Huxley on Truth vs. Wishes

 

“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.”

– Aldous Huxley (1894–1963)

English writer

annoy: (uh-’noi) verb: to disturb or irritate especially by repeated acts

The last thing we want to do is annoy them (our prospects & customers).

It’s never our intent. But our intent doesn’t matter.

What we do matters.

Here are the sales facts…

They don’t like it when…

  • we’re pushy
  • we call too much
  • we’re “just checking in”
  • we’re unprepared
  • we’re disrespectful of their time
  • we keep calling if they say they’re not interested

Lewis on Wonderful Necessity

 

“It is wonderful what you can do when you have to.”

– C.S. Lewis (1898–1963)

Irish writer, scholar

Take action.

Make the call (contact).

Ask the (real) questions.

Seek out the objections (the truth).

Close.

Don’t waste a moment going through the motions.

You’re in sales. Everyone depends on you.

“Look around, leaves are brown

And the sky is a hazy shade of winter.”

Paul Simon (1941 – )

American music artist

Aurelius on Objectivity and Focus

“The first rule is, to keep an untroubled spirit. The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are.”

–Marcus Aurelius (121–180)
Roman emperor and philosopher

Prune. Not the fruit. The verb.

To prune a tree is to remove the branches and shoots that don’t serve its growth and vigor. But it goes a step further.

A diseased branch or low performing shoot not only doesn’t serve the tree – it drains the energy that can be used elsewhere – the energy that can produce more fruit, more flowers, and stronger branches.

When did you last evaluate your sales day activities against what’s most important to you succeeding (e.g., getting new customers, retaining current customers, driving profitable revenue)?

212 thought: Removing just two diversions from your sales efforts each week eliminates more than 100 distractions throughout your sales year.