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No doubt about it, the fourth quarter can be a stressful time of year for promotional products sales. Tight deadlines, demanding clients, supplier mishaps and mistakes, missed shipments, and unrealistic expectations can put you on edge and wreak-havoc on your workday!
You’re not alone! We’ve all been there. This month I’m going to share strategies that can help you mitigate the stress and turn it into success!
Keep in mind, that not all stress is bad. Stress in sales can encourage competition and push you to accomplish more than you would otherwise do, but too much stress can be detrimental to your health and well-being.
Here are some things you can do to keep calm and carry on, no matter what’s happening around you. These are what I do, and what I have recommended to my coaching clients and they can work for you too!
1. Take a break. Instead of trying to push through, give yourself a break. Take a walk, get some exercise and let it go for the time being. It’s amazing how much better you’ll feel when you come back. I don’t know about you, but for me, a long walk solves a lot of my concerns and helps me to relax. I come back to my office with a new perspective.
2. Ask for help. Feeling stuck? The promotional products industry has amazing support to get you through difficult times. Frustrated about a sticky situation with a client? Need to vent? Reach out to one of the many online support groups our industry has and ask for help. Just writing the problem can relieve the pressure, and the support you’ll get from your colleagues can be very uplifting. If you’re a member of PPAI you can join their community and ask for help. And if you’re on Facebook you can ask to join one of the groups for Promotional Products Professionals. You can also reach out to a coach or a mentor.
3. Identify the problem. This may sound a little woo-woo, but I’ve seen it work. Have a difficult situation you just can’t seem to get a solution for? Write the problem on a card before you go to sleep at night, let your subconscious mind work on it. In the morning you may wake up with an answer.
4. Create systems. Creating systems for the repetitive tasks in your business will save you a lot of time and effort and help your day go more smoothly. You can create systems for order entry, responding to client requests and phone calls, and you can even have a system for what to do when an order goes wrong. Having a process documented ahead of time can a life-saver and way to stress less!
5. Rest up. Numerous studies have shown that getting the right amount of sleep is very beneficial. Eight hours is ideal. When you feel well rested you have a much better chance of conquering the day.
6. Meditate. Most mornings I start my day with a five- minute meditation. Just five minutes a day helps me to focus and it helps me to catch myself when I’m about to do or say something that won’t work out well. There are many free apps you can download to start meditating.
7. Focus on the positive! Lost a big order? We’ve all been there. It’s impossible to be in sales and not experience some big disappointments. I know I have. We’ve all made mistakes we regretted and we’ve all had clients treat us in less than stellar ways. Don’t beat yourself up. Focus on what you learned from the situation and move on.
8. Read a motivating book. I like to end my day on a positive note. There are tons of motivating books, perhaps you have a favorite. One of my favorites is The Success Principles by Jack Canfield. Every so often, I re-read it just to stay positive and take action.
9. Treat Yourself. You’ve worked hard, perhaps had a stressful day, take the time to reward yourself for a job well done. Get a massage, go out for a great dinner, plan a dream vacation (and go on it!). Remember, all work and no play can lead to burn out.
Here’s wishing you a fantastic October and a stress-less fourth quarter!
