Sales Yoga

Many of you know that I’m a big yoga buff and have been diligently practicing yoga for many years. I study Iyengar Yoga which was founded by BKS Iyengar. The practice of yoga helps improve health, mental peace, emotional strength and intellectual clarity.

 Last week I was in Hawaii for a yoga retreat.  Each day we practiced 5 hours per day and ate these wonderful vegetarian meals 3 times per day. I unplugged for that entire week and just had to show up for class and meals. Sound easy? It was one of the most rigorous commitments I’ve ever made in my life. Half way through it I was completely ready to bail; I ran in to town and bought chocolate. I wanted to break the rules, play ring-leader and influence the group to just break down and have a glass of red wine one night or show up late to class one afternoon. I’m the intrepid renegade who runs when it gets tough, the one who stirs the pot when something is not right. But not this time; I was forced to participate, be still and show up. And I did. 

Good salespeople break the rules; they are creative, resourceful, aggressive, brave and enthusiastic. They may put up a real fight before showing up to something because it translates to income for them. When I ask people to unplug in my training, I realize how much I ask of them and the commitment they make to participate. I can tell from the minute my training starts who is going to be a challenge, and can predict who will want to run out every few hours to make a call. I see myself in these people and that’s how I got into training, because I wanted to bail on the bad training I’d had in the past. 

Sales is about showing up and giving the most of ourselves in every way. How we ask questions, listen, analyze, strategize, integrate and believe. The more we give of ourselves to something, the more we will get out of it. That is my sales yoga advice for the day.