If you personally struggle with bitterness, keep in mind that it is an
emotional toxin that will find its way into relationships where it is not wel-
come. Others may be more aware than you are of your emotional compe-
tence in this area. My suggestion is to do whatever is necessary to remove
these toxins from your emotional storehouse. Seek psychological or spiri-
tual counsel if necessary, but do not fool yourself into thinking that this
“virus” will not get in the way of your productivity. If you do not believe me,
ask yourself a very simple question, “Do I know someone who has a hard
and bitter edge, who is quick to go on a negative rant? How much do I
enjoy talking to that individual?”
You cannot be in business and not incur some injuries in the process.
The roadway is crowded and almost everyone is driving over the speed
limit. The sales profession is a contact sport (think demolition derby). If
you are not prepared for this and had hoped for something more akin to
badminton, you will find yourself nursing some serious injuries the first
time you take a blind-side hit. As one sales veteran put it, “You are going to
get hit in this game, and how hurt you get depends on how prepared you
are for the hit.”
Perhaps you’ve seen those NFL film clips where a quarterback’s career
ended on one brutal sack from his blind side that he wasn’t prepared for.
To play the sales game with resilience, you have to be aware of the many
sacks that will come in the form of disappointment. Clients will let you
down. Stay alert, keep a positive disposition, and look downfield. When you
get knocked down, dust yourself off, nurse the wound, and keep your eyes
open. Resilience can be a little more challenging, however, when the hit
comes from the home office.
Vince has been with the same company for over 25 years. He has been
a star performer as an account executive, state manager, and regional man-
ager in that time. He builds lasting relationships with his clients and his
sales force. He is venerated by most of his troops as being the most loyal
person they have ever known, which is a rare commodity in today’s mar-
ketplace. Recently he told me about the most trying period of his career.
“A top-level position opened up, and he was the obvious choice
for the job. For some inexplicable reason that could only be justi-
fied in the labyrinth of politics that is the home office, Vince was
passed over, and the position was given to a person 15 years his jun-
ior with a production record that wasn’t even half as good as Vince’s
record. This move dealt a serious blow to Vince’s psyche. But the
knockout punch was yet to come.
“The first thing this fellow did when he was promoted above
Vince was to call him in and tell him he was moving him from the112 SELLING WITH EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE