People working in sales are not strangers to rejection. Potential customers and clients will likely tell you “no” more times than you can count which can be discouraging if you are not resilient. You have to brush yourself off, take a deep breath, and try again if you want to be successful in the long run. While resilience is an important trait to have in any profession, Salesforce consultants who consistently show up, even while facing difficult circumstances, impress clients with their drive and determination, proving to be influential assets to their consultancy’s vitality.
The F-word
First, let’s address the elephant in the room: Failure. There’s no avoiding it. And it’s counterproductive to try and avoid it. Failure should not be this dirty word, whispered under your breath after a particularly grueling project goes awry. Failing, more often than not, is a good thing because it shows that you actually tried something new. Maybe it did not work out how you had planned it but now you can learn from that situation and the next time something similar happens, you’ll be a pro at handling it.
Throughout everyone’s careers there will be failures. You will make mistakes, mess up, let down the people that are counting on you to deliver quality products. And on the surface, those let downs may seem like disastrous blows to your career. But it is not the end of the world especially when you can show clients, bosses, and colleagues that you can bounce back, be resilient, and try again. It shows that you have drive and a willingness to learn.
Anticipate It
It is unrealistic to expect to be successful 100 percent of the time. With every successful project behind you, there are probably twice as many missteps along the way. In order to be resilient in the long-term, you need to be prepared for failure. Be prepared to mess up. But don’t let it slow you down.
Just because a project might go red, does not mean you get to give up and leave. Instead, figure out how to get it back in the green. If you want to continue to win gigs and make clients happy you need to be willing to do whatever it takes to turn a profit. In this competitive industry, mistakes will happen and budgets will be maxed so you need to get used to it and not let failures consume you. Take what you learn from failures or mistakes and use them to grow and get better. Clients will take notice of your ability to pick yourself up and try again. They will appreciate your resilience and want to continue working with you and your team.
Smells Like Team Spirit
Speaking of teams, Salesforce consultant teams need to function efficiently to keep up with changing demands and growing markets. In order to function effectively, it’s important to encourage your team when things are going well, but more importantly, to encourage them when things are going wrong. You and your team should hold each other accountable for being resilient which means making sure you stay positive and energized even when you fall short of client expectations.
Motivation and positive attitudes feed into a team’s ability to be resilient. A good leader recognizes when their team needs a boost and it can often fall on their shoulders to rebound after a difficult situation. When your team makes a mistake, address it and then rally the troops and continue to work until the project is finished. And motivation does not always have to come from hardships. Push yourself and your team to work hard even when it seems like things are running smoothly because that drive could mean all the difference when another project inevitably comes along and throws everyone for a loop.
Give credit where credit is due: let’s say a team member completed a project under budget and before the deadline, letting them know how much you appreciate them and their work creates an environment of mutual respect. It shows how valuable teamwork is and gives consultants the inspiration and courage to try new things. Sure, they most likely will make mistakes along the way, but it is always better to try and fail than to not even try at all. Building an environment where team members are noticed for their good work will help them feel more comfortable experimenting with out of the box ideas and innovative solutions. It will also increase their ability to bounce back when things go south.
Virtual Team Building
Team spirits definitely took a hit at the onset of the pandemic and as we continue to adapt to the difficulties brought on by the pandemic, virtual tools are becoming second nature to many businesses. It is difficult to connect with colleagues and team members when you cannot interact with them in person. This can cause issues in a person’s ability to bounce back since working from home can feel so solitary. Mistakes that would normally be recovered from quickly now weigh heavily on people’s shoulders as they lack the communication necessary to support each other. Virtual team building can be helpful to many companies looking to stay in touch on a more personal level to solidify their resilience as a team.
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