cannot succeed without being sold on your “Why.”
6 Tips for Sales Motivation
Routine is King
Dr. Jordan Peterson says, “Clean your room, Bucko.” Making your bed in the morning, taking a cold shower, eating a healthy breakfast, working out for 30 minutes, and praying/meditating can totally transform your motivation… even from day one. Then, before you dial your first prospect, do some quick positive affirmations. When the day is done, have a healthy nighttime routine. Routine is everything when it comes to success.
RELATED: The Optimal Daily Routine for Sales Success
Dial ONE Number
If you’re hitting a brick wall on motivation, give yourself a goal that’s so small that it would be embarrassing not to accomplish it. Just make one call. That’s it. You’ll make that call — and that will be your breakthrough. Chances are you’ll stick around to make 10 calls, 50 calls, 100 calls! There’s a reason they say the heaviest weight in the gym is the front door. Once you’re in the work place, your mind, body, and soul will tell you it’s time to WORK.
Participate in Sales Contests
Does your company hold sales contests? Who books the most meetings? Who converts the most prospects into buyers? A little healthy competition goes a long way for motivation. If you have sales contests at your company, join them! If you don’t have them, ask the powers-that-be to put them in place and then CRUSH it.
Or… compete with yourself at the very least. Beat last week’s sales numbers. Do that week after week, month after month, and you’ll be the top-performer guaranteed. Remember, competition is what drives capitalism and transforms small companies into multi-billion dollar industry titans. And competition has the same effect on individuals as well.
RELATED: How to Cultivate A Winning Mindset for Cold Calling
Listen to Jim Rohn Daily
Don’t like Jim Rohn? Listen to Tony Robbins, Brian Tracey, or insert whatever motivational speaker works for you. But the idea is to fill your mind with positive ideas on a daily basis. This alone can light a fire in you to crush it cold calling. You are, after all, the sum total of the five people you spend the most time with.
Whatever you do, don’t veg out on pointless podcast content. Instead, tune into the greatest minds in the sales and business world. And look, you used to have to PAY for this stuff. Today it’s free and couldn’t be easier to access. So you have to start listening to motivational speakers and personal development coaches if you want to perform at the highest level.
Read Sales Content Every Day
In many ways, cold calling is like jiu jitsu. There are always new techniques and tactics to learn. And nothing is more motivating than learning a new “move” and then trying it on prospects. For instance, if you’re reading through my articles, you’ll learn things like mastering tonality, or how to use trigger words, or how to transfer emotions to book more meetings. Well, learn and apply! If you’re constantly learning, you’ll enter every new sales conversation with a little more leverage. And there’s no denying the results will follow. Talk about motivation.
Breath Work, 3x a Day
If you focus for 10 minutes of breathing — morning, noon, and night — you will transform your life. That’s just 30 minutes a day. And it will change your physiology and psychology in unimaginable ways. It will help to reduce blood pressure and regulate your nervous system. You’ll be more agreeable throughout the day, and your relationships will improve at work and at home. Trust me on this. Look into a method called “box breathing.” It’s the same breathing technique the Navy Seals use. Enough said.
Final Words
Motivation is a muscle. The more you work it out and flex it, the bigger it will get. The techniques and tactics I share above have all worked for me and my sales team. So I’m speaking from experience here. Just remember that it’s completely natural to go through seasons where motivation is hard to come by. Which is all the more reason to have this page bookmarked and at-the-ready when you need it.
And don’t underestimate things like a healthy support system of friends and family who can help you out of a rut. Also remember that rejection is part of the process. And finally, be sure to celebrate (at least on a small level) every meeting booked or closed deal. This will carve out those positive neural pathways, and you’ll find it easier and easier to keep making progress in your sales career.
And with that, you now have everything you need to get motivated, stay motivated, and outperform everyone on your sales team (and even your whole industry!).
So until next time…
Johnny-Lee Reinoso