POV: It’s 1 pm and you just got back from Chipotle. You’re fighting an early-afternoon coffee crash. Yet you have a lead list sitting on your desk, staring at you and taunting you.
If you run a sales team or spend your days making calls, then you know that a little extra motivation goes a long way.
Because let’s be honest, picking up the phone and dialing prospects all day is simple, but it’s not easy. And any edge you can get will help you or your sales team stay in-the-zone, book more sales appointments, and close more deals.
OK – so here it is. Here’s your edge. Ready for it?
It’s called the 5 second rule, and it’s the brainchild of Mel Robbins.
Robbins is a motivational speaker and author, and her little motivational gem — the 5 second rule — is transforming lives around the world. And it’s transforming sales teams, too.
Let’s break it down.
What is the 5 Second Rule?
The story goes that Robbins was unable to get out of bed one morning, feeling depressed and anxious about the day ahead. She just lay there staring at the ceiling.
And then the thought occurred to her: If I don’t get up now, I risk laying here all day.
So she pretended NASA was in the room with her. And suddenly the space commander began counting down from 5.
5… 4… 3… 2… 1…
LAUNCH!
And she got right up.
It was at that moment she realized that we can outsmart ourselves. Our brain wants to talk us out of doing difficult things, but we can trick our brains by beating it to the punch. The kicker is… we only have 5 seconds!
I’m going to tell you how to use this in sales, but first, it’s important you know the WHY behind the 5 second rule.
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Why Do We Need the 5 Second Rule?
We need the 5 second rule — and similar motivational tricks — because otherwise we will self-sabotage our own success. As Robbins says, “you’re never gonna feel like doing hard things. Ever.”
Think of it this way…
If you’re a parent, she says, your job is to get your kids’ teeth brushed, get them to school on time, get good grades, go to the doctor, etc. These aren’t things your kid is going to do themselves. You have to parent them.
In the same way, you have to parent yourself. You have to make yourself do hard things. It’s life.
Thankfully, Robbins found this science-based trick that actually works for most people. So how can you put it to work for your sales team or even for yourself?
How to Use the 5 Second Rule in Sales
The moment you think about picking up the phone to make a sales call, the clock is ticking. Again, you only have 5 seconds before you talk yourself into a trip to the water cooler or a leisurely scroll down Facebook lane. Sabotage.
So when the thought comes to your mind to make a call… start counting. 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… ACTION.
The moment you say “Action” you pick up the phone and start dialing. Once you’re dialing, you get into a rhythm. And once you’re in a rhythm, there’s no stopping you.
Do this simple trick for one week straight and you’ll make more sales, period. Do it for a month and you’ll have your best month on record. Do it for a year and it will totally transform your life.
I use the 5 second rule not just in sales, but for all sorts of tasks throughout the day. Sending important emails, finalizing budgets, having tough conversations with my team or family, you name it.
It might seem silly, but it works. If it gets me doing the things I don’t love doing, then it can help you, too.
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Other Sales Motivation Tips and Tricks
Focus on sales activities, not results. I’ll write an in-depth article on this soon, as it’s that important, but in the meantime be sure you’re focused on the process and daily activities rather than some arbitrary bottom-line number. If you do the activities, the sales will follow.
Set mini-goals. Instead of overwhelming yourself by making 500 calls this week, instead break that down into hourly goals. Say, I will make 15 calls every hour today. This goal is specific and it’s very achievable.
Remember your wins. If you’re having a particularly rough day or week, just remember that not all days are bad. In fact, you’ve had great days in the past. Now is the time to remember those. If you closed a big account or got a killer referral, remember how that felt and leverage that feeling for motivation.
Reward good performance. Whether it’s for your sales team or for yourself, remember that rewards given at predefined intervals can do wonders for motivation. But whatever you do, don’t celebrate too early!
Hang with sales rockstars. If you surround yourself with rockstar salespeople, their drive and motivation is going to rub off on you. That’s just how the world works. So seek out the best in your organization, or get into a mastermind group, and you’ll see the positive impact right away.
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Final Words
The 5 second rule is a game-changer when used correctly. And I highly recommend you give it a try to turbo-charge your prospecting. If it works for prospecting and sales, why not put it to work in other areas of your life?
It could be the edge that you need to squash hesitation and procrastination once and for all. After all, you know what to do to become successful in life, it’s just a matter of getting out of your own way and executing on your strategy.
So I will leave you with that. Take the 5 second rule, and the other motivational life-hacks I’ve mentioned, and get out there, turn up the value-offer, and make some sales!
Until next time…
Johnny-Lee Reinoso