Have you heard of the Thank God It’s Monday (TGIM) Method? It is a strategy that can help you get the most out of your sales team and help you accomplish your sales goals. Whether you are the CEO of a very small startup or are a sales leader in a much larger organization, the TGIM Method can be your secret weapon as you work to accelerate the course of your business.
Ultimately, the TGIM Method is solving an important problem in today’s corporate world. You can immediately see this by asking yourself several questions. For instance, are you burnt out from selling? Are you looking for distractions during the week that can help you cope with the stress and demands of leading a sales department or entire organization? Are you feeling demotivated or deflated whenever you enter the office? The TGIM Method can help you address these questions and be in a better position to motivate and inspire your employees.
In this episode of RevShow, Rob and I talked about TGIM selling. The TGIM Method is a fantastic way to reach your sales goals while reducing stress at the same time. In effect, it offers the best of both worlds, making it a tantalizing way to streamline your sales processes and accomplish your sales goals.
This blog post is a recent recap of RevShow, which is Dubb’s YouTube show on everything related to sales, marketing, and video. If you would like to get updated on our new videos or look through some of our older videos, feel free to click here.
So What is the TGIM Method?
The TGIM Method isn’t rocket science. You don’t need to know advanced terminology or have an extensive history as a salesperson or marketer to get the most out of the TGIM method. It is simple and something that can be implemented right now.
At its core, the TGIM Method has three specific components. Those components are mindset, strategy, and action. Let’s take a deeper dive into each of these components right now.
Mindset
Mindset is an important part of any sales or marketing strategy. After all, if you aren’t in the proper mindset to execute that strategy, you will find it impossible to fully get the most out of that strategy.
Mindset is an important part of the TGIM Method because we are making a fundamental shift to a common slogan. We can say “Thank God It’s Friday” and immediately know what that means. TGIM, on the other hand, embodies an excitement to come into the office on Mondays, get things done, satisfy our customers, and generate more sales.
So you may be asking: why do we actually need to change the phrase “Thank God It’s Friday” to “Thank God It’s Monday?” There are a number of reasons, but there are several that I want to highlight. Ultimately, there is a simple idea that positivity is contagious. If we’re more positive in day-to-day work, it’s more likely that others around us will be positive as well.
When we are in a leadership position, it is our duty to be positive and embrace an optimistic attitude. We must be that beacon of positivity, whether it is when we are interacting with our prospects, existing clients, or team members. It doesn’t matter who it is that we’re working with or communicating with. That positivity is especially important when we are going through difficult or stressful times. In those moments, it is all too easy to be pessimistic and discouraged. It becomes much easier to dread coming into the office on Monday morning.
So as you can see, creating that type of positive energy can be easier said than done. There are many people stuck in that negative mentality where they cannot wait to get to the end of the week so that they can enjoy their weekend. When this happens, it’s pretty self-evident that these individuals aren’t in a positive place when it comes to their work. There may be an underlying issue at play, whether that has to do with problems in the office or problems at home. Regardless of the reason, that negative attitude is infectious and can affect you and other members of your team.
This is why the phrase “Thank God It’s Monday” is so important. It is a positive affirmation that you and your colleagues are going to take ownership of your attitude toward work. Even if your company is going through the most perilous and stressful times, adopting the TGIM mindset lets you take the initiative. It lets you tap into that extremely positive energy and let it proliferate amongst your team.
The best news? Mindset is completely within your control. You can decide today that you are going to adopt an infectious, positive mindset that eagerly anticipates coming into the office on Monday.
Strategy
With this idea of mindsight in mind, let’s talk about strategy. In this context, strategy means thinking of a plan to implement the things we discussed above. Adopting a positive TGIM mindset is an excellent first start, but you’ll need to actually plan out a course of action to implement it within your organization.
There are several different ways that you can do this. For instance, one of the best ways to execute the TGIM mindset is to be mindful of your language. Instead of using negative or deflationary language to discuss your work or the coming week, make sure to incorporate positive language. Words like “excited,” “anticipating,” or even “stoked” can be really effective. Talk about what really excites you about your work. It can be the actual craft that you perform on a day-to-day basis, the satisfaction that you get from serving your customers, or something else.
Then, take a look at your body language and tone of voice. As most of us know, the way we communicate isn’t restricted to the words coming out of our mouths. In fact, much of it comes from our body language and tone of voice. If you are speaking to your team with slumped shoulders and a monotone voice, they aren’t going to be excited for Monday. They are going to be thinking about all of the fun things that they’ll do on the weekend. By contrast, if you are speaking in an excited tone, are sitting up straight, and are embodying positive body language, your colleagues are going to notice.
So if you are a sales leader and are talking to your team, make a plan to get them energized. Show them that you are excited for today (which is Monday in this context). This is the day that is going to carry you and your team into the week. Along with this, you should be giving your team some ideas in terms of what they are going to do. From there, we turn all of this strategy into action.
Action
Nothing happens without action. It’s true whether you are trying to reach your sales targets or get on your knee and propose to your significant other. At this point of the process, you need to take that positive mindset, refer to that strategy that you have crafted, and aggressively take action.
But let’s take one step back. As part of the TGIM Method, you need to ask yourself several questions. For starters, what are the actions of you and your team? What are your actions as a leader? What are you telling your team to do? When you develop a plan and brief your team, how do you and your team execute that plan?
By thinking about and answering these questions, you can better execute your TGIM plan. You don’t want to plan too much, however. Action rules everything, so make sure that you are actually executing your strategy. Even if you are taking a small step, it is better than no step at all. This can be everything from changing your language to creating a brand new program or incentive structure to excite your team.
A really important way to think about action here is to spend time on your culture. Ask yourself: what is the culture that your actions are creating? Is it a toxic culture or is it a familial culture? Is your business something that people look forward to joining? Along with this, has it created an environment where your prospects can’t wait to meet with you? On the other hand, is your culture something that repels people?
Of course, what we want to do is build positivity, community, and attraction. We want to do this because these three attributes are the essence of sales. No matter what your specific strategy is, you will want your actions to bring out these three traits.
All of this starts by saying, “Thank God It’s Monday.” The TGIM attitude is one that can motivate your colleagues, get you much closer to your sales and marketing goals, and make the entire process more enjoyable. If you really think about it, you can’t afford to ignore the TGIM Method—no matter the size or sector of your organization.
The Nuances of the TGIM Method
With this understanding of the TGIM Method in mind, I want to take a deeper dive into some of the nuances here. While the TGIM Method itself is straightforward, I think that it can be even more impactful if you implement some of the advice, tactics, and strategies below. As always, you can contact us if you have any questions about the TGIM Method and how you can implement it within your organization.
It’s All in the Connection
One of the most critical things about the TGIM Method is that you need to be inspirational and motivational. When you really think about creating positive energy, you will discover that the work is truly contagious. People will feel your energy and they will be inspired to take positive action on their own. It is an attractive cycle and a cycle that can certainly build upon itself.
On the other hand, if you are sluggish or not happy, your coworkers and/or audience is going to quickly discover that attitude. It is going to exude in all of your actions. Obviously, that is something that you do not want to convey. Instead of that, what you want to convey is a sense that you are ecstatic about what you do. Moreover, you want to articulate the sense that you have found your purpose and are super focused on helping people.
If you really think about it, the idea of “Thank God Is Friday” is all about getting ready for the weekend. You’re excited that you get some time off to do the things that you actually want to do. It can be everything from a hobby that you can’t pursue during the week or a regular brunch with your closest friends.
By contrast, when you are embracing TGIM, you are incentivized to start challenging your team. You want to get your team motivated. You want them to ask questions like, “What’s going on this week” and “What are we doing?” The point is to have you and your team get excited about what you are doing.
At the end of the day, sales is about connection. It is something that we often discuss and evangelize. So if you are motivated to connect with people, it is much better to be excited than someone like Garfield the Cat. As you may know, Garfield was known for, among other things, sitting in the frame and saying, “I hate Mondays.” Even though Garfield has his charm, it is difficult to say that he is the most inspiring individual. He is not inspiring his owner Jon Arbuckle to reach his full potential.
Instead of being like Garfield the Cat, you want to be excited for Mondays. That excitement builds a strong connection with your colleagues and your customers. The energy is infectious and you will witness a seismic shift before you know it. By embracing positivity and connection, you are on your way to getting the most out of the TGIM Method.
Leveraging Gamification and Creation
When it comes to the TGIM Method, one important thing we have to talk about is gamification. In the TGIM Method, it can be extremely helpful to create games to motivate people. Games are fun, motivating, and addicting. They can make work not really seem like work.
Years ago, there was this huge push to make the workplace more gamified. While the conversation around gamification has died down since then, I still believe that it can be a fantastic way to motivate your colleagues and embody the TGIM Method.
There’s nothing more fun than games. And if you really think about it, chances are that on the weekends, we are spending some time playing games with friends or family. Considering this, why not bring games to our work week and start those games on Mondays? Why not try to gamify our work and bring that lightness and positivity to the office?
Granted, this may be easier said than done. Coming up with your own games is time-intensive. Further, the games that you develop may not be engaging enough for you and your colleagues. Even if this happens, stick with it. Try to do some independent research and see how other companies have gamified their offices. While this may take some time, putting in the work and gamifying your office can help you embrace the TGIM Method.
Along with gamification, one of our favorite ways to embody the TGIM Method is to focus on creation. This is the idea that you can actually create something during your week with your team. It’s fun for everyone involved because creation is a core part of what we want to do as human beings. There is something inherently satisfying about creating something and sharing it with the world.
As you can probably guess, there are plenty of ways that you and your colleagues can create. If you have watched our videos or read our blog, you undoubtedly know that all of us at Dubb are obsessed with video. A great way to infuse creation and creativity into the workplace is to create a YouTube channel or some other type of regular video show. Your videos don’t even need to be that long. They can simply be one to two minute videos that can be watched solely by your colleagues or shared with your clients and prospects.
If you don’t want to create a video channel, you can think about starting a blog or even a podcast. The great thing about creating digital content today is that it is extremely easy to get started. If you want to start a blog, for instance, you can easily create one on your WordPress, Wix, or Squarespace website. You can even use Substack to get started. And as for podcasting, tools like Anchor let you easily create your own show. All you need is a phone and Internet connection and you can get started.
These are just some ideas to get you started. Once you actually start that YouTube channel, blog, or podcast, ideas will start flowing. Considering all of this, you are in a great position if you can marry fun and creation. Your team is happy, your prospects are happy, your clients are happy, and you are happy. Specifically, you and your colleagues are inspired by the fact that you are creating something new and sharing it with the rest of the world. Your clients and prospects are also happy because they are getting valuable content from your company (which makes it much more likely that they will purchase your product or service).
Ultimately, when you are being creative, you are building. And when you are building, you are creating that momentum that you need as a team. That momentum is precious and something that can help you in your creative and non-creative work. TGIM and momentum are almost synonymous, so you will want to focus on prioritizing efforts and strategies that build momentum within your office.
Finally, when you are creating, you are also leaving a legacy. Maybe you aren’t in charge of your company. You may be an employee at your company, whether you just got hired or have been working there for some time. You can still take great pride in what you do and can adopt that TGIM attitude. In fact, you can focus on the creative elements of your own task and leave a legacy for your team. And if you are in charge of your company or sales department? You have significant freedom and leeway to leave a legacy. Granted, that legacy may be positive or it may be negative. There is no guarantee that any of us will leave a positive legacy. But at the same time, you can move pieces on the metaphorical chess board to leave the legacy that you want to leave. Much of that comes from embracing creation and creativity, so don’t hesitate to embed that within your culture.
In the end, remember this: Monday is when your legacy starts. Because of this, thank God it’s Monday.
Team Building Through the TGIM Method
The TGIM Method is a major factor in getting your team motivated for the week. It can also help you understand the dynamics of what they are going through.
Think of it this way: whether you own your business or are an employee at your business, you most likely have family outside of work. At the same time, you have to realize that when you are at work, you are spending more time there than with your family. This is especially true if you have a demanding job. Even on the weekends, you may be spending more time than you’d like answering phone calls and responding to urgent emails. It’s a difficult situation and something that we are all trying to navigate. In a world that is only getting faster and more demanding, we all need to think about how we can find balance in our personal and professional lives.
To make it through these challenges, you and your colleagues need to have the proper mindset and strategy with the TGIM Method. Think about it: if you have the wrong attitude and you are spending more time at work than with your family, it is much more likely that you will be negative or sullen at work.
So what can we do? I think one of the best ways to overcome these challenges is to bring that familial atmosphere into the office. I’m not saying that your work family is more important than your actual family. That being said, embracing community, warmth, and positivity in your office makes it that much easier to get the most out of your colleagues.
I think that one of the best definitions of being a leader is removing roadblocks from your team and your clients. By doing this, you can help them attain more joy. This is an important point. If you have an attitude that you cannot wait until the weekend, chances are that you are going to have a really difficult time inspiring that optimism, positivity, and joy within your team. The way to bring joy to people is to be the first one in the office and the last one to leave—all with a big, shiny smile on your face.
My favorite saying of all time is, “Bring joy to others.” There is nothing else that is more important. That said, my new favorite saying is, “Let’s make work like a Sunday barbeque.” Both of these sayings are crucial to the TGIM Method. Joy and a familial culture can make the workplace that much more invigorating, interesting, and engaging. Don’t hesitate to rely on these traits—in both good times and tougher times.
Take Advantage of Humor
In this episode of RevShow, I brought on a special guest. That special guest was my son Donny. I brought him on because I wanted to ask him a simple question. I wanted to ask Donny how he could make Monday more fun. In other words, I was asking what Donny could do so that he could feel more excited about his activities each week. He initially said he couldn’t think of anything, but I asked him some more questions. I asked him why he enjoyed building Legos. Donny answered that it was fun. Donny is a funny kid and someone who uses his humor to build strong relationships with others.
We can also see humor in the corporate world. Chances are that most of the keynote speeches that you have attended started with a joke. The speakers saw humor as a way to immediately connect with the audience. The jokes can be everything from a crack about a red-eye flight, the hair transplant they just got, or why they slept in late and almost missed the presentation.
The point here is that humor breaks the ice. It brings people together and makes us a little bit more vulnerable. Better yet, this vulnerability helps us connect. It signals awareness that we are not perfect. All of us are flawed human beings who make mistakes from time to time. Humor is a great way to signal this reality and build strong connections and relationships with our audiences.
That’s not all. Humor attracts and gravitates people toward you. Clearly, that is so important in business and sales. Naturally, sales is all about making connections and building trust. If you aren’t able to build that trust, you are going to find it extremely difficult to make sales and build long-term relationships. Humor can be your secret weapon as you look to build those connections.
You have probably noticed that the leader in the room isn’t the smartest person in that room. That leader, however, is probably the funniest person. If they aren’t the funniest, they probably are the most humble. There is a key lesson here and one that you’ll want to internalize, whether you are implementing the TGIM Method in your office or are simply looking to get more from your employees.
Anxiety Versus Anticipation
We couldn’t talk about the TGIM Method without talking about mental health. It’s a really important topic for all of us, but it is especially important for CEOs and sales leaders.
When you have a TGIM attitude, that attitude is going to inspire both you and the people around you. It may even inspire people that you don’t even know. It has that sort of multiplier effect. Considering all of this, positivity is one of the biggest things that you can have in business. This is why we referenced the idea of “Thank God It’s Friday” at the beginning of this post. You are bringing that excitement and positivity about Friday and moving it to Monday.
Along with this, there is this idea of anxiety versus anticipation. I opened up the video and blog post referencing this idea of burnout. Many people are burnt out and they may not actually know it. They may be attracted to vices in order to overcome the fact that they are burnt out. The reality is that going on a vacation and having a bunch of martinis is not going to solve your problem. In fact, it is probably going to make it worse.
The key here is balance and mindfulness. I saw a great TED Talk where the speaker talked about looking to the future with anxiety or anticipation. If we look at the future with anxiety, it’s much easier to become filled with negativity and fear. Chances are that which we fear and that which concerns us will become true.
On the other hand, we can look at the future with anticipation. When we do this, we have hope and positivity. Even better, we attract people. Remember that as sales leaders, our work is all about attraction. It’s about attracting team members, recruiting, attracting clients, attracting referrals, and attracting more success and happiness for you and your team.
Remember: positivity is contagious. That is why we have spent all of this time talking about it. If you embrace a positive attitude toward your work and are positive coming into the office on Mondays, your colleagues will absolutely notice. Have a bias for anticipation over anxiety.
Taking Advantage of the TGIM Method
No matter where you are in your sales or marketing career, you can use the TGIM Method to get more out of yourself and your team. You will not only feel more inspired, but you will actually see your ambitious goals come to life.
Granted, it is difficult to remain positive and optimistic all the time. Life has its ups and downs, whether those ups and downs are in your personal life, professional life, or both. Even considering that, I encourage you to keep the TGIM Method in mind. Be deliberate about controlling your mindset and expressing positivity and optimism in the workplace. Your colleagues will appreciate it and they will be more likely to be positive and optimistic themselves. In the end, it is a wise investment and one that will absolutely pay off in spades.
At Dubb, we love talking about the TGIM Method, sales, marketing, and how you can use video to reach your goals. If you would like to learn more about Dubb and how it can help you in your sales and marketing work, click here. You can also click here to sign up for a free 14-day trial of our premium plans. Any questions? You can always reach out to us by clicking here.
Leave A Comment