On September 18th, 2020, I wrote a blog titled, Chasing Forrest Gump. The blog highlights two goals I set in 2018 and one I set in 2020. I achieved two out of three goals. Hence, the title of this blog. More on that later.
I am all about setting big goals, going public with the goals, and then developing a system to track and record those goals to ensure “progressive improvement.” I am a big believer in Aristotle's philosophy:
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.
Here is a simple truth: if you want something, you need to make it a priority. In his book Atomic Habits, author James Clear emphasizes the need to create a system to ensure bold goals are met through creating the right habits via the right system. He states,
"You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."
That was my biggest takeaway from Atomic Habits: the system beats the goals. The system should reinforce the activities that promote the goal. If it doesn’t, you are doomed to fail.
For example: Your goal is to be a top salesperson bringing in $1,000,000 in sales per year. Do you have a system of reinforcing activities that will enable you to achieve that goal? We do and I guarantee you that if you work the system, you WILL BE A TOP SALESPERSON!
When all you think about is the goal, without developing a system to achieve it, you begin to miss all the little habits that push you towards those goals. On the other hand, if you focus on a “win your play” mentality consisting of bite-sized positive habits that help you develop your sale skills as illustrated in the graphic above, you will benefit from the system that will provide you with small everyday wins that will accumulate in achieving your overall goal.
I can say unequivocally and without hesitation, if you work our system of reinforcing activities, you will be successful! It consists of:
Addressing the psychological aspect of sales by The Four Cornerstones of Success®--attitude, personal accountability, perseverance, and habit. It is the foundation of everything we teach.
Master being in your customer’s operating reality—it is like empathy on steroids.
Work to improve your active listening skills. You have two ears and one mouth, you should be doing twice as much listening as speaking.
Use value statements that Captivate, Differentiate, and Validate the value you can bring to your customers.
Prospect at least 15 minutes every day. Master DPQ—Disarm, Purpose, Question. Learn how to build Rejection Immunity™. Develop your phone skills.
Master effective questioning. Use situation, insight, gap, and need solution questions. Remember in the eyes of the customer, you're defined by the quality of questions you ask.
Anticipate and plan for handling objections. Master the top five objections you hear over and over again.
Never attend a client meeting without a client meeting plan or call planning worksheet. Research your customer on LinkedIn. Look for common ground to turn the first meeting from cold to warm.
I never make a sales call without a client meeting plan. And here’s why. For those of you who know Mary Ann McLaughlin, my business partner and co-owner of Butler Street, you will know that she is a super strong salesperson in her own right. I know she is going to do all eight of the things highlighted above. That is who I imagine I am going up against. Therefore, the only way I am going to beat her is to out-execute her on all eight things. That is the last piece of the system that ensures I "win my play" with every client interaction. It is that simple. Contact us to learn how we can help tailor a sales system to your company.
Now back to two out of three ain’t bad and the results of my three goals:
I surpassed Forrest Gump on January 4th, 2022 by working out 1,173 straight days. As of yesterday, I am at 1,186 consecutive days with no end in sight.. I have never felt better. I tracked and recorded every workout to give me that daily shot of dopamine.
I simultaneously planned my business day for 15 minutes every day as well. On Christmas, I was given a Remarkable 2 to further enhance by planning and organization. I love it.
I failed miserably on my book. I did well for 12 straight days and then hit the wall with writer’s block. I wrote 15 pages and just under 7,000 words. I learned that it is difficult to set a goal on creativity. Lesson learned. I will get back to it when the mood hits me. I have a new goal. More on that in another blog.
Yes, Meatloaf had it right: Two out of three ain’t bad.