Of course, it is hard to look eager and energetic when nobody is buying and when selling just means more hard slogging. Yet even so, all too many people, particularly in the managerial class, have fallen prey to defeatism. They look at the weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports and see no cause for hope. This at a time when they are under increasing pressure to produce. This at a time when they have to spend more time sympathizing with than motivating the people who report to them.
  
This defeatism is contagious. It easily infects and spreads throughout the entire company. Nor does it stop there. The sales people are carriers -- carrying an "I know you don't want to buy this, but …" attitude that customers quickly catch. They start off weak, they close weak, and their sales are weak as a result. They are caught in a vicious defeatist spiral that just keeps going down and down and down.
  
So the most important thing to do in 2005 is to break out of that spiral. Force yourself to be optimistic. Fake it. At least pretend you have strong products and lots of confidence. Convince yourself, and maybe you can convince other people. Maybe you can get your co-workers out of their goes-nowhere rut as well. It is worth working on. Because if you can convince enough people, it will not be pretend any more and you will be off the ropes and back on your feet again.
  
Yoshikawa Shoji
Bunshodo Printing