by Tom Reilly

This is the time of year when people throughout North America give thanks. We celebrate our heritage and good fortunes. In this annual tradition is the practice of gratitude, which has been shown to offer significant physical, psychological, social, and spiritual benefits. For example, researchers have discovered that practicing gratitude leads to a 25% increase in happiness. The practice of gratitude increases resilience (a must for salespeople), creativity, and optimism. It helps build stronger relationships and reduces stress. And it’s free!

As we develop the habit of gratitude, we realize how fortunate we are. This changes our view of life. Acknowledging our blessings is the realization that things do not have to go our way. A daily expression of gratitude for these blessings prevents us from taking for granted our good fortune. We focus on our blessings, not just our burdens. If we want a good night’s sleep, we must count our blessings often during the day.

Salespeople can do these three things to live the attitude of gratitude:

  1. At the end of each day, write in your sales journal three things for which you are grateful. This includes your blessings and daily experiences. Do this daily for one month and see what it does for your attitude.
  2. Open your eyes. We are surrounded by gifts daily. On your next walk, express gratitude for the choir of birds, the backdrop of clear blue sky, a cool breeze on your face, the smell of burning leaves, and the taste of clean water. Develop a full sensory awareness of your blessings.
  3. Consider what we salespeople should be especially grateful for:
  • A profession that allows us to travel as far as our dreams and motivation will take us;
  • A company that supports us with training, inventory, and support staff to help us do good work;
  • Competitors that nudge us to bring our best game to the competition;
  • Peers that share ideas and information with us;
  • A leadership team that provides us with the direction, feedback, and tools to do our best work; and
  • Customers who give us the opportunity to serve.

Thanks to all of you whom we serve with our ideas. You are the reason we do this.

This article is excerpted from Tom Reilly’s new book, The Humility Paradox. You can read more about this at AMAZON or visit us online at www.TomReillyTraining.com.

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