The hardest thing about sales is never giving up. Always staying positive.
So many people talk about having ‘thick skin’, ‘grit’, and being able to bounce back from failure, but few can actually follow through with it.
In baseball, if you win 30% of the time you are an all-star.
In business, if you win 10% of the time you are an all-star.
What % of VC investments fail? 90%
What % of CEOs experience successful liquidity events? 10%
What % of cold calls result in a demo?<<10%
The very first thing we need to realize is that we signed up to play a game, where success lies in the 10%.
So, given we get knocked down 9 times, to get up 10 it’s important to have a process or system that you utilize to keep yourself positive.
Like most things in your professional life, if you are trying to succeed without a system/process you are only kidding yourself.
Here are a few things I do to keep myself positive.
Some will be obvious, and things you already do as well, but if there is one new thing you add to your process, then I will consider this post a success.
1. I pause and ask myself: “Did I sign up for this?”- when I remind myself that I put myself here it gives me back the control.
2. I ask: Is there someone out there, “Who could have achieved a different outcome in this scenario? What would they have done differently? If they can do it, I can do it.”Control is regained and a lesson is learned.
3. Are you learning from every situation? (I couldn’t resist the learning transition, it was too good). Every time you get passed a GK and reach a DM that is a win. Every time you get a GK to tell you the DM is on vacation and learn she has two sons in college, that is a win. Every time you learn from a call, one thing you could have done better, that you implement, you are winning.
4. Is there a scenario where you close 100%? Does perfection exist? Does light exist without darkness? Hate without Love? No. So maybe, in reality, you should be happy that there is darkness. Because without it there is no commission. There is no light.
Baseball players fail 70% of the time. They Bat .300. What goes on in their head 7/10 fails? I bet you they are talking to themselves “Did you see his finger, it raised again that time right before the curveball came in.” Or, maybe he strikes out and goes to the dugout and says “How’d I look? Why am I whiffing?” Baseball was never my strongest sport, but I always appreciated the fact that being focused on ways to improve, and using a process for growth, is the only way to win in what appeared to be a desolate opportunity.
To this day I still cannot hit a 100 MPH Fastball.
-Gabriel Moncayo-
As Co-founder and CEO at Always Hired, Gabe Moncayo’s passion lies in sourcing, screening, and training bright and motivated individuals who are looking to start a career in technology sales. Always Hired has alumni in over 100 companies, who were expanding their sales teams. Prior to founding Always Hired, Gabe spent over 10 years in sales leadership roles ranging from political fundraising to executing turn-around campaigns for late stage and public technology companies. He is a two-time recipient of the American Association of Inside Professionals Top 25 Most Influential Sales Professional award.
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