Everybody's Workin' for the Weekend

At the risk of "dating" myself, there was a popular song in the 80s by a group called Loverboy called Working for the Weekend. The gist of the song was that we all have jobs we hate and we are all just working so we can get to the weekend and finally enjoy life. It was that song and a combination of other circumstances that led me to this business. I never wanted a job where I was working for the weekend. As we head into the long Labor Day Weekend, which ironically enough celebrates working by taking time off... how many people are workin' for the weekend?

Fast Forward to now and the song by Dirty Heads, Vacation.

"Eh-eh-aye, I'm on vacation, every single day 'cause I love my occupation, Eh-eh-aye, I'm on vacation if you don't like your life then you should go and change it." Those are the opening lyrics to a song by Dirty Heads that I'm hearing a lot these days on my local radio station. If you're looking for a song to get you up and motivated in the morning, I can't think of a better one.

When you wake up in the morning are you excited and looking forward to the day? Are you happy to be going into your office, be it another room in your house or an office located elsewhere? Sure, we all have a few days where the excitement might wane, but for the most part, do you have a positive expectancy for the great things you will accomplish today?

This excitement and positive expectancy is not just something you feel, it's something you see in others. Your clients see it as well, or perhaps. Do you feel it now?

Dr. Wayne Dyer was an internationally renowned author and speaker in the field of self-development. He wrote more than 40 books, and 21 of them were New York Times bestsellers. Dyer says that to be good at selling, you have to first fall in love with what you do.

"You don't sell your product, because every product in the world has some validity, and there is another product out there that will satisfy the customer's need just as well."

What quality do successful salespeople have that others don't? According to Dyer, the answer is serenity. Serenity is a sense of calm and quiet confidence. Successful salespeople work for the customer's quota, not the quota their companies set. Meaning, as we've said before, they work to solve the customer's problems and are focused on the customer. They are always asking "How can I serve you?" It doesn't matter whether you are making a presentation, following up with customers, prospecting, networking or closing, the difference between the average performer and a top performer will always be enthusiasm. According to Dyer:

"When you are filled with enthusiasm for what you sell and can convey that, it doesn't matter what product you're offering, the people will want it."

Sing it with me, "Eh-eh-aye, I'm on vacation, every single day cause I love my occupation, Eh-eh-aye, I'm on vacation if you don't like your life then you should go and change it." Link to the song on Apple Music here.

If you can sing that with enthusiasm, you're on the right track. This weekend maybe write down some successes you've had over this past year. Maybe think of some of the reasons you love this business. Loving what you do and feeling like you're always on vacation is the greatest feeling in the world.

Happy Friday and have a safe Labor Day Weekend!

Jeff Schmidt is SVP-Professional Development at the Radio Advertising Bureau. You can reach Jeff at jeff.Schmidt@Rab.com or follow him on social media: Twitter, LinkedIn.