To be comfortable in life, get out of your comfort zones in business!
by John Lees, sales & marketing specialist
Habits are easy to get into and often hell to get out of, and enormous numbers of managers and sales people have chosen work habits that restrict their business performanceâ€Â¦and therefore the quality and enjoyment of their life out of business too. Here are the good habits that must be formed:
Comprehending business success.
This refers to the constant need to learn about what causes organizations and individuals to achieve success in sales, management, marketing, etc. For most sales people and managers, the learning challenge is faced very few times each year, possibly via an annual conference and formal training sessions â€Ëœnow and thenâ€â„¢. Sales meetings may occur more often but they rarely offer insights into success; instead they usually focus on performance to budget, problems, product knowledge, etc. This is a form of mental starvation, whereas the most successful people in business become involved in a dietary form of learning, through books and other forms of study.
The best kind of educational development addresses generic and specific paths to business success, referring to high-level philosophy on the one hand and winning case studies on the other. One last point on learning is to stay well away from speakers and trainers that trivialise business by â€Ëœgoing onâ€â„¢ about â€Ëœsales techniquesâ€â„¢, â€Ëœbeing positiveâ€â„¢, most of which is demeaning and distracting.
Committing to business success.
When we understand the paths to success, we naturally want to move in that direction, and so as we plan to go on a holiday first and then determine the best way to get thereâ€Â¦so must we plan to â€Ëœmove forward towards successâ€â„¢ before learning how to reach our goals. My advice is to make a promise to engage in some form of positive, new business-building action every week or month, perhaps using â€Ëœfocus 5â€â„¢Ã¢€Â¦a simple sales plan involving a mix of 5 customers/prospects where you plan to â€Ëœcreate successâ€â„¢ for the target and your business. When you commit to action, you learn to get the best out of yourselfâ€Â¦which is why the obligation must take place every week or month.
Creating business success.
The best way to achieve success is to sell success, which equals a result that is much better than what the customer or prospect enjoys now. Most suppliers sell products, not improved results, and so the market is wide open for you to succeedâ€Â¦providing that you sell progress first and then your products. However, to do this you must start by respecting what customers and prospects do now, and then show a better solution for the future, which is where they will spend the rest of their lives. In other words, you must be perceived as â€Ëœan improverâ€â„¢, not â€Ëœan intruderâ€â„¢. And by the way, sell â€Ëœtrialsâ€â„¢ to prove your worth, rather than expecting prospects to dump their current supplierâ€Â¦based on your words alone.
With these three positive habits you can construct both strength and reputation in business, which in turn will provide the opportunity for an enjoyable and very comfortable life for you and your family.
John Lees is a speaker, trainer and consultant, specialising in sales & marketing, and he is the author of 11 books on business development. See the range of John Lees services and books, CDs and DVDs at www.johnlees.com.au.
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