We were talking about what it takes to be a successful Commissioned Salesperson. Jim asked, “What is the difference between a Salesperson who “does okay” and someone who is highly successful?” He was looking for a short, very straightforward response. Something very bottom-line. Here was my answer in black-and-white…The difference between average and overachievement in sales:
You make the transition from WANTING TO DO certain tasks to HAVING TO DO those tasks.
You may have to read that one again… the difference is whether or not the important components of your Sales Business are optional. Are they “maybe do’s” or are they “must do’s”? In other words, do you just want to do something or do you flat-out have to do something? I have some very specific answers for you…Here is your ACTION STEP…Think of the way you run your life right now. There are certain components of your life that reflect your values. These values are not negotiable… there is no option. An example would be, “it is not optional for me to provide a good living for my family” or “it is not optional for me to drive on the right side of the road”. You don’t think about these things, you just do the right thing. When it comes to deciding between WANTING TO DO something and HAVING TO DO something you have to remove the option. Here’s some examples for your sales business…
HAVE TO vs WANT TO… NOT OPTIONAL
1. I have to contact a certain number of prospects every day
(example: 15 – 20)
2. I have to work a certain number of days each week
(example: 5 – 5 ½)
3. I have to have/review a Business Plan to keep me on track (example: weekly)
4. I have to have/review a list of Personal Goals to keep me motivated (example: daily)
You can call this list your “HAVE TO’s” if you like. In reality, this list is can be longer than the four points identified above. Just don’t make it too long. It then becomes cumbersome and self-defeating. The important message here is that as long as something is optional, it will not get done consistently… especially on the days you don’t feel up to it. The days something “doesn’t get done” are the days that destroy your success. It’s a simple progression… if you HAVE to succeed then you will remove the option’s. Said another way… OPTIONAL IS NOT AN OPTION. If you just WANT TO succeed then you are inviting inconsistency. So there you have it… the Big Secret. All you have to do now is make up your list of HAVE TO’s and remove the options. NO Excuses.