Tony Robbins says if you want to succeed follow the model provided by previously successful people. Zig Ziglar pointed toward many “tried and tested” or “time-honored,” undeniable truths in sales as a rule of thumb toward sales success. And, it can be appropriately argued that both are right. If you want to be a sales superstar and a sales leader you must follow the pack. And, by pack, I’m not referring to the mass amounts of status quo under-achievers or the droves of sales people suffering from delusions of adequacy. If you want to be the leader, follow a pack of outliers that know how to win, always win, and settle for nothing less than winning. For more than two decades I’ve coached, trained and built sales teams and modeling was an integral part of building a foundation for success. So, it goes without saying that I fully support the idea of following successful models and learning from undeniable historical truths in sales and marketing. And, I’ve personally performed at a peak level individually in sales as well. And, I am more convinced than ever that true sales leaders are outliers. Not necessarily the kind described by Malcolm Gladwell but the kind that seem to always find a way to win, inspire, influence, persuade and generate revenue… no matter what. The “pack” of sales experts that do this consistently is small. And, if you want to be a leader, follow them. They hate losing even more than they love winning. The first way to identify an outlier is to recognize that they’re often the recipient of back-handed compliments that include but are not limited to: For a salesperson, you’re pretty well versed on marketing concepts For a salesperson, you think pretty creatively For a salesperson, you really care about your clients For a salesperson, you’re a lot smarter than I thought For a salesperson, how do you know so much about (insert other designations here, like product development, operations, events, P.R., public speaking, production, etc) For a salesperson, you could actually do “so-and-so’s” job. So, here’s a few “bottom-line” tips and advice for getting into the lead and establishing yourself as a leader…, and then staying there: If you’re accustomed to being the “#1 salesperson” then stop attempting to follow the wrong pack. You’re part of an elite, outlier group of over-achieving professionals and you need to act that way. And remember, in business you are who your friends are. Do not be concerned if others, even supervisors, are intimidated by your past experience and do not be overly concerned about protecting them from their insecurity. You can’t control that. Do not be negatively influenced by comments about your vast or varied background, especially when the inference is that you’re a jack of all trades. Leaders lead and excel in any environment and most people just cannot identify with that and if they do, they envy it. Forget about ABC (Always Be Closing) and focus on ABT (Always Be Training) because you’re already a closer and in fact, you’re probably already the best closer in the company. Keep training and learning what others refuse because that is what you do better than everyone else in the first place. Never stop doing the things that everyone else refuses to do. Always be on fire for doing the right thing, at the right time and especially when it’s inconvenient. And know you’ll often be alone because very few people are willing to succeed. Be comfortable alone. Speak up and be heard when you see people (companies, clients) making dumb decisions that will ultimately hurt them. Don’t allow your company to make decisions you wouldn’t allow your own children to make. Care enough about them to speak up and be a voice of reason. Especially when it causes you personal or political loss. This is critical when people above you in the food chain are consistently making poor business decisions that are not putting you in positions to succeed. Be professional. Be respectful. But do NOT be silent. And, be reminded that you’re one of the rare individuals that can accomplish what few others can because you’re not a typical salesperson. You’re the best salesperson on the team, you always have been, and you most likely always will… unless you’re on my team… that spot is already taken.
