An Olympic Attitude

We learned a lot during the recent Olympics - about the athletes, the host county, China, and maybe a little too much about how much Michael Phelps eats every day. But mostly we learned lessons of inspiration. Kelley Robertson shares a very important sales lesson learned, not from a winner, but a loser...

"As I watched the Olympics last week, I was appalled by the behavior one athlete portrayed after losing her event," says Robertson. "Her words, tone of voice, and body language were extremely negative and her comments to an interviewer were far less than professional. Her bitterness was profoundly evident and this behavior dispelled any sympathy I had initially felt for her loss."

"I often encounter salespeople who show similar behavior," continues Robertson. "A competitor sneaks in and steals an account. A customer decides to buy an inferior product. Competitors become more predatory in their pricing. A deal falls through after several months of effort and perhaps a great deal of expense. The list could go on."

"Situations like this are a fact of life and business. How you respond makes a difference. If you allow yourself to become bitter, future situations will only compound your resentment and you will gradually find yourself struggling to meet your goals. However, if you evaluate the situation and determine what, if anything, you could have done differently to improve your results, your behavior will be much more positive."

"No one likes to lose a sale, especially a large one," says Robertson. "However, displaying bitterness will negatively affect your future efforts."

As President of The Robertson Training Group, Kelley has helped thousands of professionals improve their business results with his engaging approach to sales training and speaking. Learn more at www.robertsontraininggroup.com