Unfortunately a negative attitude is also contagious. Did you ever visit a company overrun with sourpusses? Some people walk around with a scowl on their face, never saying “Hello” or “How are you?” to people passing them in the hall. The ones that seem to be friends frequently pull off to one side to complain and moan about something the boss or a co-worker did. Didn’t you say to yourself, “Boy, I am sure glad I’m not selling for that company!” You would be fighting a losing battle. That negative attitude is contagious and eventually destroys the culture of a company, which in turn destroys the customer service and sales. Once that has taken place – it’s over. The value of the company diminishes rapidly and so does its success.
Unfortunately you can not hide a negative culture you are carrying around inside of you. If you are a salesperson and you find your company is involved in a negative spiral, you may want to rethink your career there. These spirals can be fixed, but it takes serious commitment from the very top on down.
Change Is Good
Despite how some of you “S’s” and “C’s” feel (see the archived article on DISC Behavior Style: "Know Your Prospect by their Garden Tools"), change is healthy. It causes growth and enlightenment. When you change from a pessimistic environment to an optimistic environment, you will feel like you have a new lease on life. Here are a few suggestions on how to change yourself and your immediate environment:
- Stop hanging around with negative people. If the person you are talking with starts complaining or begins degrading someone else, leave.
- Make a personal pledge to compliment at least 3 people everyday. With some people you have to look a little harder than others, but you should be able to spot a reason to compliment anyone you come in contact with.
- Read or listen to professional positive books or recordings at least 4 times each week.
The above regimen can be followed by anyone with a minimal amount of effort. Try it.
You’re beautiful. Have a great week!
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