"When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor." - Elon Musk

Couldn't believe how far I had fallen. We all have been there before, yet it seems like it could never happen to us right?

Leading the entire company in sales one month to being lower half the next? What happened? Did I change? What am I doing wrong?

Once you get on a roll, you think you have finally learned something, finally mastered something. Then everything changes.

I bet you are like me, where at first you are confused, maybe even in denial.

When I was in my first sales position out of college, we had a ranking system. It was in the days of the NCAA American College Football BCS ranking system, so obviously we called our ranking list the BCS. Every night it was updated. Every. Single. Night. That meant, the entire sales team would gather to "discuss" the results. Probably not the best environment for showing customer love...

When your name begins to fall you first ignore it, then you create excuses, and then you worry. It is the same in any life endeavor, often we ignore and deny rather than be proactive the minute we see what is happening. It takes a minute to understand.

But then you wake up, you realize, and it hurts to admit the truth. But when you ask yourself the hard questions, admitting the truth is the only forward.

So after asking myself, I asked my early career mentors what was happening... (Thanks: Victor Antonio, Ben Unfried, Boyd Hoffman, Derris Moore, Brock Smith, Ross Weber, Jason Porter, Jon Millar) why was I not producing? I started reading more books, I started listening to more audio programs.

“No one changes the world who isn’t obsessed.” - Billie Jean King

When I began to ask and study I truly began to learn.

I had to admit that while maybe my "actions" hadn't changed that much, my mind was not as proactively engaged in the goal of progress.

While navigating the stormy seas of sales, I learned that there are actually 7 C's that drive true sales success. I had stagnated because I wasn't actively focused on the 7 C's of Sales.

Master these, and you will be able to help so many:

Communication - No matter what else is in place, if the message is not understood, nothing ever happens. Clarity and simplicity must be the root of your communication. No relationships are formed and no value is ever shared without solid communication. This is the foundation of all sales. 

Care (includes: curiosity, compassion, and craftsmanship) - While not the foundation, this is the #1 most important characteristic of great sales professionals. No one cares about you until he or she knows how much you care about them. When you care, you will do anything and everything to become better and to help others. Your care for the problem and for the customer is driven by humility. 

• Curiosity: The desire to understand and learn erases most skill-gaps. Curiosity is what allows you to understand others and the situation and see the big picture. Curiosity means you are humble enough to learn, which means you are humble enough to help. 
• Compassion: This is what drives you to help others. 
• Craftsmanship: When you care you will do whatever it takes to become the best in your field, you will develop the skills, abilities, and knowledge you need. When you are a master of your craft, your message will be clear and your results and effort will be trusted. 

Character - true character is about honesty, keeping your word, sharing truth, transparency, aligned goals, and not having to remember what you said. Winning relationships are fortified by strong character. 

Confidence - You need to instill confidence in others. They need to believe that you and your product (service) will help them gain value, reduce risk, and reduce costs. This is about taking action and showing enthusiasm. No amount of skill can make up for lack of action. Passion insights confidence. Confidence is an emotion as well as an action. 

Courage - Your ability to say what needs to be said, to do what needs to be done at the right time is how you display courage. It won't be easy to tell someone they are wrong, or their idea won't work, but being courageous is what allows space for growth. You know what must be done, you know the right way to do things, taking the right action is the only way to show courage. 

Creativity - Boring doesn't get remembered. Be creative to create an impression. Boring is hard work. Engage your team, your client, and your prospects by doing things differently. When mundane activities become new and fresh, they are much easier to embrace. Creativity creates excitement and buy-in.

Commitment - When you get others to keep commitments, everyone improves. Keeping commitments is the openly way relationships progress. Actions need to happen in order for change to take place. Keep your commitments and help others keep theirs. 

When I learned these, my life changed. So did my career. So will yours.

Summary: #Communication, #Care (#Curiosity, #Compassion, #Craftsmanship), #Character, #Confidence, #Courage, #Commitment

Everything you do needs to be wrapped in value.

Everything you say must be pointed in one direction, and that is giving other people what they want and need and aspire to be.

If you can remember to master the 7 C's of Sales, you will change your life and the life of so many others.

Your Turn: **What advice or ideas have learned about driving relationships that create mutual value?? What are your tips and wisdom, what has helped guide you to where are you are today??