Take a look at the list and ask yourself which of these nine items impact you positively, and which ones negatively?

1. Your competitor

2. The industry you sell in

3. Outside factors – economy / legal / etc.

4. Time

5. Your customer

6. Your customer’s customer

7. Your customer’s competitors

8. The products/services you sell

9.You

Low-performing and even average salespeople allow each of the nine items to drive them.  They spend their time merely catching what they can. Put in very simple terms, they take credit for things that happen positively to them and place blame for everything else.

For example, let’s look at a salesperson who happens to be in a fast-growing industry with customers that are growing even faster. Regardless of said salesperson’s performance, they’re going to show nice numbers.  The problem is because they’re putting up nice numbers, everyone thinks they’re a great salesperson. The reality is they are nothing more than a customer service person taking orders that fall into their lap.

This same salesperson is quick to place blame on their industry, their competitors or whatever else as soon as they’re not putting up good numbers anymore. The truth is their poor performance just got exposed.

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Top-performing salespeople know the same nine factors that influence the low-performing salesperson can impact them too, but the difference is they don’t allow it to occur. Instead, they are proactive in how they approach their business and they realize the biggest factor they can control is the last one, “you.”

Read these  8 Characteristics of a Top-Performing Salesperson. 

Top-performing salespeople know it’s their skill and expertise that is going to drive their results. They know the other eight factors are nothing more than items to be dealt with.  Excellent salespeople are confident in what they can do, and they approach their job with a strategic perspective and a tactical focus.

Which of the nine items above are you allowing to work against you?

No one is exempt. The items are real for everyone. The challenge is simply in how you decide to respond to them.

Top performers are continuously learning.

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