Brutal Honesty Part III: If YOU Can't Challenge Yourself To Improve Then How Can You Challenge Your Clients To Improve?
Larry Levine
In a world of empty suits, I’m leading a movement of authenticity, integrity, and trust inside the sales profession
"If you don't challenge yourself, you will never realize what you can become"
THEDAILYQUOTES.COM
Being brutally honest with yourself as a sales professional is tough. If you want to succeed in sales you must get brutally honest with your career.
How are you as a sales professional continually evaluating yourself to improve to become better at what you do?
Brutal Honesty: How Self Reflection Is Essential To Becoming A Better Sales Professional addresses how daily self-reflection allows us to understand what is important, and to focus on what might be done differently.
If I can’t lead myself, how could I possibly lead other people?
In Brutal Honesty Part II: How Well Do You Know YOU As A Sales Professional? This simple statement sums it up...
"If you don't know yourself then how can you help your clients?"
SELF-AWARENESS MEANS KNOW YOURSELF
Quite simple, self-awareness means you know yourself so well that you become amazingly happy which in turn allows you to live a wonderfully balanced life.
- Are you living as the real you and not someone else?
- Do your thoughts match your actions?
- Does your walk match your talk?
- Are you emphasizing the positive aspects of your personality?
Living a lie comes out sooner or later. Living a sales lies is even worse as this will ultimately screw with your career.
All of this leads to this...
If YOU, as a sales professional can't challenge yourself to improve then how can you challenge your clients to improve?
I CHALLENGE ALL SALES PROFESSIONALS, V.P. OF SALES AND EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Sometimes it's difficult to ask yourself self-directed questions; tough questions that challenge you to become a better person. It's not easy to have these conversations with yourself.
Why is this? Mental barriers such as ego or fear of what may be uncovered prevent some of us from being the best versions of ourselves.
The time is now to change all of that!
AM I INVESTING ENOUGH IN MYSELF?
As sales professionals, we invest in making sure our clients are well taken care of that sometimes we forget about ourselves.
Investing in yourself is clearly one of the best return on investments you can make. Whether it’s investing in learning a new skill, developing yourself professionally or personally, investing in community service; you need to give to yourself first before you can give to others.
Investing in yourself, this sends a powerful message to yourself and to those around you.
Consistently challenge yourself by:
- Setting goals
- Reading books
- Finding a mentor
- Helping out in the community
What can I do every day to work on me?
On a daily basis invest in yourself. When you are the best version of yourself, you will become an attraction magnet to others!
AM I HELPING OTHERS TO BECOME BETTER?
My motto has always been, "Help others without asking for anything in return as this will come back tenfold."
I have found the best people are those who empower and lift up others. What are you doing to help the people around you become better versions of themselves?
Two suggestions in how you can help others...
- Find a charity near and dear to your heart. Volunteering is the most fundamental act of citizenship and philanthropy in our society. Volunteering is the greatest gift you can give to those who need it the most.
- Get better acquainted with your clients. Build stronger more meaningful relationships with your clients. Help them do their job better. Help them do better business. Help them grow their business. Introduce them into your network of friends, peers and colleagues.
WHAT CAN I BE DOING EVEN BETTER?
As we get bit by the "success bug" in sales we also get bitten by the "complacency bug". Let's face the truth as it has happened to all of us at some point in time. You've been cruising along making good money, life is good and your career is going well, so why don't you think of what you could be doing differently to become even better?
Success can be blinding. Take off the dark sunglasses and uncover ways you could change to become even better at what you do.
Think of the 1% rule. What would happen if on a daily basis you made a 1% improvement to your personal and professional life?
If you make a 1% improvement every day, it would be an increase of 3778% over a year, meaning you would be 38 times better off compared to when you started. Isn't this worth the investment in challenging yourself every day?
IN CONCLUSION...
Challenges present several learning opportunities. If you’re consistently nurturing your mindset, you will build up a tolerance against negativities, procrastination, self-doubt and insecurities.
The more success you accumulate, the more challenges you’ll come across to maintain and grow it.
I encourage you to build confidence in your abilities. I challenge you both personally and professionally around these 5 areas:
- Seek to become an expert in your field of work
- Constantly crave feedback on YOU
- Be brutally honest with yourself
- Set goals and create a business plan
- Never ever stop learning
Please let me know how this works out for you.
If YOU Can't Challenge Yourself To Improve Then How Can You Challenge Your Clients To Improve?
I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and modern strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way!
In 2016, I was recognized by ENX Magazine as, “The Difference Maker,” as someone who is making a difference inside the B2B office technology sector. I am passionate about helping sales reps succeed in creating their online brand image
You can find more advanced training material inside the Social Sales Academy website.
I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my LinkedIn stories. Integrating the use of LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive copier world. With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire B2B Office Technology Sales Professionals to grow new business by helping them tell their story and communicate integrating the use of social media. My commitment is to help office technology dealers thrive in a drastically changing marketplace. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Social Sales Academy and on my podcast at Selling from the Heart.
Window and Door Manufacturer | Window Supplier | Window Replacement | Aluminium Windows Sydney
7 年Great post and good points. Enjoyed it!
Get Access to Buyers in a Tough Sales Climate | Partnering with Sales Leaders & Their Teams to Build a Referral System I Referrals: Your Fastest Revenue Driver | Unparalleled 70 Percent Conversion Rate
7 年I especially resonated with "invest in yourself." We tend to go at such a frantic pace. We just need to stop, take stock, and do something a little different everyday. (Well, every day may be stretching it, but certainly on a regular basis. Maybe every Friday?)
Coach to Top Dog Salespeople Author of 50 eLearning sales courses Originator of P.R.I.S.M. Solution Selling
7 年Inspirational post Larry, thank you. Constant efforts at improvement is hall mark of high performers. Sadly, so many Sales Leaders are focus only on the sales forecast and overlook completely the sales behaviours and process competency that create the forecast. Leading and coaching in these areas automatically improves quality, quantity and accuracy of the forecast. Salespeople can’t coach themselves on what they don’t know so Leaders must change their job description and Coach.
Head of Life Sciences Switzerland
7 年A Very well written article, lot of good insights, its great often remind you what is important and to be honest to not stay in the same spot. Also, previous two articles are excellent. Every salesperson should read it! Thank you Larry Levine for inspiration and good reminders.