Last month I shared with you some insight on ways to overcome you fears that hold you back from greatness. This month we move forward to sales truth number three on the power of self examination.
In our industry today, there is a disease that has quietly set in throughout the sales floor. I call it dependency blindness. So many sales associates have become so dependant on others that it leaves them in a world of darkness just waiting to be led around. Instead of being a self sufficient sales professional, they are constantly waiting on every little order before they react or examine a situation. I am here today to share with you a truth that will bring light to your sales career and give you back the vision needed to become a modern day sales professional.
The truth is that only you hold the power to make lasting change. Others can guide you or give you direction, but ultimately it is you who holds the keys to your own success.
Have you ever witnessed the scenario of the sales associate who attends an amazing sales seminar and comes back ready to rule the sales floor? Something within them appears to have changed as they explode onto the scene with these new found skills. Fast forward a month or two and they are back to all their bad habits and struggling to find any new found success. Why does this happen? The answer is they did not have the ability to manage themselves or their new found skills.
In order to make lasting change, you must have the ability to manage yourself and maintain your new found skills. I call it looking into the mirror of your soul or self examination.
The world is full of stresses and demands that lead us to become disconnected from ourselves. It is important to take at least 15 minutes a day and open up your mind for self examination. Each day you should look closely at one specific area that you are turning corners in and see it with clarity. With an intense focus and desire for success you will find the answers within to find lasting success. It is literally just like looking into a mirror daily.
Stop and think for a moment what life would be like without a mirror? If you did not have the power to see yourself daily, you would definitely become a mess. Your hair would become a tangled mess and those blemishes you could not see would become hideous. Sure, your manager could point them out to you, but could you really address these issues without seeing them? The answer is NO! Could you imagine your manager trying to style your hair for you without you seeing what they were doing? Their taste and style could be totally different than what you would like your hair to look like. So why do we just allow others to do the work for us that we should be doing ourselves?
I want to be clear that managers are to be respected, because they are in that position for a reason. However, it is time for the modern day sales associate to plug into this new found power and take control of their own destiny.
As you open up your mind for self examination, what things do you see that need improvement or are hindering you from greatness? Focus on these things you discover and begin to work on finding the answers within to make lasting change.
As you go through this process, I do recommend having a mentor – like a store manager or well rooted sales associate – to give you extra insight to go along with the knowledge you discover. Those who have found success before you are a perfect source to find a wealth of knowledge that will free you from your blindness. However, you must always remember that it always starts with you.
There is one thing you must be mindful of as you are opening your mind for self examination. It is vanity! There is nothing worse than someone unattractive looking into a mirror and seeing themselves as beautiful. It is kind of like that American Idol contestant who thinks they can sing, but actually sound horrible. The next day they are the butt of every joke at the water cooler. Make sure you examine yourself with honesty and see yourself with clarity. This is the key to giving yourself the proper make-over needed for true change.
Hopefully, this has given you some fresh insight into finding a greater success. For those of you desiring a deeper understanding of self examination, I encourage you to read my new book called “Modern Day Selling.” I also have created a two day hands on training seminar designed to be a road map to give you direction on your journey to new found greatness.
Next month we will discuss sales truth number four on the benefits of serving your customers while selling them. This is a forgotten skill that you will not want to miss.
Brian Barfield offers fresh insight in the world of sales training designed to help sales associates unlock their hidden potential and reconnect with their customers. Brian has over 17 years experience in the jewelry industry and spent the last 6 years as a million dollar sales associate. Coming soon will be his book titled “Modern-Day Selling.” For more information please visit his website, www.moderndayselling.com or contact him at brian@moderndayselling.com.
