Find A Win In The Process
Selling is one of those professions that gets glamorized because of what it looks like when you win. The?big commission checks, the big personalities, and the "finer things in life" all come to mind.
Almost nobody (unless you're in the profession) thinks about the grind. The long hours, the late nights, another airport terminal, and hoping that customer does what they said they were going to do...
All the glamour takes much more work than most people will ever know. I don't know of an overnight success that took any less than ten years to make it happen.
Early in my career, one of my first managers advised me to "not get too high with the highs or too low with the lows." This is?much easier said than done, and I didn't have context for what that really meant until much later in my career.?
I sum it up like this:
If you focus on a process, you'll get results. If you focus on results, you'll get frustrated.
So?much of your success in sales is going to depend on external factors outside of your control. You can't make anybody buy. You can really only put yourself in a position to make a sale. The more you do that, the more sales you'll make, even when an industry trend, a corporate decision, or some other Act of God gets in the way of the final signature. Nobody bats 1.000.
You need to celebrate the small things. Find a win in the introduction, the referral, and the first discovery meeting. Recognize what you can do to earn those things and take action. Get granular about what success really means and what you can control.
You can be sure to make those calls, go to those networking events, and ask for those introductions. You can ensure that you're knowledgeable in your industry and a resource for your clients.
Put yourself in more positions to win, and you'll win more often.?
When I?stopped measuring my monthly revenue against my quota and started measuring the number of sales appointments I booked, my revenue?tripled.
Last week, I was speaking with one of my reps about this. I referred to myself as a "sicko" for the process and the grind. While I don't expect you, her, or anyone else to take the same pleasure in the process, that mindset shift will make all the difference in your success.?
Like anything else in life, the more you focus on the things that matter, the more fulfillment you'll achieve.
Until next week,
JB
PS—Speaking of the process, in just a few weeks, I'm playing in the Chosen Vision Charity Golf Marathon again. Playing 100+ holes in a single day will groove my swing for the season. It's always a test for me. A $100 donation will get you into the summer sales coaching cohort again, too. You'll be hard-pressed to find a better value for a donation like this.
SentinelOne | Force For Good | Cybersecurity Evangelist
6 个月Jeff Bajorek Amen! I learned this in my 1st 12 Week Year, which was tied to an outcome I did not fully control.
Global Speaker on Deliberate Disruption & Courage | Inspiring Teams, Leaders and Associations to Drive Growth and Innovation | Speaker | Leadership Coach | Author | Storyteller | Harvard MBA Sales Coach
6 个月So very true Jeff Bajorek - so glad you're loving the new iteration!
I’m That Kidney Transplant Sales Guy ?? Outbound Sales Advisor @ The SD Lab | Sales Development, Sales Coach, Repeatable & Scalable Growth Expert
6 个月Trust the process!
Jeff, I always look forward to your Sunday columns. This is one of your very best. Spot on!
Helping sales "reps" be sales PROfessionals. Smart Calling? prospecting and inside sales trainer/keynote speaker | Award-winning author | TheArtofSales.com podcast
6 个月Excellent points, Jeff! We control the process. Stressing about results causes many people to feel rejection and failure.