You may have heard a version of the saying that alludes to the fact that one is as good as their last success – “You are only as good as your last deal.”, “You are only as good as your last performance.” or “You are only as good as your last success.” Unfortunately, this so called “motivational” quote is misleading!
When one takes on this mindset, it inevitably makes one complacent and not look for ways to improve or learn to be better. Riding the high and feeling one is “all that” is the fast lane to failure.
In my home country of Nigeria, there is a saying that goes “I get before na story.” This means that whatever one has accomplished or achieved in the past is irrelevant today. Same in the United States of America – “It’s not where you’re from, it’s where you’re at!”
Successes are great, of course. But the great ones know there is always room for improvement. Great sales folks know that the last success is short lived and so they strive to learn from the past and prepare for future opportunities. Each presentation, each meeting, each phone call is an opportunity to improve. Average sales folks keep riding the wave of past successes and tend to downplay the preparation and work it takes to win over and over.
Externally, the competition is doing whatever they can to take your share of the market. Internally, teammates are working harder and adding knowledge to improve themselves, be more efficient and effective. It behooves you, as a professional, to keep doing what you need to do to stay on top of your game and get better!
How do you keep getting better? There are several ways to achieve this, depending on your strengths, market, industry, etc. A few include:
Outwork everyone: This is my default “sermon”. Hard work always pays off. But, you have to be consistent, track what you do and make adjustments. There is an old expression: “I don’t have to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun you.” When you outrun everyone, you are the head of the pack.
Put in the time: This goes together with outworking everyone. Look around your office and pay attention to who gets there late, who lollygags around and doesn’t work hard. Put in the hours but also be sure that you are making the most of the time you put in.
Treat every opportunity as a brand new one: Never assume because you’ve have a similar experience in the past, the next one will be the same. Never relax, no matter how much success you’ve had – do the work necessary for each opportunity.
Add knowledge: There is vast information available on your market, competition, your profession, psychology of sales, communication skills…you name it. There are new ways of doing things. There is no reason to not add knowledge to help improve your game!
Adopt a new mindset: Let go of the thinking that you are only as good as your last performance. And, like the great ones, adopt the mindset that “You are only as good as your next performance.”
Need help elevating your sales performance? Let’s talk: info@thecommissioninternational.com.
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