Two salespeople come up against the same selling obstacle. To one it’s a dead-end, a reason to quit, and the excuse he/she/they will use later when asked the question, “Why aren’t you selling more?”
The other sales rep sees this obstacle differently. To him/her/them, it’s a roadblock but they find their own detour and drive toward success.
Six months later, guess which one of these two sales people is still employed?
“Fail because” or “Succeed despite.” These are your two options as a salesperson.
Note, that’s not to say that all obstacles in sales can be overcome. Rather, I make this point because I see both kinds of sales reps and ask you to choose which you will be.
Ask a legacy/veteran salesperson about their past and you’re likely to hear some version of, “If I had known how difficult sales was going to be, I might not have gone down this path.”
Translation: “I succeeded despite.”
Sales is Rubik’s cube.
Sales is trying to get into the castle surrounded by a moat filled with ill-tempered bass (sharks equipped with lasers are endangered, according to Number Two*).
Succeed despite the fact it’s difficult to get in touch with anyone these days.
Succeed despite the supply chain issues we all are facing.
Succeed despite feeling overwhelmed, unorganized, and alone.
Fail after trying your hardest, exhausting every option, making extra sales calls, and giving it your very best effort. The hardest and most important lessons come from failures. Learning this was not a good customer for you or the problem was not solvable might appear to be a failure, but think of it this way: Now you know one path to success that simply doesn’t work!
Now go succeed despite.
*Extra points for understanding this reference!
