Josh Sims is a heck of a motivational Area Sales Manager and East Texas ball coach. A singer, he is not.

Doesn’t mean he hasn’t done it in front of an audience.

There’s one thing that stuck with Josh as a young kid growing up in a Southern Baptist Church. As a means to get Josh comfortable with being uncomfortable, his father routinely put Josh and his brother in the front of the church to sing as a trio. It’s not something he’d intended to do (or intends to do ever again). But it set the tone for him being OK with that.

The same methodology applies at Datamax. If you’re flying too close to your comfort zone every day, you’re in grave danger of not moving forward in your career.

“In order to grow as a person, you have to do something that’s different. If you’re going to do the same thing every day, your skillset will never change,” Josh said. “If you want to be a more well-rounded technician, or salesperson, or athlete, you have to do things you’re uneasy with.”

With that said, Josh offers 4 anecdotes from the sales bullpen and the ball field that will aid in the art of stepping outside of your comfort zone; whether you’re the “manager” leading the team, or the “player” trying to execute, Coach Sims has you covered.

1. Give the player a voice.

Coaching little league baseball, Josh had this trick up his sleeve. He’d set the mood during his typical pregame speech, and then he’d walk away.

"You have a pre-conversation with the player, but you tell them 'I want you to step up and say something and share with your teammate what the spirit needs to be. A lot of times, people don’t want to talk in front of their peers, but doing so is a big step forward for their confidence.”

2. Get their mind off their on-the-mound struggles.

We’ve probably all witnessed it during a youth baseball game. The pitcher is struggling, parents are screaming “Throw strikes,” and the tension is rising in the stands and on the mound.

“I’d walk out there as the coach and say, ‘Hey, what’s your favorite snow-cone?’ Sometimes it’s just about getting a player's mind off their uncomforting struggles. Then you follow up with, you know what you’re supposed to do. Relax and throw strikes.”

3. Get past the pre-game butterflies.

Players describe them often. Pre-game butterflies are a normal thing. But if you can’t manage or overcome them, it will inevitably affect your performance. Josh’s advice? Repetition, repetition.

“Some people are phone reluctant. Some are door-knock reluctant. They’re uneasy about how the person on the other side is going to react,” Josh said. “The worst thing that can happen is they’re going to tell you to leave, and really, that’s a pat on the back on you for being persistent. It’s about digging deep and doing these things you’re uncomfortable with over and over again.”

4. Gather up in the dugout.

Had a rough day?  Hung up on repeatedly? Your teammates have been there, too.

“Let’s face it, we’ve all got funny stories to share. When you see a group of people going through the same thing you are going through, that same luck and failure, you can come back to the office and have a conversation about it. Just getting the stories out there, so people can collectively have a little laugh out of it, will definitely grow your confidence.”