John Martin

Being emotionally detached allows a salesperson to have control of the sales call and make reasonable decisions.

I read a quote the other day from French impressionist painter Edgar Degas. He said “Painting is easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you do”. If you’ve ever picked up a paint brush, a palette and a piece of canvas thinking “how hard can this be” you soon found out, it isn’t easy. The end results look amateurish and the activity is humbling. It’s not that big of a leap to say that “Selling is easy when you don’t know how, but very difficult when you do”.

One of my clients recently told me that because of a large new opportunity he was managing his prospecting activities for the next couple of month have effectively gone “on hold”.It won’t pay commissions for a minimum of 6 months, maybe much longer, that’s the bad news.

There’s an old saw that says “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth over-doing”. We see it today in numerous areas of our lives in the rampant over-scheduling for ourselves and our kids. Multi-taking is no longer occasional based on a situational need, it’s a constant ever-present pressure in our lives.

About 12 years ago, friends of mine were thrilled to learn that that their son, a Marine aviator had been selected for a two year duty in the Blue Angels, the prestigious Naval exhibition team. Known for their precision flying and jaw-dropping execution, the Blue Angel are without argument; world-class. Over the next two years I came to learn about the Blue Angels culture through my friends.

My wife and I have an on-going difference of opinion in regards to an aspect of parenting. I believe it’s my job as a father to encourage reasonable amounts of risk-oriented behavior in my three boys. My wife is wired more towards protection. So, recently when my son wanted to make some vinegar and baking soda pop bottle bombs, I, naturally, said yes! My wife merely gulped.

An owner I work with called me the other day and he was pissed. He had just gotten back from seeing one of his retail distribution partners. The owner’s top salesperson calls on the retailer. The salesperson frequently updates the owner on the account and it’s always the same…the client is “doing great!”

Anything a sales person expects when they are buying, they will tolerate when selling.

Sales people need to be tough. They can’t be afraid of getting a “no” or being perceived as unlikable.

Due to such a deep commitment on many levels top performers are willing to make any and all the sacrifices necessary to achieve their goal of being the best.