You must work on keeping your own positive attitude every day. Too many people in automotive sales wait for a good client, an easy sale, a motivational meeting, a seminar, or their manager to provide motivation.

The day you turn pro is the day you realize that attitude in selling is everything. A good attitude is something you must cultivate and grow within yourself. The most important things you carry with you every day are your enthusiasm and your excitement for the job you do in serving people.

A key element in a successful automotive sales career is to realize that people say ‘yes’ to you based more on your conviction and your enthusiasm than anything else. And if you don’t have it inside you, you won’t be able to transmit it to others.

So how do you get this attitude? First of all, you must get rid of some of the things in the past that might be holding you back. Stop dwelling on your failures. You can’t change the past; it’s gone forever; it’s a bucket of ashes. Throw it out and don’t dwell on it. Every time you let it take over your thoughts, you’re reliving negative emotions. Why would you want to allow that to happen?

If need be, take a few minutes now to envision any past failure that’s sticking with you. Picture it on a chalkboard or white board. Then mentally erase it. Get rid of it. If you have been dwelling on it for a long time, you may need to do this exercise more than once (like whenever it raises its ugly head) but do it. Erase that bad experience.

Every morning make a commitment to live in the present moment. The present moment will determine your attitude toward the day — which will determine your productivity. So by keeping the negativity of yesterday you are ruining the future. Let it go and live in the present.

Want — but don’t need — everyone’s approval. You’ll never get everyone’s approval. There’s always someone who will say they don’t agree with you, they don’t believe in what you believe, or that something you propose just can’t be done. Don’t take advice from anyone more messed up than you are! If you do, you are letting them determine your attitude that day.

Another thing to work on is anger. Anger can cost you not only income, but relationships. Control your anger. Don’t let what others say and do upset you. Turn other people around.

What does that mean?

When talking with an angry client, be kind, be gentle. Let them know you are glad they called. Not only will they appreciate this, but also after 2-3 minutes of venting their anxiety and emotions, they will probably apologize for losing their temper. Now you have won a client for life instead of losing one because you matched their anger with yours.

Don’t demand fairness. Many of us get down when we have lost a sale to our competition or because our buyer changed his or her mind. Don’t sit back and say, “That’s not fair.” You’re a grown up, not a little kid. Let it go. If something is not fair, do what you can to change it, but don’t dwell on it if something doesn’t go in your favor. You’ll find things in your life that may not seem fair, but that’s just the way life is.

Procrastination can also negatively affect your attitude. Never do tomorrow what you can do today. Procrastination is a disease that many of us have. Procrastination is defined as living yesterday, avoiding today, and thus ruining tomorrow. If you have this disease, remember it takes 21 days to effect a change. If you will give 21 consecutive days to working on overcoming procrastination, you will overcome it.

Successful people do the things average salespeople are afraid to do, or stop just short of doing. They do what they fear most. By doing those things you fear most, those experiences will add to your strengths and carry you forward to success.

And finally, realize that one of the keys to a good attitude is to be proud of what you do. In our country and our times, people need vehicles to live their dreams. You help those people to have the right vehicles for their needs, at investments they can afford. And you’re good at it because you know your inventory. You are a great listener when potential clients explain their needs and you’re a great communicator. All those traits help you to help them make wise decisions, and you benefit for providing that valued service.

Walk with your head held high because you chose the profession of selling. Go out and do the best job ever.