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Published September 8, 2003 Going for the Win I learned long ago that winning or losing can be come a habit. It’s largely a state of mind and what shows up in the “real” world is just a reflection of what is going on inside. Just last week I received an inquiry call from a lady. I could tell from the sound of her voice on the phone that she was overwhelmed, whipped, frightened. She was projecting “loser”. Rather than buy into her story I talked with her about what she might be able to do to start getting some wins quickly. What she needed at that moment more than anything was an honest reality check and some belief that she can win. She didn't need a cheerleader – which is good, because that’s not really my role in life. She needed to see what she could do RIGHT NOW with the resources and opportunities she had. When I was a relatively novice salesman many years ago I had the advantage of being involved in a team selling environment that was created within our franchise network. Though each of us worked very independently, one year we were put into teams across the country and our goals were, as a team, to lead the nation in sales. We called each other regularly and sent notes of encouragement. Whenever someone got a sale we celebrated. We kept score. It was exciting. And at the end of the year we had surpassed ourselves and all the rest of the nation in closed business. Plus, we had FUN! That’s what business, sales and LIFE should be about. When I hire a new sales person or make a hiring recommendation, I do so with the belief that the person can and will be a winner. This is not Pollyanna wishful thinking. My screening process involves some pretty intense interviews and assessments to get to the real person. I want to make sure the person is a fit for the position. But once they are in we turn every effort to that person winning. I ask them to go out and make a sale, any sale, at any price the first week. I want them to get that feeling of making the kill and celebrating it. When they have that first win, I repeat what my first sales manager said to me: “if you can sell one, you can sell a hundred”. I believed him and that’s just what I did. Once you get a taste of what winning is like you never want to let it go. People who have the feeling, the belief, of winning will win. If they want it, they will win. Years ago when I did sales training in Dallas my associate Dan Blanchard and I used to have a saying about certain kinds of people. It went “can't sell but will sell”. What we meant was that certain people came to us with little skills, knowledge or experience but they had such a desire to WIN that we knew they would. You just couldn't stop them. They invariably were the quota busters and award winners. They made the most money. Even if we hadn't shown them how to do it more easily they were determined to win “even if it hairlips the gov'ner” as we say in Texas. They wouldn't, they couldn't quit. It wasn't in them. I think everyone has that kind of fire in them; it’s just been smothered in some people for so long that they have come to disbelieve it. I think it can be rekindled, if the desire is there. If you haven't been used to winning, here’s what you can do. Find a strong WHY – Find something beyond the workaday goals that makes you want to get up and get to work. Winning requires passion. Make a plan – “No one can stop a man with a plan because no one has a plan to stop him”. As individuals or as leaders of others we need to have a plan and a strategy for reaching goals. If we don't have one in writing there is a temptation to be “flexible” when you need to stick to a standard. Set standards and measure them – People need to know what a good job is, they need to know what kind of difference they are making – let people know how they are doing and what then need to improve. Winners want that kind of feedback. Communicate – Managers and leaders, you need to help your people see the big picture. Let them know what is really at stake, what the possibilities are, what is expected and a how they can contribute to it. Soloists, get a “board of directors” or a MasterMind that will tell you the truth. Ask questions of your people – Don't assume you know what they need or need to know. ASK them! They will tell you (if you have earned their trust). Get on a team – It’s much more fun to be on a team. Even if you are in a solo selling environment, get some support. Few, if any people, can really be consistent winners without a support system. If you don't have an actual sales team, make one up. Get some buddies to set up a game with you. I do this all the time with other coaches Never lie to your team members – If you are short of the goal, lose a big account, whatever, people need to know. They will never believe the good stuff if you don't level with them about the rest. Soloists, if you have accountability partners, this applies to you too. If you can’t speak the truth how can you live it? That makes it very hard to feel like a winner. Pace yourself – Rome was not built in a day nor are you likely to suddenly quadruple your sales production. What you are going for here is WINS, remember? So set shorter-term goals that you have some certainty of reaching and then follow your plan, get some wins you can celebrate. Tie these goals to your longer-range plan. Stay in Action - Just remember, you can plan for the future but you must ACT today. Take a day off – if you play hard you have to rest hard. Be sure and take some FULL breaks, not just a couple of hours here and there. If you want to look at how some of these ideas were applied in real life then check out this week's book review on The Great Game of Business. See a review of the book here

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