Motivation breeds success. Use these strategies to increase  self-motivation.

• Connect Work To Rewards: Think of special things you'll be able to do or buy if your sales reach a certain level. Set revenue goals for the year that exceed the tally required to obtain those rewards. When your motivation ebbs, remind yourself of the potential payoffs. Visual aids can prove powerful memory joggers. For instance, tack up a postcard of the tropical resort you want to visit. Keeping specific rewards in mind will inspire you to work with more enthusiasm, bolstering the likelihood that you'll succeed.

• Treat Yourself Along The Way: Break down large objectives into smaller goals. Then, reward yourself for reaching them. Perhaps your to-do list includes making 10 cold calls. Every time you complete a few calls, treat yourself to something. It could be anything from watching a funny YouTube video to taking a five-minute walk outside. Rewarding yourself for reaching mini milestones makes bigger objectives less intimidating. This increases belief that you'll obtain the ultimate aim. When you believe things are obtainable, your motivation increases.

• Think Of The Good You Do: Promotional products are powerful marketing tools. Considered in terms of cost-per-impression, they are among the most inexpensive advertising mediums. By developing promotional solutions that are right for a client, you're providing fuel for her business. Remind yourself of this fact frequently. Knowing that you are having a positive impact enhances motivation.

• Dedicate Time To De-Stressing: Stress causes mental and emotional fatigue. Left unchecked, it will exhaust you. To keep your motivation levels high, you must find healthy ways to alleviate stress. Exercise, meditation, prayer, yoga, playing a musical instrument, creating art, hiking, getting a massage, having a good heart-to-heart with a trusted friend – all are productive means of dispelling tension. You can even take a cue from kids. "Play!" says Gayani DeSilva, an Orange, CA-based psychiatrist. "Children use play to work out conflicts, to relax, to have fun, and to reduce their worries and 'stress'. So, do something different – something silly to make yourself laugh and let go of the old expectations."

• Tackle Something Simple: Sometimes, the best way to find motivation for larger projects is to accomplish several easy tasks first. In so doing, you build momentum that can translate into the motivation needed to delve into the heftier responsibility.

• Encourage Your Competitive Instinct: The most successful sales professionals are motivated by a desire to be the best. So, stoke your own competitive instinct. Set lofty revenue goals that will put you ahead of others at your company or in front of top competitors. Develop a plan, with specific steps, for hitting your desired high-mark.

• Key In On Accountability: For reps with sales managers and things like quarterly quotas, there is built-in accountability that serves as a motivator. Sales pros who work independently, however, may lack such external drivers. For such professionals, it can be advantageous to share your objectives with people you trust – friends and family who will hold you accountable. This will intensify your own sense of accountability, a feeling that amplifies motivation.

ACTION ITEMS
  ❑ This week, put into practice two of the tips suggested here.
  ❑ Consider other ways you can motivate yourself. Incorporate them into your routine.
  ❑ Hold yourself accountable for your results.  

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