Does He Belong?

THE BLADE RUNNER…on November 22, 1986, Oscar Pistorius was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He arrived with no fibulas on both legs. Eleven months later he underwent a double amputation operation. He was handicapped for life. Fast forward, he competed in the 2012 London Summer Olympics in both the 400 m and 4 X 100 relay races for his country. Oscar is the first double amputee to compete in the regular Olympics! His nickname is "the Blade Runner". How could he possibly do that, you ask? Oscar has incredible determination and world-class athletic ability. He runs with the aid of Cheetah Flex-Foot carbon fibretranstibial artificial limbs. HE BELONGS. Obviously this achievement did not come easily. Already a Paralympic legend, Pistorius had to fight the IAAF (Athletic Federation) just to be allowed to compete in the regular Olympics. Some said his artificial limbs gave him an advantage! Subsequent testing proved this not to be the case.

While in his teens, Oscar's mother passed away. She left him with a legacy of love and expectation of overachievement. She told her son… "A loser is not someone who gets involved and gets beaten… a loser is someone who does not get involved." Boy did he ever get involved! To watch Oscar being interviewed is enough to inspire even the most skeptical of individuals. Check him out on YouTube. He is gracious, incredibly positive, and grateful for all the support he receives. Here is his mantra… "You are not disabled by the disabilities you have – you are able by the abilities you have".

As a Salesperson you are bound to have some disabilities. You are also bound to have many abilities. What Oscar Pistorius is telling us is… forget about what you don't have and capitalize on what you do have.

Here is your ACTION STEP… for me, one of the blessings of doing so many Seminars and Coaching thousands of Salespeople over the years is to be exposed to so many great Salespeople every day. Here are examples of the special talents and abilities that I see. Everyone is blessed with some of the following:

YOUR SPECIAL SALES ABILITIES

1. People skills…people are attracted to you like a magnet

2. Thinking skills… you process information and arrive at a logical action plan

3. Learning skills… you pick things up quickly and use them to your advantage

4. High Energy and Enthusiasm… you have a capacity to do more than the average individual

5. Powerful Mindset… it's more than being positive… you are mentally tough

6. Curiosity… always learning, always growing, always ahead of the curve

7. Goal Driven… your determination makes you unstoppable, you decide on a target, you take action, and you get things done!

Etc., etc., etc. The above list could be much longer, guaranteed you have some of the above attributes and more. There is no medal awarded in life for "beating yourself up and wishing you were different". There are lots of medals awarded for taking your special abilities and "running with them" (sorry for the pun). You already know the things you are good at… build on these in your Sales Business. Take advantage of your special gifts. Do what Oscar Pistorius has done… inspire someone today (including yourself). NO Excuses.