Why Being Positive Is the Best Tool in Business

by

AJ Agrawal

culled from:inc.com
Remaining optimistic increases success in business and in life.
One of the hardest obstacles I have had to learn to overcome is shaking off rude customers. There are some people who look at any salesperson as the enemy, and for some reason feel entitled to be rude to them. While there are many ways to overcome this, whenever it happened to me it affected my attitude for the rest of the day. Over time, I started paying more attention to my mentality. I focused on and practiced positivity, and I noticed my sales results increased. What's more interesting is how adopting a positive mindset has helped in all aspects of business and in life.
While we hear statements about staying positive all the time, sometimes it's tough to see the results. From looking at the changes in my life, I can say without a doubt that remaining positive has been my greatest asset. Here are a couple of ways being optimistic has helped me. I hope you are able to remain joyful for longer periods of time after reading this.

1. Competition

This week, we landed one of the largest clients in our market. We were competing with a company that had been talking to this customer for a year, and we had only been speaking with them for three months. When I asked why the company went with Alumnify, they said it was because of how I responded to an email.
The email was informing both us and our competitor that they were deciding between the two of us. While our competitor responded negatively, we took a different approach. I wrote back: "That's great to hear. A little competition never hurt nobody. :)"
I then went to my team and explained the situation. But the difference is, we remained positive, and the attitude pushed us to move fast and to keep building. We acted like we had already won the competition, and just kept developing their product. By the time the final decision was made, we had blown past our competitor.
We weren't better equipped or more talented. All we did was stay positive through the situation, and it led us to winning the deal. People want to work with companies who are confident and upbeat. Keeping this in mind will separate your startup from the others who allow negativity to seep through.

2. Team Camaraderie

An improvement I started making with my team is catching myself when I start complaining or have negative thoughts. Data suggests that when employees are happy, they produce better work. As leaders, it's essential that we keep this in mind.
When someone messes up, don't bring down the person, just change the process. It's amazing to see how much a company culture is built off the attitude of the leader. When the captain is in a bad mood, the entire crew suffers. While this cripples companies that have angry bosses, it is a weapon for those who can remain optimistic. Be the example of the positivity you want to see in your team, and watch productivity increase dramatically.

3. Self-Improvement

I'm one of the most physically inflexible people you'll ever meet. So when I started doing yoga, you can imagine my frustrations. Here I am next to a person in a pretzel, and I'm trying to touch my ankles. It's an interesting sight, to say the least.
One day in yoga class when I was noticeably angry, my instructor smiled and said "Breathe and smile." Smiling has been proven to raise our spirits, so I decided to give it a try. To my surprise, my body relaxed and I was able to reach farther than I ever had before.
We all have personal goals in our life. And while it's easy to look at someone else and want to mimic them, we all have our own limitations. Remaining optimistic will allow you to ignore distractions and focus on your individual journey. Day by day, you will get closer and closer to your goal. Remember, the happier you are, the more you will get done. Eventually, you'll reach your goal. Where the negative give up, the positive push forward.