8/19/12

While Going For The Home Run, Have You Forgotten What It Takes to Get On Base?


While going for the home run, have you forgotten what it takes to just get on base?

I know a young sales professional who I have mentored over the years who sold a huge account about two years ago.  He is a 100% commissioned sales person and this brought him a six figure annual income.  The problem is, he stopped working.  He told me his only job was to take care of this account and bragged about working less than 8 hours per week.  Many times I called him, he would be on the golf course, fishing, hunting or other activities not related to continuation of his selling career.

He felt confident that all he had to do was keep them happy and they would keep him in money.  Well guess what?  The company moved their operation to another city and no longer need to utilize his services.  Today he is scrambling in an attempt to recover from a serious tactical error.  He has no smaller accounts to sustain him.  No prospective accounts at all in the hopper.  Now there is nothing to do but start over or look for another job.

Don’t get me wrong, there isn’t a sale or business professional that doesn’t dream of hitting the huge home run like my friend did.  But to lie back on your laurels once that has been achieved can be the kiss of death to your earning potential and maybe even your career. 

2012 is seven and a half months old and you’ve got only the next 4 1/2 months to hit the home run.  But you can never forget that it takes getting on base in order to round the field and touch home plate.

A.    Have you set your goals in writing to carry you to the end of 2012?

B.    Are you planning to track your accomplishments?

C.   Have you shared your goals with your spouse, peers or managers to help keep you on track?

D.   Have you fully learned your product and services and are ready to take on any business challenge within your selling theatre?

E.    Have you demonstrated your leadership ability and are working your way through all of this negative media hype?

F.    Do you care about people?

G.   Do you have a positive attitude?

H.    Are you a deal maker or a procrastinator?

I.      Are you a non-stop networker?

J.     Do you give your business card out several times a day?

K.    Do you tell your business story several times a day?

L.    Always ask yourself, “If not today than when?”

 Please accept my wishes for a tremendous week.  Call or write if I can be of any assistance.

George F. Mancuso, CPC, CEO
Client Growth Consultants, Inc.