The Commission International

Lessons from personal experiences and the 2020 US Open Tennis Singles Championship matches

There is something to be said about a comeback. In sports, business, nature…the excitement, energy and momentum of a comeback can be infectious and oftentimes visible and palpable.

For context, this piece is written in the last quarter of 2020 while most of the world is experiencing an extended health pandemic. The impact of the pandemic spread across medical, financial, entertainment and emotional realms. As the world started to reopen to new standards, one of the areas I paid attention to was experiences of victory amid setbacks.

Paying attention to and seeking out experiences of victory fired up the spirit of a comeback in me! For many, the experience of a comeback is prescient. What separates the Masterful Professionals is the ability to create it on-demand.

Meet Tracy. I was introduced to Tracy by a mutual friend in December 2019. She had been with her company for about a year and five months. She had a baseline of one new sale every month. In the company, that was a good baseline. She wanted more. She wanted to do more. Specifically, Tracy wanted a baseline of two new sales every month. She did not know how to do that.

In February 2020, one month before the global pandemic caused a world-wide shut down, Tracy and I started working together. We uncovered her best thinking as well as her limiting thoughts. We went to work on her goals. That was our focus. Despite what was happening, we focused on the goals.

The pandemic did what the pandemic did. Tracy and I did what she did. She was consistent, accountable, and focused. She leveraged her best thinking to stay on track despite what was going on. No doubt, there were moments of concern because of the domino effect of the pandemic. However, just like the great ones, Tracy kept going – working the fundamentals with best practices.

By October 2020, she had established a new baseline and has been on that baseline for seven months with one exception – when she had four new sales in one month.

That is a comeback. That is intentional. That is what it is.

Tracy’s story bears similarities to some businesses and professionals during challenging times. They dig in, leverage their best thinking, surround themselves with strong pillars of support and do what is necessary. Non-negotiable!

The good news, and the biggest takeaway for you, is you have access to your own Comeback. You have it inside of you. Think about it – you have experienced overcoming something, right? That is a Comeback!

The challenge is this – Do you have the tools you need to recreate a Comeback on demand? If you do not, it behooves you to find the right Guide for you. You and your guide can get insight to formulate the right structure for You.

Here are a few key points to remember:

The Comeback is not only a verb. It is an on-going way of thinking: Although they may acknowledge the challenge/setback, the great ones never think defeat. They know like they know that they will come out victorious.

The Comeback is moment by moment: One of the main reasons a comeback is a Comeback is the fact that there is victory at the end. If the hero lets up before the job is done, then the end of the story would be different. The hero never gives up. They do not let up until the end. They build momentum and keep momentum and rhythm until the job is complete.

The time to prepare for a comeback is while in the setback: Unlike the chicken or the egg question, this one is noticeably clear – the setback comes before the comeback. And the only way to set up a comeback is to prepare for your comeback while in the setback.

Every Comeback is its own experience: Establishing a new baseline. Overcoming one challenge. Getting to the “next level” …those experiences are not a one and done transaction. The great ones understand that there will always be a next opponent, challenge, situation, etc. – and they stay ready to get to work.

What do you do when time is running out and your back is against the wall? Do you cower? Throw in the towel? Give up? Champions learn to lean in and give maximum effort, no matter what. They stay committed and resolved to give their best regardless of what the scoreboard says.

Here is something to consider: Do you have what it takes to create your Comeback when you need it? If not, let us talk: info@dontwingit.com

#dontwingit #salescoach #salesperformance #sales #salesprofessionals #salesleadership #successtips

P.S. The cover picture depicts a tennis match I played in Media, PA in September 2020. Incidentally, in the same week, the US Opens Tennis Championships had historic comeback victories in the Single Men’s and Women’s finals.