Theories on Life: Structure Is Your Way Out and Up
We all struggle sometimes. That is the reality. We struggle at work, we struggle in relationships, we struggle in business and sometimes we just struggle with life. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either full of crap or a psychopath. But what is the solution? The way out? The way up?
First of all, life is hard, and I am not a professional therapist or life guru. But I am a reasonably successful salesperson who has figured out that a ton of the things that drive success in sales, also do the same in life.
I remember a salesperson who worked for me nearly twenty years ago. Always happy and smiling. Always putting up big sales numbers, but no friends. I distinctly remember asking him in a sales meeting, “What is the secret to customer satisfaction?” I was looking for the answer, “Caring about the customer.” Or some variation of that. This guy put up his hand.
“Portraying the image of caring!” is what he said.
My response: “How about actually caring?”
Here’s the thing: he was probably a psychopath and we ended up firing him because he stalked one of our clients. But for everyone else, feelings and emotions are real things that impact our daily life. Home and work. Some days you just don’t feel great. You show up for work, sit at your desk, and you just don’t have that motivation to pick up the phone, or send an email. You’re stuck. But you have to make a living, if you're in sales, you can’t make a living if you’re stuck. Doing nothing means no sales, and no sales means no job. It’s harsh, but it’s the reality.
I would walk into one of our automotive repair shops every day and see the technicians hard at work. They don’t have a choice. They walk up to the counter, get a work order and go to work. It’s the process. It happens no matter how they feel that day, good or bad, assuming they come to work. They have structure in their day that pushes them forward even on the days they may not feel up to it. It’s not so straightforward if you’re in sales, and so much of your success depends on your self-motivation. And there it is. Structure takes over when your motivation is lacking. Good habits. Daily work plans. In sales, and in life, those are the things that carry you when you just don’t have it. Those are also the things that propel you forward when you do.
I have witnessed more than one very talented salesperson or manager fail because they have struggled with emotional challenges. Some are too challenging to overcome. I remember one individual in particular who I really liked. Literally the best closer I had ever met. Truth be told, I hired and fired this person multiple times because, well, I liked him and I wanted him to succeed, but he never did. No matter how hard I tried, he would just stop working for some reason. Zero self-motivation. His career fell apart. His life fell apart because he just couldn't get himself going.
When you’re feeling good, on those days when you have it, take the time to make sure you have a daily plan that you follow. If you have a calendar or software that guides you it’s a little easier, but the bottom line is that there are things you need to do every day as part of your job and your life. Just like the technician. Calls. Emails. Appointments. Customers. Kids. Parents. Structure, structure, structure, structure. Daily life and work habits that you stick to on the good days and bad will help you through the bad days and push you higher on the good ones.
I know. It’s easier said than done. I know that I could quite possibly be just full of shit, and that’s cool. But I know that having things I need to do every day as part of a structure, my plan for my day at work, and my plan for when I’m not at work, my commitments to myself, my work, and to others, are the structure that keeps me going when the going gets tough and bring me satisfaction and happiness on the better days. So, if you take one thing from this, it’s this. Create structure for yourself at work and away from work, structure that maintains all the commitments and responsibilities in your life, then try your damnedest to stick to it, even when you don’t feel like it. It is your responsibility to yourself. Good luck.
Ready to generate leads for your business? Schedule a demo today!
Have questions? No problem — we're here to help. Contact Us"