Most salespeople are willing to work to the point of embracing discomfort, but that is where the vast majority stop. Training yourself to ENJOY discomfort is what will set you apart from the crowd and result in uncommon success.
It is one thing to recognize that discomfort happens in the sales process. It is another thing to accept discomfort as “a part of life.” But the real goal is to embrace discomfort as an opportunity for growth. And it is yet another level higher, deeper, and better to ENJOY discomfort! And yes, this IS possible.
We each have a fairly extensive knowledge of people who have found a way of enjoying discomfort in order to achieve a goal or simply to maintain their daily life. We may not think about it in those exact terms, but when we do, it is not hard to come up with a list of people who experience joy in the discomfort of their pursuits. (Professional athletes, humanitarian aid workers, the list can go on and on)
Our tendency is to think that people who enjoy discomfort are simply made of different stuff than the rest of us. That’s a handy explanation. It’s also completely untrue. People who enjoy discomfort have trained themselves to do so. They have learned, on a deeper level, how and why the gain is worth the pain and they have reprogrammed their knee-jerk reaction to discomfort in order to recognize it for what it is: the means to a greater good.
Boldness is not necessarily inherent—a trait possessed by only the “heroes” amongst us. Boldness is a choice and an action. Increasing boldness by learning to enjoy discomfort is as doable for you as it is for anyone else.
Most sales professionals are willing to work to the point of embracing discomfort and that is where the vast majority stop. Continuing to train yourself to ENJOY discomfort is what will set you apart from the crowd and result in uncommon success.
Just keep this in mind: there is no growth without discomfort. Period. If you want to accomplish big things you must first accept and then appreciate discomfort. Every time you find yourself to be in an uncomfortable position you can be assured that success is around the corner.
It’s gut-check time, my friends. It is time to ask yourself how badly you want success. Do you really have the desire to be the best you can be? If you do, you will take the extra step to learn to do the rare and extreme: you will learn to enjoy discomfort.
About the Author:
Jeff Shore is a highly sought-after sales expert, speaker, author and executive coach whose innovative BE BOLD methodology teaches you how to change your mindset and change your world. His latest book, Be Bold and Win the Sale: Get Out of Your Comfort Zone and Boost Your Performance, is forthcoming from McGraw-Hill in January 2014. Learn more at jeffshore.com.
For more than three decades, Jeff has guided executives and sales teams in large and small companies across the globe to embrace their discomforts and deliver BOLD sales results. In a crowded field of sales experts and training programs, Jeff Shore stands out with his research-based BE BOLD methodology. Combining his extensive front-line sales experience with the latest Cognitive Behavioral Therapy research, Jeff has created a highly effective, personalized way to reset sales paradigms and deliver industry-leading results. Jeff doesn’t just teach you how to sell, he shows you how to change your mindset and change your world.
