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Learning how how to to be be Zen Zen isn isn t t just just a a good good idea idea It It s s a a necessity necessity Shutterstock Shutterstock Zen Zen adjective adjective Relaxed Relaxed and and not not worrying worrying about about things things that that you you cannot cannot change change Cambridge Cambridge English English Dictionary Dictionary Being Being in in sales sales means means facing facing regular regular disappointment disappointment frustration frustration and and insecurity insecurity The The stress stress can can be be overwhelming overwhelming Rise Rise above above it it by by taking taking on on a a new new perspective perspective I I learned learned how how to to be be more more Zen Zen as as a a door door to to door door salesman salesman and and I I ve ve carried carried it it throughout throughout my my career career in in all all forms forms of of sales sales and and sales sales management management I I live live by by it it Stay Stay in in the the present present Imagine Imagine you you ll ll be be in in sales sales for for years years That That gives gives you you the the potential potential for for months months without without knowing knowing whether whether you you ll ll be be able able to to cover cover your your bills bills How How are are you you supposed supposed to to plan plan your your future future You You ll ll turn turn into into a a human human wreck wreck if if you you let let yourself yourself get get caught caught up up in in the the uncertainty uncertainty Instead Instead learn learn to to stay stay in in the the present present and and focus focus firmly firmly on on the the moment moment The The key key is is creating creating your your activity activity based based sales sales strategy strategy that that outlines outlines a a set set of of action action metrics metrics to to follow follow every every day day You You always always know know your your next next task task so so you you can can stop stop fixating fixating on on the the results results and and concentrate concentrate on on the the process process In In door door to to door door sales sales I I learned learned to to jump jump start start my my Zen Zen mentality mentality each each day day by by adding adding a a step step to to my my morning morning routine routine At At a a m m I I knocked knocked on on the the door door of of any any house house I I was was near near even even outside outside my my designated designated sales sales territory territory I I didn didn t t have have time time to to worry worry or or let let my my mind mind wander wander No No matter matter the the outcome outcome I I was was dedicated dedicated to to the the job job at at hand hand Be Be a a human human billboard billboard Most Most people people will will reject reject what what you you re re offering offering Some Some will will do do so so vociferously vociferously I I ve ve been been told told to to expletive expletive off off more more times times than than I I can can count count I I learned learned to to leave leave my my ego ego out out of of the the sales sales process process and and it it was was far far easier easier said said than than done done I I decided decided to to see see myself myself as as a a human human billboard billboard I I told told myself myself that that when when prospects prospects first first saw saw me me they they were were reading reading what what I I had had to to say say After After all all some some people people like like and and even even want want what what they they see see advertised advertised on on billboards billboards Most Most don don t t And And that that s s OK OK I I try try to to be be the the nicest nicest most most sincere sincere billboard billboard I I can can be be But But my my own own needs needs and and life life stay stay totally totally separate separate I I allow allow myself myself to to enter enter into into the the dynamic dynamic as as myself myself again again all all senses senses fully fully engaged engaged only only when when someone someone wants wants to to learn learn more more They They deserve deserve my my best best and and I I give give it it to to them them Let Let your your successes successes resonate resonate Even Even when when a a prospect prospect wants wants to to learn learn more more it it often often doesn doesn t t lead lead to to a a sale sale Achieving Achieving a a state state of of relaxation relaxation in in your your work work requires requires that that you you give give appropriate appropriate weight weight to to your your many many successes successes along along the the way way The The ultimate ultimate success success might might be be closing closing the the deal deal But But success success also also could could mean mean achieving achieving new new steps steps such such as as scheduling scheduling meetings meetings or or sending sending out out proposals proposals Every Every time time you you advance advance a a potential potential deal deal from from one one stage stage to to the the next next in in your your pipeline pipeline let let that that success success resonate resonate within within you you The The simple simple acknowledgement acknowledgement that that you you re re moving moving forward forward can can propel propel you you further further than than you you d d anticipated anticipated Related Related How How to to Reprogram Reprogram That That Self Self Deprecating Deprecating Little Little Voice Voice in in Your Your Head Head Practice Practice body body over over mind mind Physical Physical awareness awareness keeps keeps your your consciousness consciousness focused focused on on your your body body rather rather than than your your mind mind It It can can help help you you avoid avoid slipping slipping into into nervousness nervousness and and stress stress You You can can achieve achieve it it by by opposite opposite means means getting getting yourself yourself pumped pumped and and letting letting yourself yourself relax relax When When I I felt felt myself myself getting getting nervous nervous about about knocking knocking on on doors doors I I started started running running between between houses houses I I looked looked ridiculous ridiculous Still Still after after finishing finishing at at one one house house I I d d sprint sprint to to the the next next It It worked worked I I was was utterly utterly in in tune tune with with my my body body and and my my breathing breathing I I didn didn t t have have time time to to feel feel anxious anxious You You can can do do the the same same in in an an office office setting setting Run Run stairs stairs Do Do squats squats Get Get your your blood blood pumping pumping and and your your energy energy flowing flowing before before or or between between calls calls If If you you re re booked booked solid solid during during the the day day make make time time for for stress stress relief relief afterward afterward Some Some successful successful salespeople salespeople use use high high intensity intensity sports sports to to keep keep them them from from stewing stewing in in thought thought and and emotion emotion Physical Physical relaxation relaxation can can provide provide a a similar similar effect effect Some Some people people achieve achieve this this through through yoga yoga or or meditation meditation arts arts often often associated associated with with Zen Zen a a form form of of Buddhism Buddhism Or Or it it could could be be as as simple simple as as taking taking a a hot hot bath bath Related Related Mind Mind Body Body Fitness Fitness Strategies Strategies That That Crush Crush Stress Stress Develop Develop a a mantra mantra The The reality reality of of sales sales can can be be draining draining and and it it s s easy easy to to fall fall into into negative negative self self talk talk If If I I d d created created a a mantra mantra around around how how I I felt felt in in the the early early days days of of door door to to door door sales sales it it would would ve ve been been akin akin to to Nobody Nobody buys buys from from you you sucker sucker A A positive positive mantra mantra doesn doesn t t always always need need to to be be true true Sometimes Sometimes I I d d say say to to myself myself Everybody Everybody s s buying buying It It helped helped get get me me psyched psyched up up and and reminded reminded me me of of moments moments when when it it had had happened happened Another Another of of my my mantras mantras was was more more realistic realistic There There are are so so many many different different people people in in the the world world When When people people speak speak to to you you a a certain certain way way you you can can become become convinced convinced you you sparked sparked that that behavior behavior In In actuality actuality it it might might not not be be about about you you at at all all you you merely merely intruded intruded in in their their day day Remind Remind yourself yourself that that people people respond respond because because of of who who they they are are and and not not necessarily necessarily because because you you ve ve done done anything anything wrong wrong Of Of course course assessing assessing and and improving improving your your techniques techniques is is a a necessary necessary part part of of activity activity based based selling selling But But occasional occasional negative negative interactions interactions simply simply come come with with the the territory territory and and shouldn shouldn t t slow slow you you down down Feel Feel the the mission mission It It s s very very difficult difficult to to be be Zen Zen if if you you feel feel your your work work doesn doesn t t matter matter I I ve ve come come to to understand understand that that I I m m a a connector connector I I find find people people who who will will benefit benefit from from a a product product or or service service and and show show it it to to them them so so they they can can decide decide if if and and how how they they ll ll let let it it help help them them My My personal personal mission mission enables enables me me to to take take pride pride in in what what I I do do and and feel feel deeply deeply good good about about the the entire entire process process not not only only its its results results Embrace Embrace Zen Zen beyond beyond your your work work Adopting Adopting these these Zen Zen techniques techniques revolutionized revolutionized my my professional professional life life But But it it s s also also done done so so much much more more I I m m a a calmer calmer person person a a more more present present husband husband and and a a more more understanding understanding father father Learning Learning to to be be Zen Zen in in sales sales isn isn t t easy easy It It takes takes learning learning practicing practicing failing failing forgiving forgiving yourself yourself and and experimenting experimenting to to find find what what works works for for you you Once Once you you do do you you ll ll reap reap big big rewards rewards Timo Timo Rein Rein Written Written By By Timo Timo Rein Rein Timo Timo Rein Rein is is the the co co founder founder and and president president of of Pipedrive Pipedrive a a provider provider of of sales sales CRM CRM software software that that gives gives sales sales teams teams control control over over their their selling selling processes processes He He has has plus plus years years experience experience as as a a salesman salesman sales sales manager manager and and software software entrepreneur entrepreneur Before Before co co founding founding Pipedrive Pipedrive Rein Rein helped helped build build a a leading leading sales sales and and management management training training house house in in the the Baltics Baltics Prior Prior to to that that he he was was among among the the top top one one percent percent door door to to door door salesmen salesmen with with Southwestern Southwestern Company Company More More About About The The Business Business Traveler Traveler s s Journal Journal The The Business Business Traveler Traveler s s Journal Journal Why Why Travel Travel Insurance Insurance Is Is a a Great Great Holiday Holiday Gift Gift to to Yourself Yourself Elina Elina Geller Geller Nov Nov The The Business Business Traveler Traveler s s Journal Journal How How Amtrak Amtrak Train Train Travel Travel Could Could Grow Grow Under Under Infrastructure Infrastructure Bill Bill Sally Sally French French Nov Nov The The Business Business Traveler Traveler s s Journal Journal How How to to Prepare Prepare for for Holiday Holiday Crowds Crowds at at Airports Airports This This Year Year Sally Sally French French Nov Nov Read Read More More Latest Latest on on United United States States Insider Insider I I m m a a Keynote Keynote Speaker 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