Everyone gets angry from time to time, but how you manage your anger is easily spotted by customers. Excessive anger -- and the inability to calm down -- can throw you off your game, and of course, cause serious health conditions. Think back to the last sales call you had, when you were just on point and saying everything right. Were you slick and in a good mood, or red and fuming? It is important to recognize the signs of escalating anger and understand how to manage emotions in a positive way, before they manage to cut your sales...
Recognizing That You're Angry
The American Psychological Association notes that anger is a natural and healthy reaction to environmental stresses. It's part of the fight-and-flight makeup of the human psyche. If you feel a rapid increase in heart rate, have flushed cheeks, have difficulty thinking or speaking, and/or feel stressed & overwhelmed in the workplace; then you are likely experiencing anger and need to do something about it before you take it out on a prospect. No customer enjoys being yelled at just because you got yelled at by management, or because Steve ate the last cookie in the office.
Positive Anger Expression
- Take a moment to truly understand why you are angry. If you don't know, you can't communicate it to someone else.
- Remove yourself from the situation until you are calm enough to speak in a controlled and logical manner about the issue. Take a 15-minute break from the situation or the work. Don't worry about losing sales during those 15 minutes; the impact on your sales number from a 15-minute break is certainly less than the impact of working angrily for 30 minutes or more. Angry work is rarely productive work; not only might you lose immediate sales, but you could put your customer or client relationships at risk.
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