This time of year it is nearly impossible to escape “Back-to-School” fervor. Wouldn’t it be nice if we, as sales professionals and leaders, could capture the excitement of the “Back-to-School” experience? In fact, it would be more than nice, it would be extremely beneficial for our sales careers! Think about the dynamics of a new school year, a fresh start, shining new school supplies, new shoes or a few new outfits to kick off the school year; the possibilities always seemed endless when it was time to go back to school! Now think about how that dynamic, and more specifically, how that mindset might impact us in our daily sales role:

• ‍Clean Slate. As students, each year we had the opportunity to start fresh, a clean slate! In the business world, we may not automatically get a clean slate each year, but there is a lot we can do to create our own fresh start. Consider your current position and past history with customers. If your slate isn’t in good order with some accounts, take the time to analyze the issues and steps needed to improve your position.
• ‍Excitement. Who doesn’t remember the butterflies and excitement that surrounded the first day of school? Who’s to say we can’t experience that or provide it for our customers? The only difference is, it’s not an event that will happen automatically every year; we need to create excitement in our customer relationships. What might accomplish that? How about new products, services or insights that deliver new or incremental value to the customer?
• ‍Confidence. As kids, we probably never considered the intangible benefits of the new clothes and school supplies that marked the start of the school year, but they were all part of a process and preparation that also boosted our self-confidence. Even as grown professionals, a new suit or haircut can go a long way in giving ourselves an emotional and confidence boost.
• As adults in the business world, we don’t enjoy the annual benefits of a new school year, but if we have the selling skills and creativity, we can generate fresh excitement for our customers any given day of the year.