9/26/2023-Emotional Intelligence

Whether it’s a snarky email from a client or an obnoxious comment from a peer at a company outing, you must learn to manage your reactions and emotions if you want to be in the TOP 10%.

The TOP 10% rarely react in extreme, emotional ways…to anything and everything, including losing and winning business.

Some are born with a hey whatever switch in the on position, but they’ll be the first to admit they work at it. The top sellers block distractions, guard against negativity, and control reactions because they know they must keep moving forward toward their goals.

To the TOP 10%, emotions are performance inhibitors.

Let others on your team throw mini-tantrums and overreact, just smile, walk away, and return your focus to you.

Today, don’t overreact to anything; practice neutral reactions.

You break through a big internal obstacle and get things moving again… don’t break a smile. Don’t even grin.

Land a meeting with a VIP you’ve been tracking for a year…high five nobody.

Break a whale account…alright, go ahead and call your mom!

You get the point.

Today, practice managing your reactions as if nobody is watching. Today, build your "hey whatever" muscle.

As the saying goes, let the water roll off your back like it runs down a duck’s back. (…however that darn phrase goes.)

These days, you don’t have to block out Acct. Mgr. Fred’s horrible music because you’re working in your bedroom. (Thanks, Covid!)

But what about your manager, who made that not-so-discreet comment on the video sales weekly meeting yesterday? (Does your manager know how hard you’re working the Acme account??)

Whether it’s a snarky email from a client, an obnoxious comment from a peer at a company outing, or a mocking statement from someone on the enablement team, you must learn to manage your reactions and emotions if you want to gain admission to the TOP 10% club.

Even if you’re an expert at maintaining a fake smile while "SCREW THAT MISERABLE JERK" floats through your brain, you know that’s not the definition of managing emotions. (Thoughts need to be managed too.)

Here are a few tips to help drive forward through the muck of the day:
1. Ignore it. Laugh it off.
2. Judge nothing you hear…let the comment made by the miserable jerk (ha) drift away.
3. Empathize: reactions and behaviors are symptomatic of something… maybe the poor person didn’t eat a good breakfast?
4. Focus. Realize it’s your decision how much power you give to negative energy. Don’t let it distract you from working on your goals.

Ted Lasso famously asked his futbol players to have a memory like a goldfish (9 seconds) so their past foibles didn’t interfere with their present performance! Smart bloke!

If Ted were coaching a team of sellers, he’d probably ask them to act like a duck and let the water roll off their backs.

Spend 5 quiet, meditative minutes watching water roll off a duck’s back and be inspired by how these beautiful creatures thrive!

Stay dry, and keep swimming in a straight line!