We all feel the pressure to generate results. What if the source of lost sales, selling-stress, and missed sales targets is focusing too much on the RESULT than your PROCESS. Doing more of the wrong things faster push you away from your goals. The finish line isn’t where the race begins. Top performers prepare to win by becoming more PROCESS vs. RESULT driven. That’s why – THE RESULT IS THE PROCESS, so trust the FORCE, Luke.
A business owner asked his top salesperson to teach a newly hired sales rep how to cold call.
The top performer brings the rookie salesperson into a room, and sits down at a table. On the table was a phone and a call list. The top salesperson says to the rookie, “Okay, I’m going to teach you how to cold call. Just listen and observe.”
He picks up the phone, makes the first call and gets hung up on immediately. He continues down the call list and gets hung up on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th call. However, every time this sales champion got hung up on, the happier he became, as it did not seem to affect his positive attitude.
Finally, the rookie asks, “Why are you so happy? You just got hung up on six times in a row.”
The top salesperson smiled. “Yes, but I just made $120.00 (USD).”
Surprised, the rookie says, “Wait, I watched you. You made six calls and got hung up on six times. How can you tell me you just made $120.00?”
The salesperson looked at the rookie and responded, “Last week, I made 500 calls and earned $10,000.00.”
The Lesson:
The Result IS the Process
This sales champion new that:
- One bad cold call wasn’t going to ruin his hour.
- One bad hour wasn’t going to ruin his day.
- One bad day wasn’t going to ruin his week.
- One bad week wasn’t going to ruin his month.
He had a clearly defined success formula and a process he trusted. He knew that if he made 500 calls per week, those 500 calls will generate a certain number of prospects. And based on his statistics, he also knew that a certain number of prospects would convert into customers.
What you measure you manage. Regardless of the stage you’re at in your sales cycle, the best sales leaders have a success formula they trust. That includes a formula around the right amount of tracked, quality activities, which also includes the conversations you have, that produce desired results.
Like every great athlete, top sales athletes want to continually be coached around every facet of their sales process and communication, in order to be their best. This will ensure their approach and messaging is aligned with their strengths and individuality to insure maximum impact and output. Besides:
You Don’t Coach the Result. You Coach the PROCESS.
Make the Inner-Shift
While your process provides you with the confidence and the peace of mind to produce the results you want, it makes it very difficult to trust an intentionally, well-defined process if you don’t have one in place to trust!
Stop focusing on WHAT you do & start focusing on HOW you do it.
Great leaders shift from being a result-driven, activity-tracking spreadsheet junkie, to becoming more process driven. Rather than push for the result, honor your proven process. Besides, pushing for the result doesn’t make the result manifest any faster. Let the result be the byproduct of the stellar implementation of your process, so that you can enjoy the journey, as well as attaining the results you want, without the pressure.
TIP FROM THE COACH: Try this. When selling/prospecting, assign a value to every “No” you hear. How much money is each, “No” worth? If hearing the word, “No” is part of your process, it sounds like your time and effort will yield an exponential return on investment, especially when you ultimately win the sale!
Doing more of the wrong things faster push you away from your goals.
Focus on the Mindset
P.S. – The Lesson Here is Not About Cold Calling
Before you start analyzing the concept of cold calling, or this sales veteran’s cold calling formula, please focus on the spirit of this story. It’s not about actually picking up the phone and calling on people you don’t know, or whether this type of telephone cold calling, based on your approach, is the most effective method to generate new business opportunities and prospects. That’s an entirely different article…
Beliefs Precede Experience – How You Think Is What You Get
It’s about shifting not just what you do but how you think, so that you can become someone WHO is process driven. Now, the byproduct is a positive change in behavior.
Prepare for Your Mind to Be Blown
Just think of the three points of time:
- THE PAST
- THE PRESENT
- THE FUTURE
I define selling as, “THE ART OF CREATING NEW POSSIBILITIES.”
Where does the result live? —-> THE FUTURE
When do you implement your process? —> THE PRESENT
When do you actively listen? —> THE PRESENT
When do you CREATE NEW SELLING POSSIBILITIES? —> THE PRESENT
What can you miss if you’re solely focused on the result? —> THE PRESENT (See a theme?)
Where does your LIFE happen ? —> THE PRESENT
Be Present to Recognize The New Opportunities Right In Front of You
If you want to create a more fulfilling life, be more effective and engaged when speaking with prospects, customers, family, your employees or coworkers, AND live in a deeper state of appreciation and happiness, BE PRESENT. That’s where creativity, proactive, intentional listening, the SALE and the quality of your life is created. This cannot happen when you’re focusing on a future expectation.
“Trust the process, you must.” – Yoda
Process-driven people are more consistent in their results, both personally and professionally, since they’re intentional about everything they do, and HOW they do it, rather than living in a constant state of reaction, pushing for the results.
The finish line isn’t where the race begins. Top performers prepare to win by becoming more PROCESS vs. RESULT driven. And that starts with being PRESENT. When you can combine talent and mindset with process and the power of the FORCE – keep your eyes out for breakthrough results, and listen to the wise words of Yoda, young Jedi.
