THE DISCIPLINE OF SALES
THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN BUSINESS SUCCESS IS SELLING. NOTHING HAPPENS UNTIL A SALE TAKE PLACE. ALL THE FACTORIES, BUSINESS, OFFICESS, AND PRODUCES OF GOODS AND SERVICES LEAP INTO ACTION ONLY WHEN SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE MAKES A SALE TO SOMEONE.
SELLING IS ONE OF THE HARDEST PROFESSIONS IN AMERICA. IT IS ALSO THE ONLY PROFESSION IN WHICH A PERSON CAN START WITH LIMITED SKILLS TO ACHIEVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST INCOMES IN OUR ECONOMY. MOVING ONWARD AND UPWARD IN SALES IS LIKE DRIVING ON THE AUTOBAHN IN GERMANY. THERE ARE NO SPEED LIMITS. YOU CAN GO AS FAR AND AS FAST AS YOU WANT BY STEPPING ON THE ACCELERATOR OF YOUR OWN AMBITION AND DETERMINATION TO EXCEL IN THE PROFESSION OF SALES.
DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO MAKE YOUR FIST CALL EARLY IN THE MORNING, 7.00 OR 8.00 AM. WHEN YOU START YOUR DAY WITH A FACE-TO-FACE SALES CALL, YOU WILL BE MOST ENERGIZED AND MOTIVATED TO CONTINUE SELLING ALL DAY LONG.
DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO CLUSTER YOUR CALLS IN A SMALL GEOGRAPHICAL AREA SO THAT YOU CAN GET FACE WITH MORE PEOPLE IN A SHORTER AMOUNT OF TIME. MANY SALES PEOPLE, BECAUSE OF THEIR FEAR OF REJECTION, SPREAD THEIR CALLS OUT BECAUSE OF THEIR FEAR OF REJECTION, SPREAD THEIR CALLS OUT OVER A LARGE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA THEN CONVINCE THEMSELVES THAT THEY ARE ACTUALLY WORKING WHEN THEY ARE REALLY SIMPLY DRIVING FROM CALL TO CALL.
REMEMBER: YOU ARE WORKING ONLY WHEN YOU ARE EAR TO EAR TO FACE TO FACE WITH SOMEONW WHO CAN AND WILL BUY WITHIN A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME. AT ALL OTHER TIMES, YOU ARE "UNEMPLOYED".
SET HIGHER STANDARDS FOR YOURSELF
DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO ACT EVERY MINUTE OF THE DAY AS IF EVERYONE WERE WATCHING YOU. OUTSIDE SALESPEOPLE REQUIRE A HIGHER LEVEL OF DISCIPLINE THAN PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE OFFICE WHERE EVERYONE CAN SEE THEM. BECAUSE SALESPEOPLE ARE ON THEIR OWN, LIKE GUERILLA FIGHERS IN THE SALES JUNGLE, THE TEMPTATION IS NEVER ENDING TO SLACK OFF, TO TAKE IT EASY, OR TO GO FOR COFFEE OR LUNCH RATHER THAN T MAKE SALES CALLS.
TO PERFORM AT YOUR BEST, YOU MUST DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO WORK THROUGHOUT THE DAY - AS THOUGH YOUR SALES MANAGER WAS DOING A "RIDE-ALONG". IMAGINE THAT YOUR SALES MANAGER IS SITTING NEXT TO YOU ALL DAY LONG. HOW WOULD YOUR WORK DIFFERENTLY IF SOMEONW WERE ACCOMPANING YOU AND OBSERVING EVERYTHING YOU DID THROUGHOUT THE DAY? WHATEVER YOUR ANSWER THAT IS HOW YOU SHOULD WORK - EVEN WHEN NO ONE ELSE IS AROUND.
ALL SALES SKILLS ARE LEARNABLE
TO BECOME ONE OF THE HIGHEST PAID SALESPEOPLE IN YOUR INDUSTRY, YOU MUST DISCIPLINE YOURSELF TO PRACTICE CONTINOUS PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. READ IN YOUR FIELD EVERY DAY. LISTEN TO EDUCATIONAL AUDIO PROGRAMS IN YOUR CARAS YOU DRIVE ALONG. ATTEND EVERY SALES SEMINAR YOU CAN, WHETHER SPONSORED BY YOUR COMPANY OR NOT. DEDICATE YOURSELF TO CONTINOUS LEARNING AS IF YOUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT - BECAUSE IT DOES.
THE TURNING POINT IN MY LIFE WHEN I WAS A YOUNG SALESMAN - FRUSTRATED AND UNHAPPY, GOING IN CIRCLES, AND BARELY MAKING A LIVING - WAS WHEN I LEARNED THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT. I LEARNED THAT "IF YOU DO WHAT THE MOST SUCCESSFUL SALESPEOPLE DO, OVER AND OVER, THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN STOP YOU FROM EVENTUALLY ACHIEVING THE SAME RESULTS AND REWARDS THAT THEY DO."
I LEARNED THAT EVERY SALESPEOPLE IN THE TOP PERCENT STARTED IN THE BOTTOM 10 PERCENT. EVERYONE WHO IS DOING WELL TODAY WAS AT ONE TIME DOING POORLY. EVERY PERSON AT THE TOP OF YOUR FIELD WAS AT ONE TIME NOT IN YOUR FIELD AT ALL AND DID NOT KNOW THAT IT EXISTED.
I LEARNED THAT ALL SALES SKILLS ARE LEARNABLE. YOU CAN LEARN ANY SALES SKILL YOU NEED TO LEARN TO ACHIEVE ANY SALES GOAL YOU CAN SET FOR YOURSELF. THERE ARE NO LIMITS EXCEPT THE LIMITS YOU PLACE ON YOURSELF WITH YOUR OWN THINKING.
WHEN YOU DISCIPLINED YOURSELF TO BECOME ONE OF THE TOP SALESPEOPLE IN YOUR FIELD, YOU WILL FIND THAT YOU WILL HAVE TURED AN IMPORTANT CORNER IN YOUR CAREER. MOST SALESPEOPLE DO ONLY WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO TO KEEP THEIR JOBS. BUT THOSE PEOPLE WHO RESOLVE TO BECOME THE BEST IN THEIR FIELDS ACCOMPLISH FAR MORE THAN ANYMORE ELSE.YOUR JOB IS TO BE ONE OF THEM.
IN THE NEXT CHAPTER, WE WILL TAKE ABOUT MONEY AND HOW THE PRACTICE OF SELF-DISCIPLINE IN THIS AREA CAN DRAMATICALLY INCREASE YOUR LIKEHOOD OF ACHIEVING ALL YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS.
POINTS
1. SEE YOURSELF AS THE PRESIDENT OF YOUR OWN PERSONAL SALES CORPORATION, COMPLETELY RESPONSIBLE FOR SALES RESULTS. THIS IS THE ATTITUDE OF THE HIGHEST PAID SALESPEOPLE.
2. SET CLEAR, WRITTEN INCOME GOALS FOR YOUSELF FOR THE NEXT TWELVE MONTHS AS WELL AS GOALS FOR EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR.
3.DETERMINE EXACTLY HOW MUCH OF YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE YOU WILL HAVE TO SELL IN ORDER TO EARN THAT DESIRED INCOME.
4. DETERMINE HOW MANY INDIVIDUALS SALES YOU WILL HAVE TO MAKE, BASED ON YOUR AVERAGE SIZE OF SALE AND AMOUNT OF COMMISSION EARNED.
5. DETERMINE HOW MANY PROSPECTS YOU WILL HAVE TO CALL ON, BASED ON YOUR CURRENT EXPERIENCE, TO MAKE THIS NUMBER OF SALES.
6. DEDICATE YOURSELF TO CONTINUOUS IMPROVMENT IN SALES BY READING EACH DAY, LISTENING TO AUDIOS IN YOUR CAR, AND ATTENDING SALES SEMINARS.
7. SPEND EVERY MINUTES OF EVERY SALES SAY GETTING FACE TO FACE WITH PEOPLE WHO CAN AND WILL BUY FROM YOU IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
