In today’s world of remote employees and the tsunami of tools available it is easy to get lost in the growing maze of technology and life. Field sales are an important part of any business and developing the right discipline is vital to succeed in what is in most cases a very lonely career path. Why is it lonely, well it can be very lonely because you are in fact alone to face the customer, face your boss and face the necessary decisions needed to develop and grow your business? Whether you’re selling widgets or delivering on a problem solving service there is a road map that is universal, that road map starts with you.
Do you believe in what you are doing?
It is a little cliché to ask that question, however I have always wondered why something so elementary gets overlooked. It doesn’t really matter whether you’re selling a 1 dollar product or a Billion dollar product it’s typically the same outcome for the majority of folks in field sales. As a leader when you are coaching about belief whether it is in person or threw a virtual mean the rolling of the eyes can really pierce the soul. If you are a leader and are reading this you know exactly what that feels like.
So how do we penetrate that mindset of the excuse maker the one who doesn’t seem to have the will to do what it takes to succeed, do we show them the door or do we dig a little deeper?
I have a few thoughts on the subject that may help you get out of the weeds and re-light that fire in the belly. Perhaps help find that surge of enthusiasm for a few that was once their when the field was fresh and unknown. Here are a few areas of adjustment to think about as you recharge your business:
Attitude: Have you ever heard the term “Garbage in, garbage out!” well the reverse is also true. “Greatness in, greatness out” and without the right attitude greatness can never be achieved. A lot of things that happen in life can affect our direction and strategy. How we react to those changes can have a direct relationship with our attitudes. If we can maintain control of our perspective of life’s changes we can maintain the right attitude when executing our daily plans. In the history of selling there has never been a positive outcome of a person who went into a transaction with a bad attitude. So today would be a good day to start with a great attitude.
Environment: Surround yourself with the right people, the heavy hitters, and the game changers that are never satisfied. Being around people that constantly strive to be great is contagious. Jim Rohn was right; “we are the average of the five people we spend the most of our time with“. So surround yourself with the right people because the wrong people have already given up on themselves. As well-meaning as they seem for them seeing a peer giving up on a dream only helps them validate their own bad choices, surround yourself with players and slayers and the world is yours!
Execution: It’s one thing to plan it, say it and write it down for all to see it’s another to actually get out there and do it. You can have an excellent plan of attack but without the right attitude or environment to execute that plan your results will fall short, Peter Drucker famously said that “Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work”. Working to your potential will always require doing what others simply refuse to do. This is where the majority seems to fall short and seems to give up trying. Getting out there and staying on course of a well thought out plan leaving you room to learn and continue moving forward will always lead to success.
All of this sounds pretty basic, however it is a stone cold fact. Your plan will only fail if your around the wrong people feeding the wrong attitude and keeping you from doing the right work necessary to achieve greatness. Start today and be GREAT!
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