What do hairdressers, police officers, nurses, airline attendants, and 911 operators have in common with someone in direct sales? Each one works with a specific emotion. Hairdressers make more money when they listen and empathize with their clients. Police officers must be compassionate but firm. Nurses need to show compassion and sympathy. Airline attendants must be calm and pleasant. 911 operators work best if they remain in full control of their emotions.
So what emotion is utilized by those in direct sales? Common emotion words within MLM circles include:
Passion. Confidence. Pride. Enthusiasm. Knowledgeable.
What happens when we don’t feel passionate? In the book, The Managed Heart, Hochschild described the quandary between what one feels and must display as emotional labor. Being paid to express emotions we don’t feel (emotional labor) is associated with job burnout, dissatisfaction, stress, and low productivity.
Does emotional labor factor into the direct sales/MLM industry? What can you do when you don’t feel like fighting the emotional fight? What about when you see those in your downline struggling emotionally? Are slogans like “Push past the fear” or “Fake it ‘til you make it” helpful?
There are no easy answers to eliciting desired emotions. However, some key findings can help us understand common conflicting emotional states. Initially, only negative findings were associated with emotional labor; not a good sign for those in sales. However, more recent research has identified positive aspects of emotion and its link to work.
First, many feel a sense of gratification associated with being able to control our emotions to improve business relationships. Second, a heightened ability to reason is also associated with emotional intensity and emotional control. There really are people who work best under stress. Third, ‘bad’ parts of our day can actually be pleasurable because they give us a challenge and offer variety in what can seem like a very static world.
The key to efficient emotional labor is to develop skills in listening, understanding, and negotiating feelings in order to see our choices in each situation more clearly. The common factors among effective police officers, police, nurses, airline attendants, 911 dispatchers, and direct sales are the same: good communicators know that only allowing positive emotions can be stressful. Recognizing our options and using them effectively makes both positive and negative emotions more productive.
Hochschild, A.R. (1983). The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling. Berkley: University of California Press.