Sales down? Then get up!

By now it’s a safe bet that the New Year’s resolutions have gone by the wayside, and you are back into normal routines and comfort zones. This may seem an unlikely bit of advice from a sales and business consultant, but if you want to get your sales up, you might have to get your body up off the couch, or out from behind your desk.

Of the 15 emotional intelligence attributes that we can assess, “self-regard” is one of the most critical to being successful in a sales or sales management role.

Self-regard is defined as your ability to recognize yourself as basically good. A high degree of self-regard allows you the opportunity to perform well in my role you take on. While it is not a guarantee of top performance, it does give you much higher potential than a peer with lower self-regard.

Recently, I was debriefing an Emotional Intelligence assessment with a client who was surprised that his self-regard score was low. When I looked at how he answered specific questions that led to the self-regard score, it was clear that this image of his physical presence was lowering the score.

When you are not comfortable or happy with your outside appearance, it shows up on the inside, too. So what can you do if you think your outside is sabotaging how you feel on the inside? First, get your body moving.

Whatever type of physical exercise appeals to you – do it. Get the endorphins flowing through your body – think of them as self-regard energizers.

Second, do your own closet audit and get rid of every piece of clothing that doesn’t fit or that makes you feel anything less than fabulous. You may need to enlist a friend to help you or find a professional image consultant who can also teach you about color and body-shape complimenting styles. Third, set up your own make-over day. Do you need an updated haircut, whiter teeth, manicure (men too!)? Even a shoe shine can put some zip in your step.

Little things can make a big difference. Take care of yourself, and your heightened self-regard will start to get busy increasing your sales and your sense of self-worth.

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