I have been an 100% commission individual contributor, sales manager, VP of Sales, CRO and now Sales Consultant. Success at each level is rewarding and the drive to hit quota is a daily challenge.
In each of those roles, at one point or another, things were not going well and I only had one person to blame...me.
In my 2+ decades in sales I have seen a lot of obstacles to meeting my or my team's goals; recessions, a global pandemic, supply chain issues, lack of sales support, extreme price increases and many more I can't even remember.
What I have learned in facing all of these external obstacles was that they did not affect my success nearly as much as the internal obstacles I created: the mindset I have about myself and how I would face those external hurdles to grow and win.
I had to learn how to manage a turnaround and it started with me. Was I investing in continuously learning more about my craft, my industry and how I can destroy my competitors? Was I surrounding myself with people that were smarter than me and those that challenged me to grow? Had I been reading and listening to books or podcasts to remain sharp and relevant in my client conversations?
Did my customer or my team care if I was struggling? If they were nice, sure. Ultimately they cared about their business, the goals they were using my products or solutions to achieve and how I was going to make their business or job better.
So for you, is it time for a turnaround?
Start here.
Take inventory of your thoughts. What are you telling yourself? If you're an Individual Contributor, your internal thoughts are easily turned external when talking with your customers. We all have enough uncertainty in our world so be sure you are a positive person in those interactions by consistently feeding yourself with positive thoughts.
This isn't rocket science, but it is science. Zig Ziglar said "We all need a daily check-up from the neck up to avoid stinkin 'thinkin' which ultimately leads to hardening of the attitudes". Find books, podcasts or whatever you need to feed yourself the kind of thoughts you need to create the attitude people want to work with.
I'm passionate about helping people and teams achieve their potential. I have built my training programs with the mindset, "If I was new at sales, or new at sales management, or a new founder trying to build a company...what would I need to know and how could I scale more quickly to see results?
If you need help with your personal turnaround...reach out to me here. If you need help turning around a sales team...my next article will focus on leading a team through a turnaround. I know it's a battle to fight both external and internal obstacles so don't go it alone!
I can't wait to hear your turnaround story.
-Raise the Bar!
.svg)