NEVER TOO LATE…the Toronto Blue Jays acquired utility baseball player José Bautista late in 2009. At the time he was 26 years old, had been in the league five years, and was considered a "throw in" to complete a larger trade. Quite understandable considering he was drafted in the 20th round by the Pittsburgh Pirates and subsequently played for four other teams before coming to Toronto. No one thought much about it because at that point his career statistics were anything but remarkable. Then something happened! Mr. Bautista became a star almost overnight in 2010. He had 54 home runs that year. He currently leads the major leagues with 31 home runs halfway through the 2011 season. His batting average is in excess of .330. He received more votes for the 2011 All-Star game than any other player in history! On top of all that, he has taken on a new role with his team and has become the team leader. So what happened?… Simply put he says, "I started working on my game with much more intention. I decided if I was going to be an overachiever I would have to make some changes. Plus…I got a lot of help making those changes".
Here is your ACTION STEP… the message here is that "even after several years in the league" any Salesperson can generate significantly improved results! You are never stuck at one level! Needless to say, there is a price to pay. What is that price?…
1. Make the decision that you're NOT going to settle for your production.
2. Decide that you're going to PAY THE PRICE no matter what.
3. CRITICAL: Work on your Sales Skills for a minimum of 30 minutes every morning before the day begins. NO Excuses (there is no short cut on this).
4. Work all the time that you work and take scheduled time off so you don't get burned out.
5. Hire a Coach… as the expression goes, "If you see a turtle on a fence post, you can be sure he had help getting there".
It's Never Too Late! José Bautista's story is very inspirational and considering the skill required, his turnaround is quite remarkable. Regardless, all Salespeople can write the same story for themselves. Decide, plan, act, and pay the price. As a final note, this does not mean you have to give up your personal life. It means you have to give up your current life because it's not getting you to that next level. Even if you have been in the Sales Game for a long time, it doesn't mean you can't change your results dramatically! Follow these steps. NO Excuses.