Success—real lasting success—hinges on how you look at your work and on the choices you make in getting things done.
It’s especially important to take action towards our own success because frankly most of your less-successful competitors out there today are too busy repeating old mistakes, blaming the recession or even their customers (hard to believe, but true) for their disappointing results.
Unthink the box
In today’s new economy, no one can afford to keep adhering to that well-used euphemism of “thinking inside the box.” Instead we need to follow the advice of my good friend and motivational speaker, Nido Qubein: now is the time to “throw the box out the window!” Begin with a clear slate and challenge assumptions you might have been making about why customers buy from you—and just as importantly, why they might not be buying right now.
Don’t succumb to temptation of using tough economic times as a crutch. I’m sure you’ve heard this kind of talk from friends and colleagues: “my industry is suffering… my competition is going out of business… everyone is cutting back…” and so on. Each of these observations about the economy might be supported by facts, but complaining about them isn’t going to help you one bit to become a better sales person. At best, mulling about it will be dead weight that will hold you down.
The challenge is to take these opinions and ask yourself “how can I capitalize on this to help me reach my personal goals and my sales goals?” Indeed there are many ways to answer the door when opportunity knocks.
You are your own brand
The outcome of having a personal philosophy for success is that it helps others with whom your do business to form a positive opinion about you. In turn, this influences the kinds of decisions that your customers make every day. As Seth Godin wisely observed “Consumers don’t make choices as much as they react and respond to the inputs and assumptions they have about the marketplace, their life and your brand.”
Always remember: no matter what you are selling, you are your own brand. Your personal approach, your habits and the people you choose to surround yourself—all the elements that comprise your personal philosophy—are what can make you stand out in your work and be memorable among your customers