A Winner

Today was the first long weekend of the summer here in Canada, Victoria Day, of for those of us who are not really Monarchists, the May 24 weekend! A chance to sit on the deck with a frosty and read a few blog posts between grabbing some sun and flipping some steaks. There were two that got me to thinking (ya ya, I know). One was a post on Jerry Kennedy’s Motivation 101 blog, a piece called When It Comes to Goals, Ask “Why?”, Not “How?”; the second was Niall Devitt’s Beyond The Boardroom, and post called Sales Leadership, My Caveat – SHOUTS from the Trenches!

Both got me to think about the old and simple truth of just doing things. When all is said and done, you just gotta do it. The realty in sales, as it is I am sure with other things where skill is defined by a mysterious mix of art and science, is at one point you gotta get down to doing.

Most sales people know what they have to do, almost as many know how. I take no offence when a sales rep says to me they have heard what I am saying before. What I don’t understand is why they take offence when I ask them “why are you not doing it then?” If they had as many sales as excuses, well I could look past it, but the reality is that many of the guys/gals who know everything, continue to not deliver quota or make money. Again, it is not because of a lack of knowledge, in most instances not because of a lack of ability, and certainly not because of a lack of time, but simply due to a lack of will; and it’s that lack of will that is their down fall. Not the market, not the product, not prospect, not the economy, and not me, but the fact that they do not do what they know needs to be done.

I am often asked why I won a deal over another provider, and many times the answer is simple, direct and at times un-teachable, “I wanted it more then the other guy!”

So the only thing I would add to Jerry’s question is for someone with goals to ask “Why Not?”

What’s in Your Pipeline?
Tibor Shanto