No matter how much I diet, I can’t lose weight. My body isn’t designed to exercise in the morning. Do these statements sound familiar? 

Failing to Take Responsibility

So many of us come up with excuses as a way out of taking responsibility for our actions. And they keep us from reaching the goals we set. When we come up with similar excuses about our professional life, our sales results will never be what they could.

Anthony Iannarino tackles the subject of excuses, he calls them lies, in a recent Sales Blog post. He asks you to think about how your self-​deception is killing your sales. It’s easy to slide into bad habits without realizing what you’re doing.

What’s your reaction when the boss asks you to take on selling to a new category of customers? You might complain that those prospects aren’t interested in the solutions your company is selling. Then you hear that the sales rep at the other end of the room isn’t having any trouble selling. You might then try to tell yourself that the other sales rep has better prospects.

Don’t delude yourself. Sales is never an all-​or-​nothing proposition, Iannarino tells his readers. If you spend your time believing negative thoughts, you’re predicting your outcome.

Promise Yourself to Believe in the Positive

You could just as easily tell yourself positive lies. When you believe all your prospects will want to meet with you, your attitude changes. As your attitude changes, so do your actions.

When you encounter obstacles in this mindset, you’ll be more likely to try again. This willingness to keep trying until you succeed speaks to your resilience. And resilience, according to C. Lee Smith, CEO and president of SalesFuel, is what distinguishes a rock star from a mediocre rep.

The next time you’re tempted to complain about how things aren’t going to work out, remember Iannarino’s advice. Turn your negative mindset into a positive one and watch your sales grow.