At certain times in our lives, things will occur that are beyond our normal control; a sickness, death of a loved one, or personal tragedy. In a Sales career, we are taught to stay positive, be focused and work toward our goals. When something beyond our normal control happens, like a personal tragedy, it becomes a distraction. I hesitate to use the word distraction in the same sentence as personal tragedy, but it is what it is. It takes us out of our comfort zone and makes us feel out of sorts. This piece isn't meant to bring anyone down, but I think it's important to talk about.
I, personally, just dealt with the death of my Grandfather with whom I was very close. After the wake and funeral (and the friends and family go home) it was time for me to get back to my day-to-day activities. Well, day-to-day activities for a person with career in Sales consists of many phone conversations with perspective customers, interaction with existing customers and sales presentations. All of these things of course have to deal with people. I realized very quickly that talking to people (other than my wife and kids) was not very easy. There's an emptiness inside that is just difficult to explain. The way I get through it is pretty simple.
- Don't ask questions like “What's wrong with me?” If we ask those questions, we’ll give ourselves a lot of answers that provoke other bad questions.
- Ask positive-ended questions. What do I like about having a career in sales? (In my case: What can I do today that would make my Grandfather proud of me?)
- Don't get lazy. No matter how much you may not feel up to it, get out and do those things that make you feel good and motivated. In my case, I continue to listen to motivational tapes and read books that keep me focused.
- Don’t give up. The old saying that time heals all wounds is correct. Every day it gets a little easier to get back to your old self.
