Personal Strategies
Reassessing your approach can be the first step toward success

When I was 19, my dad made me production manager of his 75-employee cabinet manufacturing factory.

On my first official day as boss, Ozzie, our superstar cabinet assembler came to me and asked for a 25-cent per hour raise. I went to my dad for advice and he said, “Give it to him, son.” So I did.

A week later Ozzie returned and demanded another 25-cent raise. He said he would quit if he didn’t get it. I went back to my dad for advice and he said, “Fire him, son.” I went nuclear, “You can’t fire Ozzie,” I pleaded. “The place will fall apart.” “Fire him, son,” he repeated. So I did.

I dreaded the next day. But to my everlasting surprise, four guys came forward to claim Ozzie’s position. We had a contest to see who would get it. Production was up 25 percent and “Mr. Irreplaceable” was replaced in less than 24 hours – and was never missed.

I have heard salespeople boast on hundreds of occasions: If it wasn’t for me we’d be out of business.

Those are warning chants that the end is near.

Here are the early warning signals that your sales brain has stopped functioning.

• You think sales reports are a waste of time.
• Everyone else does wrong things except you.
• You get blamed for things you’re certain are someone else’s fault.
• You think your sales production could be better – if you just got a few breaks.
• You don’t do anything to further your sales education.
• You’re way too cocky.
• At night you socialize or watch TV instead of plan your next day.
• You go to sales calls unprepared (no personalized ideas for the prospect or information about the prospect).
• You think most prospects and customers are dumb (or at least not as smart as you).
• You think your boss is stupid.

Many salespeople are failing or doing poorly and claim they don’t know why or blame everyone and their dog. Truth is, they can’t or won’t face themselves. They blame others instead of taking personal responsibility.

If you get fired – and you leave thinking it’s someone else’s fault – you’ll repeat the process at your next job. But it’s a whole lot easier (and less costly) to catch yourself before you fall.

• To succeed at sales you must believe that you’re the best, your company is the best, and that your product is the best. All three are needed to succeed.
• Rededicate yourself to be more customer focused – not “me focused.” When you’re busy helping customers, your time to brag and complain diminishes.
• Rededicate yourself to get more educated.
• Get there an hour before everyone else. People who struggle to get to work “on time” never seem to make it.
• Get more team oriented. Help others get sales. Help others succeed.
• Transition from cocky to self-confident. Show it with deeds, not words.
• Transition from blaming others to taking responsibility. Most of the time when things go wrong, you could have done something to prevent it. Admit fault. Take the hit without a bunch of defensive whining.
• • Read How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie, and Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill. Rededicate yourself to those success principles.

Admit the truth to yourself. Admit fault. Then tell yourself what you could have done to have prevented the problem or made things better. Then make daily plan to make a change for the better.

In order for the circumstances of your life to change – you must change first. Not much will happen without a change in your thought process, your attitude, and maybe eating a piece of humble pie. Admit it – it starts with you.

Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, and Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless. He can be reached at 704/333-1112 or e-mail to salesman@gitomer.com.

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