I went out this morning to fill the birdbath with water. After turning on the hose, I saw that my car needed washing. I headed toward the car when I noticed the mailman at the street so I decided to look through the mail first. I laid the car keys down on the table and tossed the junk mail in the trash when I noticed that the can was full. My checkbook was nearby on the table, so I thought I would go ahead and pay the bills first. There was only one check left, and since the extras were in the office, I went there. In the office, I found the diet Dr. Pepper I was drinking earlier. I planned to look for the checks, but first I sat the drink aside so I wouldn’t knock it over, and since it was getting warm I opted to put it in the frig until later. Walking toward the kitchen I noticed the flowers on the counter needed to be watered. As I sat the drink down I discovered my reading glasses that had eluded me all morning. I figured they should be returned to my desk, but those flowers really needed to be watered first. So I sat the glasses down and filled a water pitcher, but out of the corner of my eye saw the TV remote that got left on the kitchen table. I knew when TV time arrived tonight I wouldn’t remember it was on the kitchen table. So I decided to put it back in the family room, but first I must water those flowers. I spilled quite a bit of water, so I laid the remote back down, got some towels and wiped up the spill. Then I headed down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.
At the end of the day;
The lawn wasn’t watered,
The car was still dirty,
The bills weren’t paid,
There was a warm can of soda on the counter,
The flowers didn’t get enough water,
There was still only one check in my checkbook,
I can’t find the remote or my glasses,
I don’t remember what I did with the car keys, and
My neighbor called to tell me he turned off my hose.
When I tried to figure out why nothing got done today, I’m really baffled because I know how busy I was and how tired I am now. I realize this is a serious problem, and I’ll try to get some help for it, but first I need to check my email…
That was a humorous way of remembering that although we stay extremely busy, we often can’t justify our time. As salespeople, there are tasks you like and tasks you don’t like, things you accomplish and things you omit.
The Apostle Paul said it this way: “Making the most of every chance you get,” which means learning to do the things you are supposed to do, at the proper time, regardless whether you like them or not. Self-control and self-denial are not optional when you are a selling professional.
Here, are three things people realize but tend to ignore:
1. A snowballing value accrues if you invest small amounts of your time in specific activities over the long haul, for example:
-Investing only $100/month @ just 6% return from age 25 to 65 amounts to $199,149 with only $48,000 invested out of pocket.
-Exercising 30 minutes/day, 5 days/week will produce a healthier, longer life.
-Properly planning each sales day, every week provides a full pipeline of prospects to see, resulting in sales success and an above average income for your family.
Because there is no immediate benefit or consequence to any one installment of these activities, people fail to do these things and end up remorseful down the road.
2. Neglect is cumulative, as well, for example:
-Years of poor diet or lack of exercise yields high mortality and a shortened life span.
-Those who don’t invest small amounts of their income regularly for their future end up dependent on their children or on the government at retirement.
–Sellers who don’t plan regularly have fewer appointments, make fewer sales, earn smaller commissions, and terminate a lot quicker than diligent salespeople.
Like point #1, no one missing installment of activity is a game breaker, so you tend to be less serious about the regularity and intensity of your routine. Another example of this principle is raising kids, as neglect doesn’t manifest itself until years later when it is probably irreversible. The maxim to learn here is; the price you pay for something is always less than the price of neglect.
3. There is no snowballing value to the haphazard things you choose to do. This simply means you can compile all the oddball, meaningless things you do, but they add up to nothing.
Many people rely on the Bible for regular guidance in their daily living. In the first century, the Apostle Paul traveled to Ephesus, a city in what is now modern-day Turkey, to mentor and advise a fledgling group of Christians. After he arrived and assessed the situation, in order to help them get their lives moving in the right direction, he spoke these words, included in Scripture:
“So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. (Make sure you understand what the Master wants.)” Ephesians 5:15-17 (The Message)
I put the last phrase in parentheses, so that even if you cared less about what the Master wants, you could still apply the rest of the text. Your sales career, as well as your secular life in general, will benefit from the wisdom of the rest of the verse.
Now let me transform Paul’s wisdom into a Dougism, that can be applied to your sales career:
“You should really be careful how you handle yourself. Be wise and steer clear of your counterparts in the office that aren’t diligent. They are the ones who continually try to drag you down to their level by acting like chairmen of the self-appointed cold water committee. Since your time is so valuable, only trade it for things of equal value, realizing that there will always be those who will try to minimize and marginalize you. In every office, there is a current, an undertow that seems to pull you away from doing the most important things. If you give in to it, you will act foolishly, and your results won’t allow you to win financially for your family.”
You are smart enough to know that the clock is ticking, and you only have a certain amount of time to get on a success track before your career times out. If you don’t, you will either end up leaving your company because you aren’t making enough money, or will be terminated due to substandard sales performance. So as you look in the mirror, are you satisfied with how you are spending your time?
I’ll leave you with three rhetorical questions you might want to consider the next time you are alone in a quiet place:
- Where do I need to begin making consistent time deposits?
- What is my biggest obstacle?
- What am I willing to do about it?
Was this post urgent, important, or both?
©2016 Robinson Training Solutions, LLC
