If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. This has been cited as a Chinese proverb, and African proverb, and a motivational quote. Regardless of its origin, it's a powerful statement that can help us all excel.
I personally fall in the trap of speed. Execute…..and move on. Clean or sloppy, get it done and press forward. This trap preys on two virtues that challenge me, patience and self-control (or just control). I love my ideas, and I can get it done faster by myself.
This goes against my core belief that we were designed and built to work in community. Each of us within a community (organization, team, family, congregation, etc…) is a piece of a puzzle that alone can only go so far, but together can complete a purpose.
It is important that we surround ourself with others that share our purpose, but are strong in areas where we are not……but, that's only the first (and easiest) step. The more difficult step is relying on them, calling on them, and trusting in them to work in their areas of grace.
As Salespeople, we have teammates that, if allowed, can help us to achieve levels that we haven't before. Good organizations will continually surround us with people and resources that will allow us to maximize our time spent doing what we love to do…..sell. Touch more people, and increase our close rate…..those are our objectives in reaching these new levels.
In 2016 - I have challenged myself to allow those around me to do what they do best. To fight off my "control freak" nature, and to be patient as excellence is achieved. I challenge you to do the same. See how far you can go, when working together.
Monday, January 4, 2016
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Keep Your Business Personal
It's common for people to suggest to keep your business life and your personal life separate. Why? I've never really understood that. There are 2 fundamental reasons that this doesn't work for me:
1 - When trying to incorporate separate business and personal lives, sometimes people take on 2 different personas. If you're wondering if you have 2 different personas, just ask yourself if people at work would be surprised to know how you spend your weekends. This works for some, but seems like hard work to me.
2 - I believe that truly successful people do not turn on and off like a light-switch. I'm not talking about vacation and downtime, we all need as much of that as we can get. I'm talking about the person that we portray at work. If I portray a trustworthy, high-moral, family man at work...........I can't risk you seeing me out somewhere on the weekend that would make you question that. I can't turn that on and off.
The high-moral, family man thing is only an example......not a suggestion. I actually believe that people, in general, aren't as concerned about what type of person you are/life you lead..........they just want it to be consistent. This is not a message about morals and values.
Also - I'm not suggesting that you invite work connections into your family life. That's an individuals decision whether or not to do that. I am suggesting that the YOU that your family knows, should be the same YOU that your work connections know. Don't separate the two - it's hard work and will create problems for you in the future.
I don't like long posts, so I'm going to keep it at that for now. Future posts on the same topic will discuss:
** I do take it personal when I lose
** We do need to make business decision with our heart, and not just our brain
** There is a time when it's OK to "pretend" you're better than you really are
1 - When trying to incorporate separate business and personal lives, sometimes people take on 2 different personas. If you're wondering if you have 2 different personas, just ask yourself if people at work would be surprised to know how you spend your weekends. This works for some, but seems like hard work to me.
2 - I believe that truly successful people do not turn on and off like a light-switch. I'm not talking about vacation and downtime, we all need as much of that as we can get. I'm talking about the person that we portray at work. If I portray a trustworthy, high-moral, family man at work...........I can't risk you seeing me out somewhere on the weekend that would make you question that. I can't turn that on and off.
The high-moral, family man thing is only an example......not a suggestion. I actually believe that people, in general, aren't as concerned about what type of person you are/life you lead..........they just want it to be consistent. This is not a message about morals and values.
Also - I'm not suggesting that you invite work connections into your family life. That's an individuals decision whether or not to do that. I am suggesting that the YOU that your family knows, should be the same YOU that your work connections know. Don't separate the two - it's hard work and will create problems for you in the future.
I don't like long posts, so I'm going to keep it at that for now. Future posts on the same topic will discuss:
** I do take it personal when I lose
** We do need to make business decision with our heart, and not just our brain
** There is a time when it's OK to "pretend" you're better than you really are
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Go.......and Be.
This can be taken in many different contexts, but lets think Business for now: There is a difference between Believers and Disciples. A Believer will believe in their products, their service, their message, their strategy, their intentions.........whatever it is their selling, but they may leave it at that. A Disciple believes as well, but then goes out and lives it........and makes other Believers.
In Sales we talk about it, that's actually what we do for a living. We talk to our bosses about how much we're going to sell, how we're going to sell it, and who we're going to sell it to. Then we talk to our clients about how great it is, how they need to buy it, and how much of it they need to buy. Then we talk to our family and friends about how much we're selling and how their companies should have more sales guys like us. It's what we do..........we are Believers. We talk about it.
We need more Disciples, the ones who can go BE about it. These guys (and girls) still have to talk about it (it's what they do), but it sounds different. There is a passion and confidence that is different. It's not a "do-you-buy-in" message, it's a "watch and join in" message. "Here's why you should buy from me" changes to "let's see if we are a good fit for each other." Everyone around them wants to follow, they want to feed from that success. Disciples don't cut corners or bend expectations to clients. They promise and deliver. They don't have to talk to friends and family about their success. Success, leadership, integrity........simply follow and surround them. These things are in their DNA.
It is a process. These things go hand-in-hand, and are an evolving relationship. It grows over time, and continues to grow as you live it. You Believe, and then you Go and Be. Summed up in a common phrase: "Don't talk about it, Be about it." BEing about it is what we all strive for, that's when we've hit our sweet-spot, and that's when we're having the true impact that we are called to.
In Sales we talk about it, that's actually what we do for a living. We talk to our bosses about how much we're going to sell, how we're going to sell it, and who we're going to sell it to. Then we talk to our clients about how great it is, how they need to buy it, and how much of it they need to buy. Then we talk to our family and friends about how much we're selling and how their companies should have more sales guys like us. It's what we do..........we are Believers. We talk about it.
We need more Disciples, the ones who can go BE about it. These guys (and girls) still have to talk about it (it's what they do), but it sounds different. There is a passion and confidence that is different. It's not a "do-you-buy-in" message, it's a "watch and join in" message. "Here's why you should buy from me" changes to "let's see if we are a good fit for each other." Everyone around them wants to follow, they want to feed from that success. Disciples don't cut corners or bend expectations to clients. They promise and deliver. They don't have to talk to friends and family about their success. Success, leadership, integrity........simply follow and surround them. These things are in their DNA.
It is a process. These things go hand-in-hand, and are an evolving relationship. It grows over time, and continues to grow as you live it. You Believe, and then you Go and Be. Summed up in a common phrase: "Don't talk about it, Be about it." BEing about it is what we all strive for, that's when we've hit our sweet-spot, and that's when we're having the true impact that we are called to.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The Magic of Joy
I can't believe how often I forget this. It is so easy, so controllable, and such a differentiator. We want to be around joy. Seasons, holidays, places, and people.........we all have our favorites that bring us joy.
We are drawn to people that bring joy into the room with them. You know the type, and if you're lucky, you are naturally the type. Here's the thing: we all have the ability to find our state of mind in which we bring joy with us!! We do, there is no doubt in my mind. It's harder for some than others, for sure. But joy can also look different in each of us. Some are loud and jovial, some are quiet and kind, some simply care, etc.... Regardless of how you show it, people can feel genuine joy when it's in the room.
So to sales - as I forget it, it always amazes me the different type of responses that joyful salespeople get during sales calls. They have an easier time getting appointments, the appointments last longer, the conversations get deeper, the relationships get stronger, and the clientele builds. Joyful salespeople are welcomed with open arms. And we can control this? I think we can. So why don't we? Because we forget. We worry about the things that are out of our control, and forget about the things that are in our control. We focus on the technical aspects of sales, and forget about simple salesmanship. We think that people buy into the best sales pitch, and we forget that people buy from who they like.
Everyone likes joy. You simply can't go wrong by adding this into your daily arsenal.
We are drawn to people that bring joy into the room with them. You know the type, and if you're lucky, you are naturally the type. Here's the thing: we all have the ability to find our state of mind in which we bring joy with us!! We do, there is no doubt in my mind. It's harder for some than others, for sure. But joy can also look different in each of us. Some are loud and jovial, some are quiet and kind, some simply care, etc.... Regardless of how you show it, people can feel genuine joy when it's in the room.
So to sales - as I forget it, it always amazes me the different type of responses that joyful salespeople get during sales calls. They have an easier time getting appointments, the appointments last longer, the conversations get deeper, the relationships get stronger, and the clientele builds. Joyful salespeople are welcomed with open arms. And we can control this? I think we can. So why don't we? Because we forget. We worry about the things that are out of our control, and forget about the things that are in our control. We focus on the technical aspects of sales, and forget about simple salesmanship. We think that people buy into the best sales pitch, and we forget that people buy from who they like.
Everyone likes joy. You simply can't go wrong by adding this into your daily arsenal.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Identify the Season
From a very Macro level, to a very Micro level.........we can break moments of life down into seasons, each one intended to prepare you for the next. Lessons as a kid prepare you to be a teenager, preparing you to be a young adult, preparing you for middle-age, etc... Each is a season of life from a macro perspective.
As you get more micro, each responsibility is a season preparing you for the next responsibility. Each success, each failure, each opportunity............prepares you for the next. Some seasons are short-lived by design, and some seasons can last a good portion of your life. The importance from one season to the next is improvement...........which means something different for everyone.
In order to find your purpose of improvement, you must first identify the season that you're in.........even though you may not fully be aware of the next season in which you're preparing for. A season of discouragement may be preparing you to be able to lift up others in the future............allowing you to share true empathy for what they're going through. A season of financial struggle may be preparing you to become a more aware steward during better financial times in the future. You get the idea........
One of my Pastor's once told me "you need to call life what it is." He taught me to identify what the scenario is, what the situation is, what the season is...........identify the struggles and the blessings within that season, and allow them to make you better.
You don't need to worry about what your next season is, you likely don't have any control over it anyway. You need to identify this season, and allow it to mold you.......but not define you.
As you get more micro, each responsibility is a season preparing you for the next responsibility. Each success, each failure, each opportunity............prepares you for the next. Some seasons are short-lived by design, and some seasons can last a good portion of your life. The importance from one season to the next is improvement...........which means something different for everyone.
In order to find your purpose of improvement, you must first identify the season that you're in.........even though you may not fully be aware of the next season in which you're preparing for. A season of discouragement may be preparing you to be able to lift up others in the future............allowing you to share true empathy for what they're going through. A season of financial struggle may be preparing you to become a more aware steward during better financial times in the future. You get the idea........
One of my Pastor's once told me "you need to call life what it is." He taught me to identify what the scenario is, what the situation is, what the season is...........identify the struggles and the blessings within that season, and allow them to make you better.
You don't need to worry about what your next season is, you likely don't have any control over it anyway. You need to identify this season, and allow it to mold you.......but not define you.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
A New Mindset
I woke up this morning with this theme ringing loud and clear. We all have times when we need to hit the reset button, decompress, get away, recharge. Upon our return, if we approach the day-to-day in the same manner in which we were before, that recharge won't last long.
When we return from overwhelmed, we must approach things differently. It's not a change in strategy or skill set, but a change in mindset. A positive outlook, an assumption of success, the benefit of the doubt, a smile, seeking out a new relationship, the yearning for an influential conversation..................if any of these can be added into your daily mindset, you will see a major shift.
As salespeople, we have been given the gift of multiple daily transactions. These transactions are phone conversations, presentations, emails, and other interactions with people. As we approach each transaction, we are able to influence the tone and spirit (not always the outcome) of that interaction simply by the mindset in which we go into it with.
The people that you're interacting with will feel it, and feed off of it. Not only will things go more positively, but you will turn into someone that they will want to interact with more regularly.
When we return from overwhelmed, we must approach things differently. It's not a change in strategy or skill set, but a change in mindset. A positive outlook, an assumption of success, the benefit of the doubt, a smile, seeking out a new relationship, the yearning for an influential conversation..................if any of these can be added into your daily mindset, you will see a major shift.
As salespeople, we have been given the gift of multiple daily transactions. These transactions are phone conversations, presentations, emails, and other interactions with people. As we approach each transaction, we are able to influence the tone and spirit (not always the outcome) of that interaction simply by the mindset in which we go into it with.
The people that you're interacting with will feel it, and feed off of it. Not only will things go more positively, but you will turn into someone that they will want to interact with more regularly.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Lead with Positivity
I'm sure that I've posted on this in the past, but re-stating it is as much for my own benefit as anyone else's.
A team feels, follows, and operates as their Leader leads. If you as a Leader plan and approach with the assumption of success, the team will follow and move forward with that same assumption. If you project positivity, so will those around you. Positivity breeds positivity, just as success breeds success. Negativity feels "out of place" in a room of positivity, and will either transform or weed itself out.
There is a common saying that a team is only as strong as its weakest link. I don't necessarily agree with this. I would say that a team is only as strong as its leadership will allow it to be.
As leaders, we should work on surrounding ourselves with teammates that are better than us......then put the resources in place to exploit their strengths. All of this is nurtured through positivity. Your teammates will see it in your eyes, and feel it in your vibe. You can't fake positivity, you must live it. Your entire team will assume success as a result.
A team feels, follows, and operates as their Leader leads. If you as a Leader plan and approach with the assumption of success, the team will follow and move forward with that same assumption. If you project positivity, so will those around you. Positivity breeds positivity, just as success breeds success. Negativity feels "out of place" in a room of positivity, and will either transform or weed itself out.
There is a common saying that a team is only as strong as its weakest link. I don't necessarily agree with this. I would say that a team is only as strong as its leadership will allow it to be.
As leaders, we should work on surrounding ourselves with teammates that are better than us......then put the resources in place to exploit their strengths. All of this is nurtured through positivity. Your teammates will see it in your eyes, and feel it in your vibe. You can't fake positivity, you must live it. Your entire team will assume success as a result.
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