Get It Done

I've always been impressed with salespeople and entrepreneurs who have the abilities and skills to accomplish so much on a daily basis. And not surprisingly - they are usually the high performers.

I gotta tell you about an article I just read in Saturday's Wall Street Journal written by Peggy Noonan. It's vintage Noonan - who is one of my favorite writers. She can tell a story with glaring clarity - not a bad trait for professional salespeople to have.

She talks about an event in the life of Gen. David Petraeus, who is you know the commander of U.S. troops in Iraq.

Now don't get your tail feathers up - this article isn't about politics - so I encourage you to keep reading.

Here a few facts about the general you may not be aware of. He graduated from West Point in 1974, 10th in his class.

He has a Masters degree in Public Administration and a Ph.D in the lessons of Vietnam.

He has served in these places: Bosnia, Kuwait, Iraq, Karbala, Hilla, and Najaf. He is admired and respected.

Now back to Peggy Noonan's story.

On September 21, 1991 he was shot in the chest. During a live fire training exercise, one of his soldiers tripped over his M-16 causing it to fire a round.

He's rushed away to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. A local surgeon was called to the scene.

Without going into all the gory details, the general had lost an incredible amount of blood.

The surgeon had to decide whether to stabilize the patient or operate.

The surgeon saw the general was conscious and said, "Listen, I gotta make a decision about whether to take you straight to surgery or stabilize you first and give you blood."

The doctor was surprised at the general's response. "Don't waste any time.

Get it done. Let's get on with it."

Now that's the story and here's the take away for salespeople and entrepreneurs.

What are you sitting on that you should be working on?

Do you realize the key to finishing is starting?

Have you considered that today's the most important day in your life?

I remember my first sales job. I was excited to get it and dreaded to start it.

I didn't have a clue what selling was about.

If you're a sales veteran, you can stop reading now.

If you're new to sales keep reading the next few lines.

Is your self-confidence not running at full throttle?

Do you feel a little overwhelmed at the start of every business day?

Are you long on enthusiasm and short on selling skills?

Well if you answered "YES" to any of these questions, you're probably making mistakes as soon as your car leaves your drive way.

Being new to sales doesn't mean you have to endure a long and miserable learning curve. I've been there and done that and I know it's not fun.

You can replace fear with boundless self-confidence.

You can shorten your learning curve and start selling more.

"Don't waste any time."

"Get it done."

"Let's get on with it."

Oh, I forgot to mention that Dr. Bill Frist, who later became a U.S. Senator, then Majority Leader, was the surgeon who operated on Gen. Petraeus.

A get it done attitude will increase your sales faster than anything else you can do.

Checkout my website for creative ideas on how to "Get it done."

Jim Meisenheimer is the former Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Baxter International and is the creator of No-Brainer Sales Training.

His sales techniques and selling skills focus on practical ideas that get immediate results. You can discover all his secrets by contacting him at (800) 266-1268 or e-mail: jim@meisenheimer.com

Get It Done - To learn more about this author, visit Jim Meisenheimer's Website.

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