The Captain of the Titanic Wasnt in Sales
The Captain of the Titanic Wasnt in Sales
Many of us know an iceberg has about 7/8th of its mass below water. But did you know the largest Northern Hemisphere iceberg on record was encountered near Baffin Island in 1882? It was 8 miles (13 km) long, 3.7 miles (6 km) wide and rose 65 feet (20 m) above the water. The mass of that iceberg was in excess of 9 billion tonnes - enough water for everyone, in the world to drink a quart (litre) a day for over 4 years.
Well thanks for the lesson on icebergs you're probably thinking but what has that got to do with sales?
Go back to the first fact; the majority of an iceberg is below the surface. In sales, much of what controls our success is below the surface. Let me explain.
Think of the iceberg, the tip which we see, could be compared to the action and results of sales professionals. We see sales results. Companies track share of market, percentage of plan, year-over-year performance to name just a few metrics. We also see what a sales person does. We can observe and track the number of calls made, appointments kept, sales made, and referrals obtained.
What we can't see, the part under the surface is what the sales professional is thinking. This I submit is the most critical component for a sales person to be successful. We talked about icebergs, now for a short psychology lesson.
Cognitive behavioural science suggests that what we are thinking about today determines our reality tomorrow. That is, a person's outer world is a reflection of their inner world. If a sales professional is interested in creating a new reality for themselves, whether that new reality is bringing in a new client or whether it is moving up to the next level in sales effectiveness, this new frame of reference is first created in the person's mind. It all starts with an idea, a concept and a desire for enhanced results.
I've heard it said that a person sees more with their state of mind than with their eyes. For example, take an optimist and a pessimist to the same restaurant and afterwards they are likely to report quite different experiences even though the service, the meal, the company, and the location were exactly the same. The optimist's positive frame of mind focused on what was enjoyable while the pessimist's negative state of mind zeroed in on everything that was wrong.
This fascinating area of psychology reinforces the concept that our thinking is our greatest ally in demonstrating effective sales competencies. In other words, top sales performers think in a way that helps them to perform at an optimal level. The good news is you can change your thinking style to improve performance.
The best sales professionals are effective thinkers. They focus on what they want to achieve, they regularly review their sales objectives and they think in a constructive, supportive fashion, using their creative imagination in harmony with their intelligence, reason and free will. Think of this as their "mindset" which influences their focus, motivation and confidence.
So the next time you see an iceberg (or maybe ice in a drink), think of what's below the surface of your mind. Think of the impact your mindset can have on your sales success.
The Captain of the Titanic Wasnt in Sales - To learn more about this author, visit Clayton Shold's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
Did you know sales success and icebergs have something in common? And no ...this article is not about cold calling!
Many of us know an iceberg has about 7/8th of its mass below water. But did you know the largest Northern Hemisphere iceberg on record was encountered near Baffin Island in 1882? It was 8 miles (13 km) long, 3.7 miles (6 km) wide and rose 65 feet (20 m) above the water. The mass of that iceberg was in excess of 9 billion tonnes - enough water for everyone, in the world to drink a quart (litre) a day for over 4 years.
Well thanks for the lesson on icebergs you're probably thinking but what has that got to do with sales?
Go back to the first fact; the majority of an iceberg is below the surface. In sales, much of what controls our success is below the surface. Let me explain.
Think of the iceberg, the tip which we see, could be compared to the action and results of sales professionals. We see sales results. Companies track share of market, percentage of plan, year-over-year performance to name just a few metrics. We also see what a sales person does. We can observe and track the number of calls made, appointments kept, sales made, and referrals obtained.
What we can't see, the part under the surface is what the sales professional is thinking. This I submit is the most critical component for a sales person to be successful. We talked about icebergs, now for a short psychology lesson.
Cognitive behavioural science suggests that what we are thinking about today determines our reality tomorrow. That is, a person's outer world is a reflection of their inner world. If a sales professional is interested in creating a new reality for themselves, whether that new reality is bringing in a new client or whether it is moving up to the next level in sales effectiveness, this new frame of reference is first created in the person's mind. It all starts with an idea, a concept and a desire for enhanced results.
I've heard it said that a person sees more with their state of mind than with their eyes. For example, take an optimist and a pessimist to the same restaurant and afterwards they are likely to report quite different experiences even though the service, the meal, the company, and the location were exactly the same. The optimist's positive frame of mind focused on what was enjoyable while the pessimist's negative state of mind zeroed in on everything that was wrong.
This fascinating area of psychology reinforces the concept that our thinking is our greatest ally in demonstrating effective sales competencies. In other words, top sales performers think in a way that helps them to perform at an optimal level. The good news is you can change your thinking style to improve performance.
The best sales professionals are effective thinkers. They focus on what they want to achieve, they regularly review their sales objectives and they think in a constructive, supportive fashion, using their creative imagination in harmony with their intelligence, reason and free will. Think of this as their "mindset" which influences their focus, motivation and confidence.
So the next time you see an iceberg (or maybe ice in a drink), think of what's below the surface of your mind. Think of the impact your mindset can have on your sales success.
The Captain of the Titanic Wasnt in Sales - To learn more about this author, visit Clayton Shold's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
|||
Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
|||
Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|||
Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
|||
John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
|||
George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
|||
Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Clayton's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
 | ||
 |
||
|
||
 |
||
|
| ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 Leadership Assessment Mirror Marketing Networking Road Warrior Cash Flow Forecast Samples Disappearing Leader |
|
 | ||
 |
Guide To ERP Software
Business Management Software | |
 |
Email The Reporters
Press Release Builder | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||