Three people reached out to me in the last few days and each one shared a common problem.
Each person felt that due to problems they’ve had in the past in sales, they would never be successful in the future. Each person was quite serious in their phone call or email, and each one appeared to be looking to me to confirm the belief they could not be successful in sales.
In one of the phone calls, I shared if the past dictated future performance, then why should anyone ever think in a game when one team is behind they will be able to come back and win? I asked the person if they had remembered the Super Bowl from two years ago where the New England Patriots overcame a more than 20-point deficit at halftime to ultimately win the game versus the Atlanta Falcons.
As I shared this example, he immediately pushed back and said how that was different. He shared how sales is not a sport and how his only chance of being successful was to find a new profession. I asked him if upon choosing a new profession, what would he do if he faced some sort of problem? Would he then change jobs again?
Did I convince this person to remain in sales?
I’m not sure, as he was quick to say he didn’t have any other options for employment at this time. What I’ve described is an issue we all face to varying degrees. We allow something in the past to shape our thinking to the point where we believe something is not possible.
This is a shame, as it holds far too many people back from taking the risk they need to take, whether it be a new job or moving to a different city. We have to be willing to step out.
If we can’t get past thinking about the past, then we’ll never be able to achieve what lies ahead in the future. Throughout my adult life, I’ve had to put aside the past and move forward, and each time I’ve been glad I did.
I’m not saying we can’t learn from the past. No, we certainly need to learn, but we can’t allow ourselves to become trapped in the past. What’s the big move you need to make? What’s in your past that you need to let go of so you can make the big move?
Leadership is about accomplishing things not only in others, but also in ourselves. Let me know what you’re going to do to drive yourself forward while not wasting time looking back.
A coach can help you excel in your sales career! Invest in yourself by checking out my coaching program today!
Copyright 2018, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog. Mark Hunter is the author of High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results
