You might have heard the phrase, “just be positive!” in response to a tough day or something difficult you’re going through. While this may be a type of toxic positivity, there is always a speck of truth in popular phrases like this one. Especially in sales, being positive and having a “can-do” attitude can change the game and how you relate to customers.
Being positive has a couple benefits in sales and in life too! Having a positive attitude can show through your body language and emotions when you’re in a sales call and show your client that you are interested in them and what they have to say. It also gives a nice boost to your motivation behind the sale and reinforces your belief in the product or service you are selling. Being positive is a great habit to develop, but it’s crucial that you keep a balance between realistic positivity and toxic positivity.
Realistic positivity is when you are hopeful and optimistic about the future, but still accepting if things go wrong. Toxic positivity, however, is very common in the world today and something that needs to be avoided. This kind of mindset is being positive to the point of delusion and not even considering the negative aspects of life. This could include minimizing your own feelings with “feel good” statements, brushing off bad experiences, or feeling shame when something goes wrong. One way we can avoid this kind of mentality is to embrace the Golden Ratio of Positivity. The ratio says that 3:1 is the correct proportion of positivity to negativity one should have in life. 1:1 or 2:1 is too few and 11:1 is too much. It’s kind of like giving your friend constructive criticism. When they ask for your opinion, you start out with a compliment or something positive about their work, then respectfully show them where they can improve, then give a couple more compliments to make sure they feel good about themselves.
So, with all this talk about positivity, how can we express this in our day to day lives? Keeping the Golden Ratio of Positivity is a good way to start out, and keeping a realistic mindset of your goals, but not to the point of delusion can also help. It’s important to remember to try and find ways every day to be positive and grateful for something, even if it’s small! It doesn’t take much to be a positive person and it can help you in your personal and sales life.
testacr22
I loved reading your post about positivity. It is true that just having a positive attitude can really affect your life as a whole. I really agree with your comments about toxic positivity though. Great Post!
I definitely think that people tend to be too negative rather than too positive in general. Most of the people that I know underestimate themselves rather than possessing delusional positivity. Toxic positivity, as you mention, is a whole different issue. It is very common to hear a cliche comment as an instinctual response to someone who needs real encouragement and positivity.