Top producers make winning a habit

Posted: February 27, 2012 | Categories: Sales, Self-Improvement

“Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all the time thing.  You don’t win once in a while; you don’t do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time.  Winning is a habit.  Unfortunately, so is losing.

 There is no room for second place.  There is only one place in my game, and that’s first place.  I have finished second twice in my time at Green Bay, and I don’t ever want to finish second again.  There is a second place bowl game, but it is a game for losers played by losers.  It is and always has been an American zeal to be first in anything we do, and to win, and to win, and to win.”

-Vince Lombardi

In selling, there is no second place.  We either get the order or we don’t.  And if we don’t, we receive nothing – that is no fun.  As Vince Lombardi says, “Winning must be a habit”

An old mentor of mine once said, “A goal mind is a goal mine”.  I was reminded of this last week while talking to a successful financial advisor:  He began his career in the fall of 2008 – not exactly the most fun time to begin.  401k’s were decimated and financial advisors weren’t winning any popularity contests.  Yet Bob boldly began his career and has met or exceeded every quarterly goal since he started.  He is enjoying a comfortable standard of living.

I asked Bob, “What is it you do that makes you so consistent?”  He replied, “I set goals and achieve them.  I make sure every goal is realistic and challenging.  If I were to set a goal and not achieve it, I would become complacent, and accept mediocrity.  I know because I struggled through high school and college. Once I adopted the “set and achieve goals” mindset, my whole life turned around. “

In his 1940 essay, “The Common Denominator of Success”, life insurance sales manager Albert Gray said:

”It is easier to adjust ourselves to the hardships of a poor living that it is to adjust ourselves to the hardships of making a better one.  If you doubt me, just think of the things you are willing to go without in order to avoid doing the things you don’t like to do…”

 So what can we do to attain the same success as Bob?

Set a goal.  Even if it is dialing the phone six times a day – set it.  And once we do, remember the four key fundamentals to ensure you succeed:

1.  Seize the first opportunity

2.  Launch the strongest initiative

3.  Keep the faculty of effort alive with daily practice

4.  Never allow an exception to occur

Happy goaling!

 

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