Numbers don’t lie: According to Sales Hacker, 83% of sales professionals believe their environment has a significant impact on their performance. And they’re right.
You’ve heard the old maxim “nature vs. nurture.” Some say nature (your biology) makes you successful, while others say it’s nurture (your environment). You can’t really change nature, but you can change nurture. And I suggest you do.
You see, I argue that it’s mostly nurture that determines your success or failure in sales and in life. By leveling-up your environment — that is everything from the people you surround yourself with to the food you eat to the habits you keep — you can dramatically change the course of your life for the better.
So here’s your reality check:
- Who are the five people you spend the most time with? Do they value success?
- Does your current job or manager encourage growth and success?
- What time do you wake up in the morning? Is it before everyone in your house and before everyone on your sales team?
- What do you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Does the food you eat nourish your body and mind?
- What do you consume for entertainment? Do you find yourself binge-watching Netflix or YouTube, or enjoying fresh air at the beach or hiking nearby trails?
- What are your social media habits?
- What does your physical desk look like? What does your computer desktop look like? Organized?
- What do you do to keep in shape? Anything?
Look, these are all environmental factors that can be changed on a dime. If your answer to any of these questions isn’t convincing (in a positive direction!), then it’s time for change. It’s time you finally get nurture working for you instead of against you.
But first…
Do you have to level-up? No. You don’t have to do anything. If you’re happy with your results and feel like you’re maximizing your potential, then no, you don’t need to level up. But if you’re like 99% of people today, there’s still meat on the bone. There’s more success to sink your teeth into. You just have to want it.
The Benefits of Leveling-up in the Nurture Department
Clears Mental Clutter – You can’t quite put your finger on it, but maybe you feel scattered, stressed, and anxious throughout the day. Why is that? It’s likely due to unhealthy habits and feeling disorganized from the inside out. This isn’t the natural order of things. It’s how you’ve been conditioned by our society and the default road you’ve been traveling down. Think of it this way — have you ever cleaned your room, made your bed, and immediately felt like you could breathe again? That’s because organizing your physical and mental life clears the clutter and cobwebs. Same goes for exercising, eating right, and getting good sleep. But you have to engage and initiate these things. Do the hard work if you want to dominate in sales.
Increases Focus – Would you agree that you could be 50% more productive by increasing your focus by 50%? Sure! The honest truth might hurt, but you have a lot of room for growth here. Delete social media apps from your phone. Put app-blocking software on your laptop. Minimize the number of windows you have open to three at all times. Your direct physical and digital environment is most likely killing your focus and productivity. So let’s fix this right away. By tomorrow this time aim to have your digital life geared for increased focus and sales productivity.
Keeps You Motivated – Now, I highly recommend you get a handle on your social circle. This will immediately create a positive motivational loop in your life. Your direct sphere of influence (usually three to five people) has an outsized impact on your life. There’s a reason why you’ll never find executives hanging out with McDonald’s workers and playing World of Warcraft till 2am. They know they will become the sum of the five people they spend the most time with. Now, let’s put this positively. Ditch some so-called friends who pull you down like a crab in a bucket, and find sales mentors and other kindred spirits on the road to abundance to hang with instead. This will motivate you to succeed in the near-term and long-term.
Other Tips to level-up Your Nurture for Sales Success:
- Set clear boundaries: Work when you’re at work, and rest when you’re at home. In other words, don’t take your work home with you! Yes, I want you to be the first person in the office making calls. And yes, I want you to be the last person to leave at night. But when you step out of your “office”, whatever that may look like, you need to clock out mentally so that your batteries can recharge. Boundaries matter.
- Join a sales mastermind group: It might not be practical to find 5 new friends in your area that have a similar growth mindset. So join a mastermind group online. You’ll have 5 success-oriented friends in a matter of days.
- Find a sales mentor: I won’t belabor this point. But it’s critical that you find someone who has been where you’re trying to go. Mentors are everywhere in this world. Success leaves clues, and I suggest you follow the clues.
Final Words
Do what you must to live and work in the environment that will help you succeed. This means you have to become the architect of your own world. You have to build it from the ground up if you want to close more deals, make more money, and have a greater impact on this world and those around you. I promise, it doesn’t come naturally… until it does.
That’s right. The more you do a thing (anything!) the easier it becomes. So in this way, leveling-up your environment is a muscle that you train. After a while, you’ll build up neural pathways and muscle memory, and it will start to come naturally. It’s truly a beautiful thing.
So get out there and start cultivating a mindset of positivity and organizing your physical and mental spaces. Your future depends on it.
Until next time…
Johnny-Lee Reinoso