We’ve always looked at sales training in a simple way – you want/desire/need to achieve a certain level of sales performance. You’re not there, yet. There’s a gap between where you are and where you want to go.
Sales training is about identifying what that gap is and what specific knowledge, skills, mindset and behaviors need to change in order to perform at that level. Sounds easy enough, but often the first step in this process trips us up. That is … to face the truth.
Facing the truth is about being brutally honest about where you are today. Most sales professionals have no problem identifying where they want to end up – how much money they want to make, what car they will drive, how many vacations they want to take, what position they will hold, etc.
That’s part of the process, but without identifying where you currently are, making the change is next to impossible.
Think of it this way. It’s like having a GPS unit that can’t find a satellite signal. You may know the exact address you want to travel to, but the GPS is useless until it knows what your current location is.So, as you look to achieve greater levels of sales performance, what’s the truth about you?
How much are you really committed to earning, and what’s the gap between that and where you are today?
How much energy will you need to accomplish your goals and what would you rate your energy levels at now?
What about your skills? Where is there a gap in how you hunt for new business, ask effective questions or negotiate the sale?
We all know that attitude is important. Where’s yours? Are you consistently confident, optimistic and determined or have you been muted by our current economic conditions?
Are you balanced? Are your current results because you’re just working harder and harder? Will you burn-out if you keep pushing yourself?
And, are you having fun? We all know that top performance comes when we’re engaged and see our work as play.
Take some time this week to make an honest inventory of your skills, attitudes and daily habits. See where you can make changes to move closer to your true sales potential.