"A year from now we’ll see who was really working."
I work in sales, and I can’t think of another profession where your day-to-day is filled with as many rejections. For those of you not in sales, imagine you are sitting on the ground and you go to stand up. As you are about halfway up, someone who is already standing pushes your shoulders back and you fall back on the ground. Now imagine doing this every day, for forty-one
years. It is not a hard stretch of the imagination to see why this is one of
the most emotionally draining professions. In order to succeed in sales, you
have to wake up every morning, block the past rejections from your memory and
start again fresh as if you’ve never been told “no” before.
Luckily, most salespeople are incredibly competitive and
goal-oriented. There is a target to hit and there are other salespeople in the
company trying to earn top marks, which fuels the salesperson. However, no matter
how competitive you are and no matter how badly you want to reach your goal,
Tuesdays in April exist. Let me explain what I mean by that.
Most companies have an annual sales meeting where they announce
the winners for all of the sales awards for the previous year. This normally
occurs in January after the year has ended and the final score has been
tallied. Whether you are sitting in a conference room with four sales people or
in a hotel conference room with 1,000 people, all sales people (the good ones
at least), dream of being the one whose name is called and get to go up on
stage in front of everyone and accept their award. All of those days of hard
work, on sunny days when people are out golfing, on snowy days when people stay
in, you were out there grinding to make the sale and finally, after all of that
effort, comes the recognition.
Whether you’re standing on stage beaming or sitting in the
audience sulking (I’ve been in both positions), you are filled with a certain
feeling. The realization that this is something to work toward. After several
beers with your colleagues, you leave the meeting back to your own territory
and begin work in the new year.
Much like a diet or new years resolution, you come out of
the gate hot. You’re making more cold calls than ever before, you’re reading
books on negotiation and closing, you’re practicing your pitches and redoing
your sales presentation. And then April hits. I’m from the Midwest so it’s when
the weather doesn’t suck any more. It starts to warm up, people are outside,
and you’ve had 3-4 months of solid rejections in this new year under your belt.
One Tuesday morning your alarm goes off and you’ve discovered the bottom of
your motivation barrel. You begin the negative self-talk, “what’s the point”
and “why do I even care that much”. Normally this negative head trash can
derail what would otherwise be a productive day but luckily for you, I have a
trick.
Every motivational speaker pounds into you, ad nauseum, that
you must identify your “why”. This is a pattern I have discerned from many years
of listening to motivational speakers and whenever I identify a pattern, I take
a keen interest in it. The reason it is so important to identify the “why”
behind your actions is because if you are doing it for yourself, you will let
yourself down.
This is why non-profits, charities and religions exist. People
find purpose in something that is bigger than themselves. If you have identified your “why”, then when
motivation is weak, you can reflect on your “why” and draw the motivation you
need to keep going. Remembering why you got started is a great way to help you continue.
The quote at the start of this post reflects that why. At
that annual sales meeting when you are all fired up, remember the frustration
that you felt watching your colleagues hoist the award. Remember the passion
you had to be number one, to hear your name called, to stand among your peers
at the top of your game. When it is Tuesday in April, and you don’t feel like
making one more call, remember that moment, transport yourself there, and get
after it.
This lesson transcends sales and can be applied to any part
of your life, personal or professional. The quote that started this article
points out a harsh truth that we rarely think about. The effort that we put in
today, will reveal itself in time. One day you will arrive at your destination
and you have to remember, that you made the appointment to be there. Whether
you’re training for a 5k or marathon, losing weight for a special event, saving
money for retirement, or just working at your job - at some point in time, all
of that effort will be put on display and you will either rise to the occasion
or be found wanting.
It is difficult for us to think long-term when instant gratification
exists (that’s what procrastination is made of). We put off what we “should” do
for what we want to do. In some cases, we are saved by the imminent deadline
that forces action, but in our daily life, the only deadline is death and often
times, by the time we realize it, it is too late.
Take action now in your life, remember your “why” and always
remember that a year from now, we’ll see who was really working.
Always Think Never Settle
