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Are you the kind of person whose self-talk stresses them out too much in anticipation of the challenge ahead? Or, are you cool, calm and collected?
My daughter, Taylor, and I completed the Las Vegas half-marathon this past week. It was very fun to do this with my daughter – as it was her 1st half marathon and she recently started a marketing and sales role. It was my 10th half marathon.
Taylor and I had lots of discussions comparing running to sales during the training. Taylor realized that preparing and training were more of a mental effort than a physical one – just like in sales. We captured our thoughts before, during and after the race.
One thing we noted right away was how fascinating it was that our before self-talk was far lengthier and stressful than during the race itself. This is just like sales!
Before the Race Self-Talk:
The Las Vegas Half Marathon took place at 5 p.m. in the evening so we could enjoy the lights and nightlife of the Vegas strip. All the other half marathons (and even the one and only marathon I’ve ever completed) started in the early morning.
I have to admit, I was a nervous wreck when I woke up. I wondered how I was going to get through the next 10+ hours before the race started.
Taylor and I captured these thoughts during breakfast, on Race Day:
- We wish we could run this race sooner.
- There is too much time to worry and be anxious about this race.
- It takes lots of work and patience to practice positive self-talk when negative self-talk just keeps pouring into our mindset.
- A 10km would have been a better option than a half marathon.
- What do we eat throughout the day to build and preserve our energy for a late day race?
- We wish this race was on a Saturday night, so we could really party after the race and have Sunday as a recovery day.
- I’m sleepy… perhaps an afternoon nap would be a good idea – which we did!
- It’s difficult to be in a different city and time zone.
- We are over-worrying about possible injuries during the race.
As someone who practices positive self-talk and puts myself into stressful presentation situations – and has already accomplished 9 half marathons – I was amazed at how MY own mindset was playing havoc with my mental-being.
So, we took a nap. When we started to see people gather for the race corrals from our hotel room, we turned the negative self-talk into positive energy and mindset.
During the Race Self-Talk:
At about the 2-mile marker, we got into our groove – starting to enjoy the fun, excitement and the Run Through Wedding! Here were our thoughts:
- I wish we dressed up, other than our Canadian jerseys. The sparkly tutus would have been more fun!
- This is very cool to be in the middle of the strip – running with all the lights and dazzle of the casinos, people and nightlife around us.
- We just passed the 5-mile marker – We got this!
- At the 7-mile marker – we are over halfway. We got this! Ugghh – we still have 5 more miles to go though!
- It’s very cool to be running into the old part of Las Vegas with very tacky motels and wedding chapels.
- At the 10-mile marker, let’s focus on what we have to left to go – we are getting closer to the finish line.
- Our bodies don’t hurt too much! No injuries or pain.
- Start visualizing the finish line, just past Treasure Island and the Michelob Ultra beer.
As we ran the 13.1 miles, we never had any thoughts of giving up – we just kept focusing on putting one foot forward and cheering every time we passed a mile marker.
After the Race – Breakfast on Post Race Day:
While sipping mimosas and enjoying breakfast in the warm sunshine in an outdoor restaurant, we captured these final thoughts:
- Yes, we did it!
- We didn’t have our best time/pace – but it doesn’t really matter. We are very proud of our dedication to the training and race day to commit to being healthier.
- Well worth it. Yet… not sure if we will do it again!
- Very proud of Taylor who committed to this race, along with her fitness and weight loss goal
Have you noticed what your self-talk and mindset is like in your day-to-day life? What kind of phrases do you have on repeat when you’re gearing up to close a sale or when you’re in the thick of it?
Do you stress too much? Do you have overpowering negative thoughts? I challenge you to notice your self-talk, write it down and look it over at the end of the day.
Lisa is driven by the mantra – Be Strategic. Be Pro-active. Be Brave. – and has been successfully training and coaching sales leaders and their teams to do the same for over 15 years. As the President of Teneo Results since 2003, she has trained thousands of sales professionals at more than 250 companies across North America. She transitions salespeople away from the standard “product & price” approach to having purposeful business conversations with their customers that drive results.
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As we get ready to set goals for the milestone year of 2020, I have some advice that might surprise you… But hear me out.
Do NOT set just one-year goals.
You need to think beyond 2020. First, develop your goals for three years from now. Once you have the vision for the next three years, work backwards to then set your one-year goals. This strategy will help you begin your plan to achieve your long-term business goals now, instead of later.
For example: you can double your sales goals in the next three years – simply by growing your business by 26% each year. So, your current goal is $1 million dollars. But in three years, you want to double your sales to $2 million.
Here’s how you can do that:
- Year 1 : $1,000,000 + 26% = $1,260,000
- Year 2: $1,260,000 + 26% = $1,587,600
- Year 3: $1,587,600 + 26% = $2,000,376
Three-year goals are your key to success.
Here’s my secret to achieving your 3-year goal: simply set a 7-day activity every Monday – so you know what you’ll do in the coming week to get you closer to achieving your goal.
This method isn’t just about setting sales goals in your business. You can also use this strategy for your personal life as well.
Three years ago, I set a goal to complete 10 half-marathons. Next week, I’ll be crossing the finish line of my 10th half-marathon. To make it even more fun, I’m doing it in Las Vegas with my daughter, Taylor.
What a better place to celebrate this goal accomplishment!?
Take the time to celebrate your goal accomplishment – this matters. It’s the reason New Years Eve exists! Give yourself the opportunity to celebrate your goal success before you start the next fiscal year (and your sales number begins back at 0!).
Don’t be 1 of 2 sales professionals who won’t achieve their goals.
Did you know only 57% of sales professionals achieve their goals? Yes, that number is real.
At the beginning of this year, we hosted a few webinars and asked what is the biggest factor that is getting in the way of achieving your goals?
The poll results surprised us:
- 24% said, “There’s just not enough time in the day.”
- A few said their boss
- …But 43% said it was them!
Did you catch that?
The sales leaders in our first webinar admitted that they were their biggest factor getting in the way of achieving sales growth this year. In our 2nd webinar, that number got even higher. Fifty-eight percent of the attendees also admitted that they get in the way of achieving their goals.
Do you get in our own way?
So, where do you land?
If you know you are the reason for not achieving your sales goals, I suggest making a list of all the obstacles that YOU allow to get in the way. In a 2nd column beside this list, identify a strategy for each obstacle to overcome this challenge.
I’m a learning junkie, and when I was attending my 1st session of Strategic Coach – a great program for Entrepreneurs – they had us do a similar exercise to set sales goals and stretch goals.
It was very empowering and encouraging to do this exercise! It improves your own self-talk, builds confidence, along with setting realistic actionable strategies that will help you to realize there is a way to overcome the obstacles and achieve your goals.
Our goal at Teneo is to help you, the Sales leader, do just that– with accountability and sound strategy.
“I was struggling to hit $400,000. Focusing on ideal profitable clients, setting goals and stretching my vision of what I believe is possible has made the difference. The results have been amazing! I hit the Million Dollar club then the $2,000,000 Goal with healthy margins and without sacrificing my family and fun!”
Bethany Brevard – Proforma Owner
Which three-year goal will you put into action today? Tell us in the comments below.
Lisa is driven by the mantra – Be Strategic. Be Pro-active. Be Brave. – and has been successfully training and coaching sales leaders and their teams to do the same for over 15 years. As the President of Teneo Results since 2003, she has trained thousands of sales professionals at more than 250 companies across North America. She transitions salespeople away from the standard “product & price” approach to having purposeful business conversations with their customers that drive results.
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This time of the year is an ideal time to conduct a business/client analysis to help you provide clarity as you set your goals and strategies for 2020 and beyond.
Sometimes, we can be spinning reactively to grow the business. By pausing to take the time to do this Ideal Client Analysis, it will give you the clarity to move forward with proactive planning and decisions.
Lisa is driven by the mantra – Be Strategic. Be Pro-active. Be Brave. – and has been successfully training and coaching sales leaders and their teams to do the same for over 15 years. As the President of Teneo Results since 2003, she has trained thousands of sales professionals at more than 250 companies across North America. She transitions salespeople away from the standard “product & price” approach to having purposeful business conversations with their customers that drive results.
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Sales leaders, which one of these factors is getting in your way of sales success?
Sales Leaders are pivotal in the success of sales organizations. With competitive demands and coaching up with senior executive pressures and constant problem solving from the front-line sales team, it’s not easy to be a sales leader – yet we need stronger and braver sales leaders to lead & coach their teams into 2020 and three years beyond. (more…)
Lisa is driven by the mantra – Be Strategic. Be Pro-active. Be Brave. – and has been successfully training and coaching sales leaders and their teams to do the same for over 15 years. As the President of Teneo Results since 2003, she has trained thousands of sales professionals at more than 250 companies across North America. She transitions salespeople away from the standard “product & price” approach to having purposeful business conversations with their customers that drive results.
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I started running almost 10 years ago, as a way to stay in shape and exercise both my body and my mind. My ultimate goal was to complete a full marathon, which I accomplished four years ago. It will probably be my first and last full marathon.
I continue to complete a ½ marathon each year as a way to stay in shape. This fall, I’ll be completing my 10th ½ marathon.
A few months ago, I started to research all the options – cities and dates to do this milestone half-marathon. Las Vegas on November 17th got my attention. They close the Vegas strip for the runners to enjoy the music, lights and crowds to cheer them on. What a great place for a celebratory event!
Wait – it even gets better!
My daughter, Taylor, who is working full-time decided she would complete her 1st half-marathon and would join me.
It has been an incredible training journey since I first started running. I learned many things about myself and how training for a marathon is related to the sales journey – especially when it comes to obstacles.
Taylor and I created our training plan last week. I’ll admit, this past week it would be have been easy to blow off the long run:
- I had a crazy travel schedule and several flights to catch, and I came down with a bit of a cold, sore throat and lack of energy.
- There was pending rain during our run time.
- My daughter had a late night at a friend’s party.
Just like sales, there are always obstacles that get in the way of our goals.
But, we didn’t give in.
We mustered up our best positive self-talk and chose to make it happen, rather than to allow the excuses to get in the way. It was well worth it! We had great conversation, our energy and strength picked up, and then the sunshine came out in the last 2 km rather than the rain. It was well worth the extra effort to get this done!
As we move into the 4th quarter of sales, what are your goals?
- Slam dunk your sales goal
- Go for the stretch sales goal
- Create a stronger sales funnel in preparing for the next fiscal year of 2020
- Secure a large long-term contract with a client
- Complete business review meetings with your top 3-5-10 clients
What are the obstacles that could get in the way of achieving the above?
- Economy
- Not enough in your sales funnel to achieve your sales goals
- Your own negative self-talk
- Not planning your time for your prospecting calls and/or business review meetings
- Simply, giving up way too soon!
Only 54% of sales professionals will achieve their sales goals this year – that’s pathetic!
Just like running, it takes a positive mindset, tenacity and rigour to make it happen.
I can’t wait to slam dunk our sales goals this year and cross the finish line on the Vegas strip – it will be SO worth it!
Lisa is driven by the mantra – Be Strategic. Be Pro-active. Be Brave. – and has been successfully training and coaching sales leaders and their teams to do the same for over 15 years. As the President of Teneo Results since 2003, she has trained thousands of sales professionals at more than 250 companies across North America. She transitions salespeople away from the standard “product & price” approach to having purposeful business conversations with their customers that drive results.
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Sales Leaders wear many hats – but should they also be teachers?
In a recent Sales Leader Survey we conducted to gain deeper insight into developing our upcoming Sales Leadership, Coaching & Sales Process program – the #2 priority for Sales Leaders (63.64% of Sales Leaders surveyed) was to develop their sales team to be more strategic, proactive and consultative.
The #1 priority for Sales Leaders at 81.82% was, “Growing the business significantly in the next 2-5 years”, followed by the #3 priority, at 63.64%, “Getting the team to prospect for new business growth”
Another great insight from this survey is where Sales Leaders would spend their time if they had an extra hour or two per week.
Here were the top choices:
- More communication and coaching with the team
- 1:1 coaching with the team
- Building a strategy for each separate rep
- Building a pipeline of sales reps who are ready to join our team when an opportunity presents itself
As we move into the Back-to-School – – Back to Business Fall Selling season, it’s important to carve out time to be a Sales Teacher. And if you don’t have time, I would love to be your Sales Teacher, it’s exactly what I love to do as I thought I always wanted to be a teacher when I was a little girl and I always loved (and still love being in sales). Now I get to combine the two to help sales leaders and their sales team “Be Strategic, Be Proactive and Be Brave!”
Lisa is driven by the mantra – Be Strategic. Be Pro-active. Be Brave. – and has been successfully training and coaching sales leaders and their teams to do the same for over 15 years. As the President of Teneo Results since 2003, she has trained thousands of sales professionals at more than 250 companies across North America. She transitions salespeople away from the standard “product & price” approach to having purposeful business conversations with their customers that drive results.
