Cultivating a Mindset of Gratitude in Sales

Imagine a tool so powerful it can transform your outlook on life and supercharge your career, yet it’s as simple as saying “thank you.” 

Thanksgiving has just passed—an annual occasion when gratitude rightfully claims the spotlight. Each year during this period, I find myself revisiting a chapter in my life when gratitude meant more than just a seasonal sentiment; it was a lifeline.This is the story of how a simple practice of gratitude became a transformative force in my life. 

A Simple Journal 

About 7 years ago, there was a time in my life when everything seemed to be going downhill for me. I’m talking about a trifecta of struggle: Grief/loss, personal life challenges, and to top it off, a dramatic slump in my overall sales performance. 

Looking for inspiration, I turned on a sales podcast where the trainer recommended a simple, non-sales related exercise regarding mindset.  He suggested keeping a “gratitude journal” in which you would write three very specific moments from your day for which you felt grateful.   For example, you couldn’t write, “I’m thankful for my health.” It had to be a specific moment from the day like, “I’m thankful for my healthy legs that carried me two miles during my morning exercise routine.”  

I decided to give it a try.  

On the first day, I was stumped.  Finding even one thing to be grateful for felt like searching for a needle in a haystack.  But I kept trying. 

Around the one-week mark, something started to shift.  It became easier to identify moments of gratitude. By day 14, I was listing more than three things.  And by the 21st day, my entire outlook had shifted, and I found myself experiencing gratitude in real-time, noticing all of the beautiful moments in my day as they were happening, deeply impacting my life and work. 

The Science of Gratitude 

This wasn’t just a feel-good exercise. Science backs it up. Studies show that gratitude improves mental health, alters brain function, and benefits physical health. For instance, a study involving 300 adults found that writing gratitude letters significantly improved mental health, compared to just counseling​​. And did you know? Expressing gratitude can activate the medial prefrontal cortex of the brain, associated with better decision-making and learning​​. It’s like training your brain for positivity!  

Gratitude Breeds Optimism

Gratitude not only changes our perspective but also breeds positivity and optimism.

Optimistic Sales Professionals are Higher Performers 

This is critical in sales, as highlighted by a study from MetLife Insurance. They found, from analyzing their sales team’s performance, that optimistic salespeople outsold their more negative counterparts by a staggering 37%, and the most optimistic ones outsold the average negative salespeople by 88%. This demonstrates a tangible impact of a positive outlook, which can be cultivated through gratitude. 

My Gratitude Journey

Embracing gratitude led to a remarkable transformation in my sales career and overall well-being. My performance improved dramatically, propelling me to one of the top sales positions nationally at my company. But more important was the transformation beyond just my sales “numbers”.  I gained a profound appreciation for my job, my customers, and the life I was blessed to return home to every day. 

Elevating Gratitude Beyond The Season

As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let’s remember that gratitude is more than just a seasonal sentiment; it’s a powerful practice that can reshape our lives and careers. By fostering gratitude in sales, we nurture optimism, which can lead to extraordinary achievements. So, this Thanksgiving, as we give thanks for our blessings, let’s also commit to a practice of gratitude that extends beyond the holiday season.  You just might change your own world.