Preventing ups and downs in sales
Have you ever seen a salesperson have a great month followed by a bad month? Why do you think so many people think sales is a feast or famine kind of gig? Does your sales career look more like a new design for a roller coaster? Looking at your own career, have you given up on consistent improvement or are you frustrated with just trying to maintain some level of real consistency in your sales or business?
Why is this happening? When it comes to preventing ups and downs in sales, are there things you can do to prevent that? What can Dr Seuss, The Grinch and the good people of Whoville teach us about preventing ups and downs in sales?
It’s that time of year…
The holidays are upon us. And whether it’s the animated Chuck Jones version or the Jim Carrey version, there is a powerful sales and business lesson hidden within.
Remember a couple things about the Grinch. He has a heart two sizes too small and he hates Christmas. He decides to “steal” Christmas. So on Christmas Eve, he pulls a reverse Santa. He rolls into Whoville and takes everything associated with Christmas.
On Christmas Morning, the good people of Whovile do not allow their missing stuff to spoil their Christmas. They respond in song. This causes the Grinch’s heart to fill three sizes. Now it’s even bigger than normal. He returns the stuff and joins the people of Whoville in the celebration of Christmas a changed man.
What is Christmas Spirit?
The Spirit of Christmas can be found in giving, in appreciation and in the service of others. It is also found in the bringing of love, light, hope and peace to the world.
However, there are real Grinches out there that abhor this spirit and will do whatever they can to steal this all away. These Grinches can come in many forms. Sometimes it’s as simple as your internet crashing or power outage. Other times, your competition becomes your Grinch or the market takes a down turn. The media can be a Grinch. And sometimes, the Grinch turns out to be someone close to you, stealing your spirit yet hidden in plain sight.
Who or what is trying to steal your Christmas spirit?
I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me.’’ -Ebenezer Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol,’’ written by Charles Dickens in 1843
Remember, The Spirit of Christmas is about giving, appreciation and being in the service of others. It is about bringing love, light, hope and peace to the world. This should be happening all year long. This does not start on Black Friday and then wrap up on the 26th. Maybe one of the reasons there is a “Christmas Season” is to get you in the HABIT of honoring Christmas in your heart and keeping it all year?
Here’s a reality laid out in Grant’s strategy of the week:
No Grinch can take your success away unless you allow it!”
Once you, like the people of Whoville, have decided to not let anyone or anything steal your Christmas Spirit, the next question to ask (as we look at preventing ups and downs in sales) is how can we apply The 10X Rule moving forward to the overcome come these obstacles and prevent the ups and downs in sales?
What causes you to STOP BEING SUCCESSFUL?
There are only a few reasons why you will STOP being successful with something:
MAIN REASON: Your Commitment Wanes.
You find you just aren’t as committed to something as you once were. Consequently, you will soon begin to fail. Think of a time from your history where you know this to be true.
[ACTION IDEA FOR RE-COMMITTING: Honestly asses your level of commitment. Has it waned? Why did it wane? When did it change? Who was with you when it changed? Are they actually on your side? Handle them if you can but more importantly, part of this recommitment is affirming your decision to not let anyone or anything steal your Christmas Spirit.]
SECOND REASON: Failure to adapt to new conditions.
When things change in the world, you need to get new training or fresh ideas. If you’re losing more, to start succeeding again, you will have to adapt. You need to reboot. Learn new things. Change your process. Change your product even.
[ACTION IDEA FOR ADAPTATION: Look at Apple as a company then look at what’s left of Blockbuster. What can both these companies teach you about the importance of being aware of new conditions and being willing to adapt. Are you willing to make the necessary changes or will you wind up stuck on an idea that no longer fulfills the Christmas Spirit?]
FINAL REASON (SPEAKING OF CHRISTMAS SPIRIT): Your mindset.
Your emotions toward something changes. This can indirectly take us back to the main reason and change our commitment level. In sales there are two sides of this coin and Grant covers it in Sell Or Be Sold. Side A is the salesperson. They have a shift in their mindset about their ability. This is usually brought on by something that happened on the outside. Something to do with the company or the product or service. The B Side is management. They too can go through these three things but they also can lose their commitment to a salesperson or their entire team.
[ACTION IDEA FOR MINDSET: You have to protect your mindset and you have to make sure you’re not allowing anything to pollute or corrupt your commitment level. Take a look at your self, your company, your co-workers and the product/service you provide. Has anything changed? What decisions have you made about the change and what was the impact on your mindset? What do you need to fix, alter or adjust to get back to fully committed?]
Final Analysis: Preventing ups and downs in sales
One more time for good measure. The Spirit of Christmas can be found in giving, in appreciation and in the service of others. It is also found in the bringing of love, light, hope and peace to the world. As a sales professional or a manager, do these activities resonate with you and your company’s mission statement? Can you use the Spirit of Christmas to maintain a high level of commitment, adapt to new conditions and maintain a stable, positive state of mind? Can you use the Spirit of Christmas to create real success in your life?
Because being successful is a daily activity.
Success isn’t a once in a while event. Success is not only grown, it is farmed. We plant the seeds of success everyday. Which means we need to water and nurture those seeds. Eventually they sprout and start to grow and we keep watering, nurturing and cultivating it until it bears real fruit. But we’re not done, because what happens when we stop watering, nurturing and cultivating? Success stops bearing fruit, it withers and it dies. What happens when the seasons or climate changes or your crops get a disease or parasites? You have to continually protect, cultivate and nurture your crops. Managers, would you ever plant a seed and expect it to water itself? There are no plants that can water themselves. Salespeople, how are you tending your crops (clients)?
There are two things you should be doing daily to farm success. Train daily and get yourself around the right people. That means Cardone University and 10X Growth Con. Both of these are successful actions that you can take to 10X your Christmas Spirit and make sure you honor it all year long.
For more on Cardone University and how to incorporate it with in your company culture plus free tips on sales training visit: https://cardonesolutions.com/10xyourteam
For more on 10X Growth Con, who’s going to be there and how to get there visit: https://cardonesolutions.com/10xgrowthcon/