Arrival & The Fall

Have you ever noticed that just when you think you've "arrived", something happens. That "something" really throws off that idea of arrival.

You know how it is. Life seems to be chugging along. No hiccups. No road blocks. Then BAM, something happens. The train derails. Smooth sailing just became rough water - and your insides scream out, "why?"

Your sales career seems to be at its peak. Gross profit dollars from repeated sales stream in. You've "arrived". All that ground breaking, foundation laying hard work paid off. You hit your President's Club Goal. You earned Bonus Dollars. It's time to take the foot off the gas pedal and coast. You've earned it. You deserve it and then...

...your #1 customer calls to tell you that they decided to switch out your highest volume item to a competitor due to price - OR - through no fault of your own your best customer opts to close the plant and move to a different country because labor or raw materials cost less. BAM!

It happens. Yet, why does it always seem to happen just when you thought you had arrived?

Most often I think it's coincedence, but it sure seems to happen when you're on top. President's Club, bonus... life was suppose to become easy.

Reality: 10% of your current business is lost each year through no fault of your own. It's an age old truth. Plan for it.

Insight: Over my 25 years of selling, it seems like the catastrophic events always happen when I become complacent with my learning. I've stopped studying & reading. After all... I've arrived. I know it all! I don't need some book to remind me how to sell. I'm good at it. I've arrived! "Wrong buddy"... this is life speaking, "I'm going to remind you how important it is to constantly be learning".

At our monthly sales meeting we role played introducing our company to a new prospective customer. Our goal was to ask questions, listen, "dance", and walk away with an agreement for a next action.

FUN FACT: Sales people do not like to role play

Unfortunately many of the reps feel like they do not need to practice. After all.... they've arrived. A couple years of hitting President's Club. A number of years of Bonus Dollars... "Who needs practice?" "Role playing isn't "real" anyway". "There's no way to you can duplicate what really happens at the prospective customers office!"

Never Stop Learning. Life is the great equalizer. Start studying and keep learning.

Start by reading Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich". It's old, but it's new!