You have heard the saying, “if it were easy, everyone would be doing it”. But have you ever wondered, what is that person “doing”? How is he achieving exceptional results, consistently?
If you are sitting on the outside of excellence, then there are a few thoughts that will run through your head.
“Why am I not achieving that level of results? I bet he is getting all of the good calls or leads. The manager is sending him the calls that anybody can close!”
I used to think the same way!
I have been selling in the Home Services Industry for over 23 years. I started out in the Cleaning and Restoration Industry, then moved into the Pest Management Industry. The Heating and Cooling Industry was my next move. I have been selling as a professional Comfort Advisor, or training them, for over a decade. RELATED: Classroom Training
I am going to let you in on a little secret. For a long, long, long time, I sucked at sales. That’s right, I was an absolute “Tommy Boy” of air conditioning sales.
To make matters worse. I blamed everyone and everything else, but me, for my results. In reality though, I was a gunslinger, making it up as I went. Trying to make a living “throwing up” at the kitchen table.
Worst of all, I got away with it for a long time! That was until…..
A Leader Stepped In
I have had a few amazing mentors in my life and in my career. My first was Paul Gilbert. He was a General Manager at the Pest Management Company that I was working for. He could see my potential, and he could also see that I wasn’t living up to my abilities. He had decided that enough was enough. He wanted, and needed, better results, and believed enough in me to sit me down. RELATED: How to Repair Your Tech or Salesperson’s Confidence.
One morning, he brought me into his office. He asked one simple question, “are you happy with the results you are getting, and with the money you are earning?” As a young man, who was a bit cocky (not sure why because the results didn’t dictate I should be), I responded with, “No! I believe I should be making a lot more money!”
Paul smiled at me and said, “I agree, but would you agree, that in order to make more, you would have to do things differently than you are now? Getting different results than you are currently getting?”
I said “yes!”
That led to a conversation that completely transformed my sales career, and my mind set. I had to admit to myself that I needed to get better, to get better results.
Paul then shared with me something that would transform my results,
The Cycle of Self Development!
4 Crucial Steps to Transforming Results!
You may be a top performer, or you may be struggling to get the results you want and need. This is for YOU!
“Success is not final and Failure is not fatal! It’s the courage to get back into the fight that matters!” – Winston Churchill
Success starts with your……
#1 – Attitude
Check your attitude. Zig Ziglar said it best, “a positive attitude will not allow you to do everything better, but it will certainly allow you to do everything better than a negative attitude will.” What you think and what you believe, will dictate what you do. What is your attitude about getting better and improving your results? What is your attitude about training? What is your attitude about what you do for a living? What is your attitude about serving your clients? Selling? Leads? Results?
Get your attitude right and then…..
#2 – Knowledge
We have all heard the saying that, “knowledge is power.” There is truth in that statement. Knowledge can bring with it great power, but it can also be a TRAP!
The worst part of a knowledge trap is that most people don’t realize they are in the trap. There are signs that a person is in a trap. You can tell when they say one or more of the following:
“I know that already.”
“I don’t need to role play.”
“ I don’t need to attend training, I have been selling for 20 years.”
You have to have the right ATTITUDE about training and growth. Success is NOT Final. You have to get un-stuck from your Knowledge Trap and become . . .
#3 – Coachable and Trainable
We all have areas in need of improvement. For me, it was asking questions, and actively listening to the specific needs of my clients. Because I wasn’t asking questions and actively listening, my solutions had very little value. They weren’t attached to specific needs.
What is your specific area of need? Building Relationships? Evaluating? Settling the Client’s Fear? Solution Design? Closing? Objections?
Are you coachable and trainable in those areas?
What are you doing to improve? Are you developing your….
#4 – Skills! Folks, this is where the POWER is.
Lee Iacocca said, “knowledge is worth very little in any enterprise if you cannot communicate it effectively.”
As you develop your sales skills, results follow.
For me, as I got better at asking questions and actively listening, I began to uncovering specific needs. Now, my solutions had value because they were tied back to the specific needs of my clients. This transformed my results. sales followed. Roughly 60 days after my conversation with Paul, I had my best month ever in Pest Control Sales. In one month I earned a 17k payday. Life changing! Transformational!
No silver bullets, or get rich quick schemes. It took a new attitude, getting out of my own knowledge trap, being coachable, and trainable, and developing my sales skills. Results followed!
What this means to you?…All it takes is a decision. A decision to Transform your results! To be better in 2016 than you were in 2015!
“You must either modify your dreams, or magnify your Skills.” -Jim Rohn
Where are you in the Cycle of Self Development? Please comment and share on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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