You are LAZY!

In a conversation the other day I was speaking to an industry friend who is also a customer. We were talking about competition, work ethic, and strategy, especially in competitive situations. He simply said to me that he doesn't worry because he will outwork the competition. He is willing to put in more hours, study more, learn more and fight more diligently for that customer. In return, statistically, that pays off!

That was the most refreshing thing I have heard in a long time! So often we hear about how to work less. Is there really a substitute for hard work? I don't think so! The 4 hour work week...really!? There is no substitute for hard work. At some point, it will show through and your foundation will crumble!

I loved to play basketball when I was younger. One of my favorite mantras that our coach would tell us was:

“When you are not practicing, remember, someone somewhere is practicing, and when you meet them they will win.”– Ed Macauley

That can easily be applied to our work life! As a manufacturer's rep, I call on many accounts every week. A very effective approach is when we go in and make a joint sales call to their client. Our close rate has to be over 80%!  When I offer this no-charge service to my customers, it is shocking how many tell me their clients are busy and don't want to see them! Sit down and prepare for a shocker here...my most successful customers take me on many joint calls and their clients enjoy seeing them.  Coincidence that these businesses are shooting upward faster than a SpaceX rocket? I think not! Are they just lucky with the clients? I believe we all know the answer to this. The harder you work the luckier you get!

In a recent book by Stephen A Schwarzman, Chairman, and CEO of Blackstone, he discusses how he ran track and cross country all 4 years of high school. He relates that to hard work and how his coach at the time would say,

 " Remember—you’ve got to make your deposits before you can make a withdrawal!” 

 He talked about the cold, wind and rain, day after day putting in the miles. 

 Practice and preparation = execution and success! 

Have we taken the word laziness and translated it into efficiency? Are we using these words synonymously? I hope not, but I think so. Are we allowing "efficiency" to take over our relationships with clients? If there is not a person with a personality to buy from, why would I not buy online? We are undoubtedly in a world-changing at a geometric rate! However, people still enjoy buying from people they like. Disagree with me? I'll argue that all day long as I see it proven daily and my sales continue to grow!

Going forward, here are a few things I am doing to work harder:

• Roughly plan calendar at least 1 quarter in advance.
• My calendar is the law! If it makes it to the calendar, make it to the appointment!
• Business accountability group. Hold me accountable for the above.
• Balance spiritual life, family and fitness to build "muscle"
• Have vision of where I am going, how to get there and where I want to be.
• Give back where and whenever possible!

As we enter the holiday season, take a TRIP, grab a TOWEL, enjoy the SKYLINE and warm up in something UGLY.