I came across this article by Marshall Northcott. He is a member from one of my Linkedin groups. I liked it so thought i would share.
How effective you are at selling depends significantly on your ability to transfer energy and enthusiasm to your prospect. You cannot give something that you do not have and that is why it is so important to be aware of the energy drainers in your life. Once you are conscious of them, it will be easier to deflect and minimize the impact the energy drainers have on you.
Good people have a knack for inheriting other people’s problems. If you have a big heart and a sympathetic ear you probably know how difficult it is to care enough to listen but still remain objective and not permit their problems to creep there way into your life. You cannot help anyone when you live in their problem. When your energy level matters, you cannot afford to take ownership of the situation. Stinkin’ thinkin’, whether your own or someone else’s, depletes your intensity. Small petty thinkers, negative and abusive people (whiners, complainers and hypochondriacs) are everywhere and they wander the earth with dark clouds looming overhead. They are the reason for the saying “misery loves company.” You must identify these people in your life and do your best to minimize your contact with them. If you don’t, they will drag you down into their world of despair.
Inactivity can kill your personal drive and energy. “A body in motion tends to stay in motion and a body at rest tends to stay at rest.” Get active at work and at play and you will discover that your energy level will automatically increase exponentially.
Depressing news will kill the human spirit. Whether the news directly or indirectly impacts your life, it has the power to drain your will. I remember after 9/11, I had an overwhelming need to constantly know what was going on in the world and every moment that I spent in my vehicle I was listening to the news reports. Eventually, I determined that the more I tuned in to the news, the more depressed I was becoming and the more difficult it was for me to remain upbeat, positive and energized. I doubled up on my daily dose of positive motivational tapes and music to overcome the effects of the discouraging news.
For a short time, a lack of balance might not disrupt your life, but over any length of time it will eventually steal your energy and enthusiasm. Too much of any one thing over time cannot be good for you. An energy charged life is fun and enjoyable. Yes, you must be serious but being too serious all the time will burn you out. Being light hearted, smiling, laughing and sharing good times makes life worthwhile.
We all live with health challenges from time to time. I’m not sure why it is that men have a tendency to deny their illnesses until it is too extreme to do anything about. You cannot perform at your best when you are ailing and it will negatively impact what you do even if you only suspect something may be wrong. Overindulgence with food, (emotional eating) alcohol, drugs, gambling or yes, even sex can consume your world to the point that your focus, personal drive and oomph are curbed drastically. Usually, by the time any of these habits are carried to excess it is beyond the control of the person experiencing them. Professional help is the only way to get things back on track so that your energy can be directed into activities that will produce positive outcomes.
Getting involved in, or procrastinating doing work or tasks that you despise will depress you. If it must be done then get it completed so you may concentrate on activities that excite you. It’s easy to get caught up doing something that appears important but focusing your efforts on nonproductive activities will deplete you.
It’s impossible to operate at your maximum output when hampered by self-doubt. It creates confusion and emotional instability in our decisions and fear of action. Gaining control of that voice inside that attempts to sabotage your determination and erode your persistence will make a massive difference in your energy. Not only does that voice destroy your ambition but it also requires energy to fuel it.
Unfinished business or tasks (assignments) clutter our mind and create wasted brain space. An inner struggle over complacency or a lack of accomplishment will create similar feelings and paralyze us. A stressful work environment or home life obviously complicates our ability to be our best. Building a net of encouragement and positive motivation with supportive people will make you strong and powerful. It gives you the courage to weather the storm during difficult times.
Problems with money, credit and personal financial challenges make it very easy for you to lose focus. Overtaxing yourself with too many monthly payments or financial commitments sometimes seems like a great way to motivate but eventually it catches up and you end up feeling like all you are doing is working to pay the bills (most of which is in the form of interest charges).
Unfortunately, it is often out of your control but when you work for a company that makes changes too often (pay plan etc.) it will take you for a ride on the emotional rollercoaster. Poor office communication will have the same effect on you and it will eat away at your power source. If you believe that imposed quotas or sales targets are unachievable then subconsciously you will not pour 100% of your effort into your career. Clashes with customers, management and or co-workers can destroy all your best efforts. Proactively working towards improving communication will make your life easier and also attest to your leadership skills. Learning how those seemingly impossible targets are achievable will enable you to devote energy into making them happen. Great sales professionals learn to master quality communications skills.
Going against your personal values and beliefs will nag at you and exhaust your resources. You must avoid involvement in activities that are opposite to your core values because you will constantly feel like you are an exposed liar. This will hurt your performance either immediately or at some point in the near future.
Your energy level is so vital to your success in business that you must recognize areas that require attention and then work towards making improvements. This is something that you, must be in control of because it isn’t anyone else’s responsibility but yours.
“Has your get up and go done got up and left you?”