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I See the Light�Ouch!

Guest post by: Brian Sullivan

Article Overview: �Why Pain is Essential to Your Growth in 2008�

I See the Light�Ouch!

Aristotle was smart. I am not. Having said that, if you give me something that makes sense, I�ll try it. And if it works, I will keep doing it until it doesn�t work anymore, and then adapt until it does. I like to compare my brain to that of a fly. Now a fly might not be the smartest bug in the drawer but if the wings fit�anyway, I will make my point. As science goes, if you put a bee in a glass jar, and lay the jar on its side with the bottom pointed toward a light, then take off the lid, the bee will never escape from the jar. He will keep flying toward the light, believing that it is the only way out. He never adapts and never readjusts. He is programmed to go toward that light, and he will die trying. God bless �em.

The fly handles things in a much different manner. While the bee believes the only way it can reach its goal (the light) is to fly directly toward it, the fly, on the other hand, will smack its head on the back, top, and sides of the jar until it finds a way to get out. Sure, it�s a bit painful for the fly I am sure, but at least he is willing to try something new. And although the search to find the light might be painful, he keeps trying to find the solution. If you are reading this issue of REPertoire, chances are you have a little fly in you as well. Chances are you are somebody who seeks out new and better ways of doing things. And I would even bet that you are somebody who doesn�t give up after failing a few times.

Now here is a dose of reality. The only way to assure that you perform at a higher level in 2008 is by doing things that will get you a few bumps on the head. But when you remove the ice pack at the end of the year, you will be staring at a bigger commission check and more loyal customers. If you manager others, then you will have happier employees, less turnover and your balance sheet will also see the �light.�

So how to do you get there:
� Purchase one or more new business books each quarter, read, and DO WHAT THEY TELL YOU
� Attend two seminars (nonmandatory) that will hone your skills, and then DO WHAT THEY TELL YOU.
� Then follow these easy steps:
1. Fail
2. Fail
3. Fail
4. Improve
5. Sharpen
6. Perform
7. See the Light!

And if you are the queen bee of your organization (owner, VP, manager), don�t skimp on the development of your people. Encourage them to seek knowledge and skill by creating a learning organization from top to bottom. Invest in seminars, books, and dedicate meeting time strictly to new skill building.

If you commit to the instructions above, there will be days that you will wish you WERE a fly. There will be days when you say, �Flies suck! Bees have it easy! I�m going back to my hive.� Resist this temptation. The corporate world has enough worker bees buzzing around. These are folks that keep flying toward the light, doing things the same way they have always done them. But they will never reach their true potential. And in the process, will bore the hell out of countless customers or employees.

Now here is the good news. The �light� isn�t for everyone. In fact, only 3% of the people or organizations reading this article will follow this formula and make 2008 the year they became a student of their profession. But that�s okay. Because if it was easy to become famous in your territory, company or industry, the glass jar would get too crowded. And there is nothing more annoying than being caught in a jar with a bunch average salespeople and managers. Their comfort in mediocrity begins to bug after a while.

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Article Tags: failing in business, overcome obstacles, precise selling, sales process, sales training



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