I FEEL MY TEMPERATURE RISING

It doesn’t seem that long ago when I was saying to myself, “I can’t wait for summer to get here, I HATE THE COLD WEATHER”! Now that summer is in full bloom and the temperatures here in Atlanta are soaring into the nineties day after day I find myself saying to myself, “I sure miss February”!

Many of us climb in and out of our cars 10, 15, 20, as many as 25 times a day, and when the thermometer shoots up into the nineties we need to look at what we are doing very closely for not only our health but for our sales.

During these times of heat everyone, but especially outside sales reps, need to exercise extreme caution while working the field. Here are a few tips that can help you in the heat of the day.

1)      DRINK, DRINK, and DRINK some more! – I know this sounds like the motto for some fraternity but the reality is your body needs plenty of water in this extreme heat. Not only will the water give you more energy, but your mind will function at a higher level if you are fully hydrated. A good rule of thumb is to drink one ounce of water for every pound of body weight. (Let’s see, that means I need to drink…wow I hope there is a bathroom close by ALL the time!)

2)      COOL OFF – As you work in the heat, your core body temperature will start to rise. The higher it gets the harder it will be to cool off. You are better off taking fewer longer breaks to cool down than many short breaks. Driving between customers with your AC on in your car isn’t a very good cool down. It can actually hurt you in the long run by causing respiratory problems because the AC vents are usually blowing directly into your face. Get out of the car and sit in a cool place for 15 to 30 minutes. This allows your entire body to cool off and will rejuvenate you for longer periods of time.

3)      WEAR SUNSCREEN – I hate to sound like your mother, but the summer sun can cause a lot of skin damage. I think you look great with a deep dark tan, however, your doctor may disagree. Put on sunscreen, especially on your left arm (it hangs out the window exposed to the sun more than any other part of your body), face and if you are folicly challenged like I am your head!

4)      PARK IN THE SHADE – If you park your car in direct sun for as little as 15 minutes the inside of the car can reach temperatures of 150 degrees or more. Getting back into the car will overheat you even faster than being outside in the sun. If you can’t find shade, make your own. Use sun shields in your windshield and side window. I know it takes time to set them up, but the temperature difference will make it well worth it.

5)      LISTEN TO YOUR BODY – The week before last the thermometer rose to the upper 90’s every day. On Thursday, I got so hot that I was actually feeling sick. My body was telling me something, I had to stop and take a break. If you are feeling lightheaded, nauseous, faint, or any other feeling that is not normal, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!

I am not a doctor and I am not your sales manager, but I know plenty of doctors and even more sales managers and every one of them agree that keeping healthy is the key to long term success.

I have always believed that a sales rep should always push themselves to their mental limits everyday to assure their success. I also agree with Vince Lombardi when he says, “I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious.” But even Vince Lombardi wanted to have a healthy team on the field.

BE COOL, and not only in a Fonzie sort of way!

Lorin