Really Good vs. Pretty Good
What’s the difference between being really good vs. being pretty good?
Maybe a million dollars!
The inspiration for this article comes from a post by Seth Godin “Most ramen is pretty good.” The premise for his article is most ramen noodles are pretty good and so is most pizza. However, nobody will drive across town for just “pretty good” pizza but for “really good” pizza (my words) we are willing to travel. The really good are the restaurants that require reservations, always have a waiting line unless you go early and have or will be around for years.
Pretty Good and Very Good
Just watch the PGA Tour this weekend, all the players are good. Heck, they are all really good compared to most golfers. But the really good pro’s are the ones you watch. The pretty good golfers have already finished their round before the TV camera’s roll. It’s the really good golfers we want to see. The pretty good pro’s will collect a nice check and move on to the next tournament but it is the really good golfers that take home the million dollar checks.
Being pretty good may be just fine for many things you do. You may be like me and not have the desire or talent to be a really good golfer or great pizza maker. However, with practice and a desire to get better I know I can become a pretty good golfer in the group I golf with and if I fire up my “Big Green Egg” grill I can cook a pretty good pizza.
But the difference between being pretty good and really good can very easily be worth more than just money.
For Example:
If you have a cold, you’re ok with a pretty good doctor, right. But if you are needing major surgery, you want a really good doctor.
If you need to get a speeding ticket fixed, then a pretty good lawyer is fine. But if your facing jail time, you want a really good lawyer.
If you are wanting a photo for your passport, a pretty good photographer will do. But if you talking about your daughters wedding, then you want a really good photographer to make sure the pictures are outstanding.
Can you begin to see the difference in pretty good and really good?
I’m not trying to make you think that pretty good is not good enough. Heck, there is a whole phone book full of pretty good.
But it’s the “really good” that makes you want to pay more, travel further and wait in line for their products and services.
What makes a pizza really good vs. one that is pretty good?
What makes one pro golfer really good vs. one that is pretty good?
What makes one photographer really good vs. one that is pretty good?
What makes one salesperson really good vs. one that is pretty good?
I wish there was an easy answer to these questions.
But I will suggest one answer is “a desire to be the best.”
Doing the things it takes to rise above being pretty good.
Putting in the time and effort it takes to become really good.
Please give this article some thought.
Are you really good at what you do or just pretty good?
Is pretty good good enough or do you desire to be really good?
Most importantly, are you willing to do what it takes to become really good at what matters the most to you?
If you are willing and ready to move from pretty good to really good you must:
- Believe this change is possible.
- Increase your knowledge and skills by reading, studying and practicing each day.
- Seek out those that you wish to emulate and seek their advise.
- Set yourself clear Smart Goals with an action plan to reach your goals. (Don’t forget to write your goals down and share them with those you trust.)
Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. To become really good at anything takes time, discipline, hard work and a overwhelming desire to be the best.
Let’s get to work so we can get what we deserve!
P.S. If you know how to make really good Ramen Noodles please send me the recipe.
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
It’s Time to Focus on the Goals You Set
Are you accomplishing the Goals you set at the first of the year?
It’s been a couple of months since we established our yearly goals. If you think back to December we began thinking about the things we really wanted to accomplish in 2014. In the post “Much to be Done” I asked you to think about goals that would require you to stretch your efforts and do things differently than you have done in the past.
To think about:
* Goals that can and would make a difference in you and your families lives.
* Goals that would help build long lasting relationships with customers and co-workers.
* Goals that will help you improve and become the person you want to be.
Then in January in the post “Goals and Plans” we discussed putting our goals into a written plan. We know that we are much more likely to achieve our goals if we write our goals down, create a plan to reach these goals and share them with those we trust.
There were those who were struggling with this process, so I recommended an article “Beginner’s Guide to Goal Setting” by Michael Hyatt at MichaelHyatt.com on the goal setting process and setting Smart Goals. Michael seems to be the current go-to guy on goals and goal setting. If you look at his success and the way he credits much of his success to setting Smart Goals you can quickly see why he is considered the expert.
With all that said, now is the time the rubber hits the road.
Are you on track to reach your Goals?
If so, Congratulations!
If not, Why?
Scenario #1
Has something changed that makes the goals you set not goals anymore? (Unlikely but Possible)
If this is the case, set new goals that reflect the changes. Goals are not set in stone. Things change as do your goals. However, be careful not to change goals just because they are hard to achieve. The main idea with goals is to help you stretch what you think you are capable of doing and make the differences in your life you desire.
Jamie Tardy in her new book “The Eventual Millionaire” says your goal should be:
“… big enough to be scary, hard enough to matter, and exciting enough to really commit to-no matter what. If you don’t feel strongly enough about your goal, change it.”
Scenario #2
You put in the effort to create your goals along with the plan to achieve them. Heck, you even shared them with those you trust. But you’ve gotten busy and haven’t reviewed or thought about your goals since. (Much more Likely)
I have just finished reading Jamie Tardy’s new book “The Eventual Millionaire” that I mentioned earlier. In the book she interviewed more than a hundred millionaires in an attempt to find the common denominators that makes them who they are. One thing that most of those she interviewed was their ability to focus and move forward to achieve goals and things they felt were most important.
Ms. Tardy quotes author and marketing guru Dan Miller – “The reward is not in setting goals, that’s the starting point. The real reward is in achieving them. So have clear plans for how you are going to achieve your goals.”
It is my hope that the Goals you set and plans you developed fall into the category of “most important”. Please look back at the beginning of this post. You set goals that would make a difference in you and your families lives. Goals that would build long lasting relationships and help you become the person you want to be. I can’t think of many things more important.
Action Plan to get back on Track
1. Take some time this week to review your goals and plans and focus on getting back on track. This may take setting aside a time, turning off your phone, finding a quite place, shutting the door and focusing on what you need to do to get back on track.
2. Remember, setting your goals was just the beginning of the process.
3. Pick the most important goal and laser focus on achieving that goal.
4. Ask yourself “Am I really committed to achieving this goal?”
5. If so, identify or confirm the actions needed to reach your goal.
6. Develop an action plan that requires you to ask yourself each day “Am I doing the things to help me move forward in reaching my goal?”
You can begin focusing on the other goals once you’re back on track.
The key is consistently doing the things that keep you moving forward.
Now follow your Plan!
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
Some Days Do You Feel Like an Olympian
Are there days you feel like an Olympian?
The 2014 Winter Olympics are now over. For those that won a Metal, they deserve all the accolades that come with the success.
Those that came up short are most likely going over in their minds what they could have done differently or better and what they need to do to improve.
Maybe the biggest challenge for those will be to not allow doubts and negative thoughts to take over. Not to begin doubting their abilities and resisting the urge to give up or making excuses.
We can learn a lot about how to handle defeat from Olympian Shaun White’s failure in this year’s Winter Olympics.
Shaun White went to the Olympics this year expecting and being expected to win a Gold Metal – just like he had done before. But instead he came home without a metal, coming in 4th place in his event.
In his interviews afterward, he did not say or give any indication that he doubted his abilities, was not well prepared or was thinking of quitting.
Instead of making excuses for his performance he put his performance in perspective. He knew that he “just had a bad day.” He didn’t blame anything or anyone. He just accepted the loss and was willing to deal with it. He said “it was only one night.”
“Every time I’ve had a bad performance at an event, I’ve come back more determined and focused.” – Shaun White
As a Sales Professional, how do you handle defeat?
When you meet with a client or customer and everything you say seems to come out wrong.
When you don’t close the deal you have worked long and hard for and feel like your proposal was the best.
When you realize in March that you are not reaching the Goals you had set just a couple of months earlier.
Do you begin to let self doubt and negative thoughts take over?
Do you start to doubt your abilities and think of giving up?
Or worse you begin blaming others and making excuses.
Maybe we should all take a lesson from Shaun White and tell ourselves “ it just wasn’t my day, there’s always tomorrow.”
Realize that we don’t always win at everything we work hard for and sometimes we will have a bad day!
If you don’t get a deal closed or have the winning proposal, don’t beat yourself up just move on!
Commit or re-commit to doing the things each day that will help you reach your goals!
Take ownership of your own performance and resist the urge to blame others or make excuses!
Don’t let negative self thoughts begin to take over your thinking!
Learn to come back from each defeat more focused and determined just like Olympian Shaun White!
Maybe we should all start to act like an Olympian. What do you think?
I would like to thank Rick for suggesting this topic for this week’s blog post.
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
February Tip of the Month – Organize Your Inbox
Have you lost control of your Inbox?
Are you like me and would like to just hit “delete all” and start fresh?
Maybe it’s time for a little Early Email Spring Cleaning!
One of my goals this quarter is to get a handle on my email.
My Inbox keeps growing and growing.
I think I may be a “Email Hoarder” and this must change!
I’ve tried moving everything into folders but then my folder list began to look like my Inbox (out of control). I needed help.
Podcast Intervention
The other day while listening to a podcast on the topic of “getting control of your email” I may have found a solution or solutions.
The guest on the podcast was David Sparks author of “Email” a book which explains in-depth how email works. After listening to the podcast I purchased his book and was surprised how much I didn’t know about email.
I won’t get into much of what I read and learned as you might begin to think of me in a “geeky” sort of way but I will say that Email is much more involved than just an online mailbox to send and receive mail.
One quote from the book really struck home as I read the book and looking to find a way to manage all the emails I receive each day:
“Leaving all of your emails in your inbox makes as much sense as leaving all of your paper mail in the mailbox in front of your house. ”
Mr. Sparks went on to say that “you would never think of looking through the letters at your mailbox then stuffing them back in the mailbox wishing your Postman luck in getting tomorrows mail into your already full mailbox.”
I must say “That’s Me!” or hopefully “That Was Me!”
For this month’s tip I am going to discuss Mr. Sparks advice for initially getting control of “Your Inbox” by setting up a few folders and following 5 simple rules.
He suggests setting up three additional folders :
1. Action Folder- use this folder for emails that you can not immediately respond but need a response in the next few days. (Be careful that this folder does not become your secondary inbox. You must discipline yourself to manage the Action Folder to keep in current.
2. Later Folder- use this folder for emails that may take more that a few days to complete the task or respond. You may want to add a reminder in your calendar or to-do list to point you back to your later folder.
3. Archive Folder- use this folder for anything you can’t trash or doesn’t require an action. Emails you wish to keep should go into the archive folder and not left in your inbox.
With the ability to use the “search” function in your folders there is little need for multiple folders. (Mr. Sparks recommends no more than ten folders.) Just by typing a name, topic, date or few words you should be able to easily locate any old email.
I can’t seem to remember which folder I filed the email in anyway. With the search function this problem goes away.
So, here are the 5 simple rules Mr. Sparks suggests to keep your Inbox in control:
1. “If it’s trash, trash it. Immediately.” (Enough Said)
2. “If it’s archival, archive it.” (Archive Folder)
3. “If you can respond quickly, then respond quickly.” (Archive Folder if you need to keep the email after you respond)
4. “If you can’t respond quickly, respond later.” (Action Folder)
5. “If requires Even later action, save it for later.” (Later Folder)
I’ve only begun using this process a couple of weeks ago and so far so good.
I’m struggling a little with whether I need to clean up my old emails (trash what needs to be trashed) or just archive the old emails and move on. I’m not going to kid myself if I choose the later that I will go back and clean up the archives. Heck, I have a storage shed full of junk that I’ve been going to clean up for years.
Why not give this a try and let me know how it works for you!
Recommendation
If you are truly interested in managing your emails and not letting them manage you, I recommend you getting “Email” by David Sparks. It is an IBook that I think can only be found in Apple’s Ibook Store. I purchased the book on my IPad and it’s quite an experience with interactive videos and a very easy to read format. This format is probably the book of the future.
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
I Can Really Relate to Your Newest Post
I received several emails from last week’s post “The Law of Limited (Sales) Performance.” I would like to share one in particular, along with my reply.
I know as Managers in any organization we have all had the same feelings and struggles as Kris.
Email from Kris:
I can really relate to your newest post, even though my role is more service based rather than sales. I’m struggling a bit right now with a few of my men that I know are far more capable than what they’re putting forth, and having some difficulty in finding a means to challenge or motivate them with hopes that they will re-engage themselves in their work. I also find myself stepping in way more than I have been to make sure things are done correctly. I’ve been wondering lately maybe it’s me? Maybe my expectations are unreasonable? Not sure… I’ve never asked anyone to do anything I haven’t done myself or wouldn’t be willing to do, but I remind myself that not everyone has the years of experience I do and perhaps can’t do things as fast or good as I can. I don’t know Wes, maybe management just isn’t for me? I’m a hands on guy and it’s been a struggle for me to let go. I’d think almost eight years later I would feel better about it but I don’t.
Kris
My reply:
Kris, I think as managers the challenge to motivate and inspire our team is always work in progress.
The Law of Limited Performance is a very strong force in any organization whether sales or service.
Please don’t think that because I recognize the law exists and have written on the topic that I don’t still have the same struggles as you are having. I think you recognizing and showing concern that your team may not be achieving it’s potential shows that you do have what it takes to be a great manager and coach.
The first thing I would suggest you think about is “How you think about your people?”
Do you feel strongly that your people are capable of doing what you are asking?
Ron Willingham in his book “Selling Integrity” which I refer to often says:
“Change your internal beliefs and perceptions about people and you’ll see your people change.”
He goes on to say:
“By changing your own actions and behaviors, you can change the actions and behaviors of your people.”
I’m not trying to be preachy but I think it all starts with looking at yourself first.
If you’re ready:
Here is a step-by-step process from “Integrity Selling” I use that may help you work with improving your team:
1. Recognize current belief boundaries:
-Understand how they see themselves.
-Analyze your beliefs about the person.
2. Help set achievable goals just outside their comfort zone.
3. Determine why achieving these goals is important.
4. Agree upon and action plan.
5. Express your belief in their ability.
6. Reinforce the smallest evidence of progress.
7. Help them see failure as a learning experience.
Kris, I think you are exactly what companies look for in a manager. Never think that having high expectations of your group and holding them accountable is a negative in being a manager.
I think you said it best when you said you don’t ask them to do something you have not already done yourself or willing to do yourself.
However, I caution you to not expect them to be “Kris”. That may be to much to ask from those without your drive and experience.
I would use all the knowledge and experience you have to begin coaching and encouraging your team to be the best they can be.
Use encouragement and praise when possible and hold them accountable when appropriate.
But most importantly, let them know you believe in them and are always there for them.
I certainly believe you can!
Thank you so much for the email.
Wes
PS: You may see some of this in a future post along with your feedback if you have no objections.
If you are having the same struggles as Kris and would like to share what you are doing to defeat the “Law of Limited Performance”, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
Law of Limited (Sales) Performance
So, what is the Law of Limited Sales Performance? (I’ve added “Sales” to this law but it applies to any organization.) 
It is a law that permeates it’s way through most Sales Organizations. If allowed, it will guarantee mediocrity in your Sales Team.
The Law of Limited Sales Performance says that Sales People will figure out the level of performance their Manager will settle for and soon get to that level.
Managers then assume that this is all the Sales Person is capable of achieving and quit challenging the Sales Person to get better.
Now, both the Manager and Sales Person begin to reinforce what the other believes.
I have to admit that I have been guilty of settling and not always challenging our Sales Team to do better than I thought they were capable of. I suspect that (at times) years ago as a young salesman I may have only performed to the level that was expected of me.
Maybe we all have been there sometime in each of our lives.
But I was fortunate to have a manager that had very high expectations of me and our Sales Team. We were encouraged and expected to be the best we could be. He was always raising the bar of expectations and demanded an increasing level of Sales Performance.
I have tried to follow his example and encouraged our Sales Managers and Sales Team to do the same.
It is time for all of us to step up the effort to defeat the Law of Limited Sales Performance in our organizations.
1. Begin setting frequent incremental goals that begin to exceed the current expectations.
2. Publicize the success the team is achieving.
3. Start doing hands-on-coaching with your Sales Team.
4. Hold yourself and your Sales Team accountable to achieve higher and higher Sales Performance.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said many many years ago:
“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them become what they are capable of being.”
Sales People
Fortunately, as Sales People we have the ability not to let others limit us to what we are capable of achieving. Our performance will only be limited by the limits we place on ourselves.
Also, when pushed to improve our performance (if done correctly) we have the ability to do more than we ever dreamed possible.
Sales Managers
As Sales Managers we must remember that our beliefs and expectations will greatly influence our Sales People’s self-beliefs and expectations.
The Law of Limited Performance has been around forever. You can see it nearly everywhere you look. When you see it, think about the impact it is having on that organization.
Just by being aware of this Law and making the needed changes, we will begin to overcome the natural tendency of mediocrity!
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
Who Was Your Favorite Teacher?
Before reading any further I would ask that you stop, read the 3 questions below, think for a moment, then answer these questions:
- Who was your favorite teacher?
- Who was or is your favorite boss?
- Who is you favorite friend?
For most of us these are very easy questions to answer. It is my hope that you have been lucky enough to have several people to include in each of your answers.
But maybe a little harder question is “What do each of these people have in common?”
I was given this same exercise several weeks ago in a Sales Seminar. While it was easy to come up with the answers to the first three questions, figuring out what they had in common was somewhat elusive.
After a couple of minutes of discussion I decided that these were people I could “Trust”.
But why did I Trust them?
This question was much easier to answer.
They all “Cared” and more importantly I feel they all “Care or Cared about Me.”
I would suspect you too found the same common denominator in you answers.
So why the reason for this exercise?
In Sales and Sales Management positions I think we work hard to create a trust between Ourselves and our Customers.
In almost every Sales Process Model is the need to build Trust in the relationship.
Heck, without Trust there won’t be much of a relationship.
Without your Customers knowing you truly care and more importantly “you care about them and their Company,” trust will be hard to build and without Trust, success will be even harder.
But when your Customers realize that you care and you are a person they can trust, a lasting relationship can now be built. Once you have that relationship and you become their “favorite” Salesperson you will be well on your way to the success you deserve.
As I continue to think about my favorite people, I wonder what each one of them see or seen in me?
I hope if asked they would say “Wes Cared”.
I think I will sleep a little better tonight just thinking about the people who care.
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
January Tip of the Month – Before Coffee
A few weeks ago I noticed on twitter a tweet declaring: 
“Many people spend more time preparing their coffee than planning their day.”
I was guilty of this when I was fresh out of school. I would show up for work minutes before being late, tucking my shirt tail in, combing my hair and wiping the sleep from my eyes. Never once thinking about planning the day ahead.
If you fall in this category, I have 7 things you can do starting today to help you begin to plan and organize your day.
This is my routine:
- Before going to bed, I think about the things I did not get done or any unfinished tasks that I need to finish. (I guess this should be last on the list but my planning starts the night before.)
- I allow a few minutes first thing in the morning to again think about what I did not get done the day before and start deciding whether those items still need to be on my to-do list. I do this while preparing my morning coffee. (Who said I couldn’t do two things at the same time.)
- Before jumping into the day’s work or opening emails, I review my calendar and begin creating my to-do list for the day. (I will usually look at my calendar right before shutting my computer down the day before as well.)
- Next, I go ahead and create a list of things I need to get done today. (I’m old fashioned and write this list on a yellow legal pad.)
- Finally, I identify the must-do tasks and put a star by those. If possible I do those things first.
- As I progress through the day I scratch off the tasks when completed.
- Before heading home I review the list for things yet to be done and as I mentioned above look at my calendar to see what I have coming up.
It’s really that simple!
I have found that if I don’t have my day planned first thing in the morning, I usually end up getting nothing done or feel completely out of sync for the day.
But that’s just me!
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
Starts with a Great Foundation
I am often questioned why I work so hard teaching and emphasizing the Sales Basics. We all want to hear and learn about the latest and greatest thing that is going
to help us grow sales. It’s almost as if we look or wait long enough we will find the easy button to success.
Until we find that easy button, the key to being successful in nearly anything we do, including sales, starts with a Great Foundation.
It starts with a Great Foundation
I was raised in a Construction Family. My Dad and many of my Uncles were General Contractors and built or helped build many of the recognizable buildings in our town. Most of these buildings were built back in the fifties, sixties and seventies (you can tell I’m getting old as this doesn’t seem so long ago) and are still standing today. While some of these buildings don’t look the same as they did back then, they continue to be great buildings with thriving businesses occupying many of them.
I have no doubt the reason these buildings are still standing and in such good shape is their foundations are strong. I’m sure there was never a thought of cutting corners especially on the foundation. Dad knew the foundation had to be done correctly to ensure the building would be strong and last. I remember Dad using the same people throughout his years of contracting. Not because they were the cheapest but because he knew he could trust them to help build the best building possible starting with the foundation.
The Bank Building
One building in particular is a fifteen story bank building which resembles the United Nations building in New York. Dad was initially hired by the Architectural firm who designed the building to oversee and inspect the project to make sure it was built in compliance with the plans. Not long after the project started he became the Project Manager and later the General Contractor finishing up the building. All this leads up to the point that he knew the building was built right and strong.
Within in a year of the building being finished it was struck head-on by a very strong and deadly Tornado. At the time it was the strongest tornado ever recorded. The May 11th tornado devastated our entire downtown and unfortunately killed 26 people. While other buildings were left to rubble or twisted so badly they had to be condemned the bank building structurally stood strong.
I remember shortly after news that downtown had been destroyed, Dad jumping into his truck and heading downtown. Within a few hours he was back at the house making calls to suppliers and sub-contractors to begin securing the building. I didn’t think much about it until recently but even with such a devastating hit on downtown he never questioned the strength of the bank building’s foundation and structure. He knew it was built strong and never feared it collapsing or needing anymore than just “fixing up”.
Back to Sales
Much like building a building, a successful career in sales (or anything else) must start with a strong foundation you can trust. If we get the foundation right we can build a strong and long lasting career. With a commitment to making sure we have sound and strong fundamentals in place, we know we can weather any storm. If we have the basics down and continue to practice doing the fundamentals right, we will be prepared for any set back and when the latest and greatest thing comes along we will be ready.
Personal Note
Dad passed away nearly twenty years ago. It brings me great pride to see the buildings he built and knowing how proud he was of his work. I also know that he and Mom worked hard to build as strong a foundation in me and my brother as he did with his buildings. They never skimped or cut corners. Always encouraging and sometimes making us be our best. I believe he knew the foundation he built for and in our family would remain strong and last for years. He knew that we could survive the worst of storms and would need no more than a little “fixing up” from time to time.
So when asked why I spend so much time teaching and training on the basics I guess it’s because I was raised that way.
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
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Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
Goals and Plans
We are well underway in the New Year. I hope you have taken time over the past few weeks to think and come up with a few goals you are committed to achieve this year.
If you have your goals identified, it is time to begin writing and preparing a plan to help you achieve these goals.
The “Plan” is the roadmap you will use to reach your goals.
Sometimes we have difficulty distinguishing between Goals and Plans.
James Clear in his article on Entrepreneur.com “Forget Setting Goals. Focus on This Instead.” does a great job explaining the difference in Goals and Plans or as he calls them “Systems”:
- “If you’re a coach, your goal is to win a championship. Your system is what your team does at practice each day.”
- “If you’re a writer, your goal is to write a book. Your system is the writing schedule that you follow each week.”
- “If you’re a runner your goal is to run a marathon. Your system is your training schedule for the month.”
- “If you’re an entrepreneur your goal is to build a million dollar business. Your system is your sales and marketing process.”
His premise in the article is if you only focused on the plan or system you would still reach your goals. It’s the plan or system that is most important not the goal.
I think this is mostly correct!
For example:
If your goal is to lose weight and you only focus on the scale each week will you lose weight?
Probably not!
But if you have a plan or system in place to control what you eat and requires you to increase your daily exercise routine do you really need a scale to reach your goal?
Again probably not!
All the stepping on the scales you do will do nothing to help you lose weight with the exception of the calories you may burn walking to the scales.
The same goes with setting goals to improve your sales. Just setting a goal will have little effect on your sales performance. It will be the plan or process you put in place that requires you to do the things each day to improve and grow your sales that will make the difference.
Before you say “Wes” you said in an earlier post that just by setting a goal and writing it down you are 10x more likely to achieve your goal. I still standby what I wrote.
While a goal without a plan or process is less likely to achieve the greatest results, a well thought out goal with commitment and written down is much better than no goal at all or a goal that you don’t take the time to write down.
Back to our example, if your goal is to lose weight this next year and are truly committed, even without a plan you will begin to watch what you eat and try to exercise more each day or week. If you can maintain this commitment, at the end of the year you will most likely step on the scale and weigh less. However, without a process or plan in place you may not be able to optimize your weight loss and begin to get discouraged at some point during the year and go back to eating as you did in the past.
Same goes with setting sales goals. Even without a plan, if you are committed to grow sales, you will increase your activities needed to grow and improve your sales. If you can keep up the pace your sales will improve and you can reach your goal. But without a plan or process in place this level of activity may and probably will slowly diminish as will the chances of reaching your sales goals.
So here’s my takeaway.
At the very least:
If you are struggling to come up with clear SMART goals that you can commit too, you may want to make sure you have a plan or process in place that will at least ensure you are headed in the right direction.
or
If you have a good clear goal you’re committed to achieve but can’t seem to put a plan together, make sure you write your goal down and share it with others you trust.
I’m not trying to give you a way out of the goal setting process but trying to make sure you do “something”.
I see too many Sales and Account Managers give up during this process and just drift along without a plan year after year. Never reaching their full potential or achieving their desired results. I encourage you not to find yourself in this position.
There is some very good information on the web to help you with the process. I would suggest going to MichaelHyatt.com. Michael Hyatt has devoted a great deal of time and effort in helping his readers understand the Goal Setting process. His thoughts are priceless.
Also, James Clear at JamesClear.com who I sited in this article writes a blog that discusses breaking bad habits and putting processes or systems in place to help you improve your everyday life.
You may also want to look back at past articles I have written on the topic of goal setting.
I believe setting good goals and creating a plan or process around these goals is clearly the way to best insure you achieve what you desire.
Let’s make this year our best year ever!
If you would like, please leave a comment below or you can email me at feedback@wewaonthenet.com.
You can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WE_Ward where I tweet articles I come across each week that I think may be of interest.
If you would like to have future posts automatically sent to you, please subscribe below or click on the RSS feed button in the upper right hand corner of my website and choose how you would like to receive this blog. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article.
Now let’s get out there and over-deliver!
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