Celebrating Wins and Success

 

Sales is hard. When you close an important deal, or have a terrific year, make sure you commemorate the success with a memento. I’ve been preaching this to sales people for decades and, unilaterally, with each person, they’ve thanked me for this advice and are quick to show me what they purchased for themselves.

I also recommend buying something material and tangible, instead of a vacation or a gift for someone else. The reason is, this is YOUR success, and therefore, YOUR reward as a constant reminder of this winning feeling, and the desire to replicate this experience. A Rolex, a Louis Vuitton handbag or even a house (yes, I had an employee actually buy a vacation home with his commissions) all serve as “trophies”. Memorializing great achievement will sustain the good feelings of success, and act as a constant reminder of what achievement feels like.

While good sales people are also competitive, take the time to congratulate peers when they have wins. Not everyone needs affirmation from others of a job well done, but taking the time to acknowledge the success of a co-worker is gracious and just good manners. Don’t be petty, jealous or make excuses. His or her success is not a reflection on your performance.

Celebrating wins as a team builds morale and can inspire others to work harder or smarter in the future. Through celebration, the opportunity for sharing best practices and understanding different strategies may arise. If you’re miserable, drowning in your own despair and lamenting your peer’s win, people will remember and I doubt they will want to celebrate with you when you have success. The camaraderie built around reveling in individual or team success can feed upon itself and be wildly positive. There’s simply nothing better or more satisfying than sharing victories as a team.