Things That Bother You That Shouldn't and More

Take a few minutes and consider those things in life that bother you that really shouldn't.

We all have our list of these things and here are few for your consideration;

1. People that do not reset the microwave oven timer

2. That speedy driver that races down the street, passing you, only to have you right next to them at the very next traffic light

3. People that call and dive into their information delivery without asking if you have time to listen

4. People that do not refill the paper in the copier
5. People that do not put the toilet seat down

The list could go on and on.

Let's take a look at a few things in business that should not bother you and a few things that should:

1. People that do not return phone calls.

It shouldn't really bother you if people do not return your calls. They probably do not return anyones calls. What should bother you is if you don't make enough phone calls.

2. People that don't make time for you.

People are busy and unless they understand the value of devoting some of their time to you, you will not make much progress. What should bother you is if you do not understand the value you represent well enough to encourage others to give you some of their valuable time.

3. Prospects that say no to your proposal.

Most "no's" stem from a lack of understanding so when a prospect says no, they are typically saying, "I don't have enough information." If what you are selling can indeed help the prospect then it is a matter of time before you or your competitor get the order. However if you are getting a no because there really is no need, or they are wasting your time then move on. What should really bother you and keep you up at night is that you are not getting to enough qualified prospects thereby never giving enough people the opportunity to tell you no.

4. People that say your stuff is too expensive.

Many people do not understand the value you offer so you are always, initially, going to be too expensive. It shouldn't bother you when someone makes the broad statement that what you are selling costs too much. What should bother you is if you are not equipped to demonstrate your value. If you cannot factually support your considerable value, then you are overpriced and overpaid. The issue is NEVER price. The issue is ALWAYS value.

5. No one is buying from you.

People do not buy unless they are sold. Educated people buy more than uneducated people, Your job includes teaching. People either sell themselves or someone does the selling to them. It really should not bother you if people are not buying, but what should shake you to your sales-foundation is not getting in front of enough qualified prospects.
6. There are issues that are beyond your control.
The appropriate response is to not allow the circumstances to overcome or discourage you, rather you should address the realities and then move toward the objective with a firm commitment. The facts do matter so it should bother you if you make decisions before you have a firm hold on the realities. 

Don't let things bother you that appear to have unalterable bearing on the foundation of your current and growing success.

Public & Private

Outside sales people and indeed any one who deals face-to-face with client's and prospects on a regular basis are, in the view of the customers, the face of the business: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

While many people think that their private lives and their professional lives are distinct and separate, that is simply not the "real-world". You see, you are a person and people naturally relate to other people and most people find it very difficult to view any one individual through multiple lenses. Your customers and prospects and fellow employees look at you and see what you are on and off the job and what they see is one person that behaves either consistently or inconsistently. You cannot be two people to clients and prospects independent of the separation that you feel should rightly exist. That simply does not fit the reasonable evaluation process that we all employ to determine who we can and cannot trust and who we really want to do business with. The degree of separation that you have between your professional and private existence may indeed vary from person to person, but there is still a considerable amount of character evaluation occurring in-spite of the ability of any individual to attempt to to see you as two different people. You are one person all the time and what you broadcast, either in actions or words, will build a basis for just how other people view and judge you.

Use extreme caution and sound judgement when you demonstrate your character with your actions and when you tell others by your words, what you really represent. Professionalism does not have any boundaries and never sleeps.

The explosion of social networks has created a means of communicating that can be used for your benefit or for your detriment. Whatever you post, is fair game and will either help you or hurt you. There is simply no neutral place on these networks. Everything is being judged.

Your private life should be protected and enjoyed but remember that you are always, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week representing your profession and your company. Do so with pride and considerable discretion when necessary.

Sometimes Chicken - Sometimes Feathers

Sometimes Chicken and sometimes feathers.

After work we often reflect on the accomplishments of the day. Each day offers the opportunity to accomplish something and move forward. However there are many times in our career that, at the end of the day, we look back at exactly what we accomplished and we cannot clearly identify anything we did to help move the process forward.

You cannot do everything in a day, but you can do something everyday. Extraordinary and defining accomplishments rarely happen in a short timeframe. Building anything worthwhile takes time and a steady process toward a goal. The steps you take toward your destination are more often small and sometimes they are backward. We have all heard the saying, "three steps forward and one step back." Business does not often follow a linear path. Business takes twists and turns and sometimes it seems that the road to success is not very clear at all.

The "must-do" exercise must be to, DO SOMETHING EVERY DAY, however small and insignificant the activity may seem. There will be days when you get Chicken and other days when you get only Feathers. The key is to make the best of what you have and enjoy the big and small accpmplishments.

No One Owns The Hill Forever

No one owns the hill forever. Business is in a constant state of change. They who find themselves on top of their market, must accept that others want to be on top as well and are willing to fight hard to get there. That may seem to be an over simplification, but looking at things from a simple viewpoint, is beneficial. If you are on top, you must fight as hard to stay on top as you did to get to the top.

There are circumstance that are beyond your control that may have an negative impact on your ability to get to or stay on top. That is going to happen and how you respond to the change is going to determine if you get to or stay on the top. But since you already know that nobody owns the hill forever, you must understand that what you are doing is either getting you closer to the top or moving you away. The journey to the top of the hill is going to prepare you for staying on top and owning the hill, for a limited time. There are companies that are so powerful that they own the hill for a long time, but they should know that their competitors are continually adapting and aggressively attacking their position. All to often companies start to ignore their competitors because they have such a commanding position. That is often a critical error in judgement because "no one owns the hill forever."