There is an invisible barrier that is holding you back. It is the reason why many of us aren’t achieving the goals we set for ourselves. It has been constructed brick-by-brick since we were very young, unintentionally perhaps, by people who probably wanted the best for us. But nevertheless, there it is – blocking our path to success. What most of us don’t realize is that since it is part of our inner core it can only be torn down one brick at a time, and that doesn’t happen overnight.
Another brick in the wall
We live in a world that demands instant gratification. Instant coffee, buy now – pay later, instant hot water taps, microwave ovens, etc. When we set goals, we expect them to happen instantaneously. We become impatient, and when our goals are not fulfilled fast enough, we become discouraged and give up. But each time we “give-up” we are actually adding another brick in our success barrier.
There are only two options when it comes to the success barrier: You are either removing a brick or laying another. There is no such thing as the status quo in the universe. Things are either growing or dying. You are either tearing down your wall of limitations, or adding more barriers to stand in your way.
Examine your beliefs
How you think affects how you act and how you act determines your results. Are you success-conscious or failure-conscious? Are you able to see (in the present) a projection of the future that you want for yourself? Do you have true conviction in your ability to get it done?
To succeed, you must put in motion a plan for the achievement of your dreams and goals, be aware of the price required to achieve them, and steadily move toward these goals on a day-to-day basis.
Do the thing you fear most You must move forward. Do the thing you fear the most, and that thing will become your greatest asset. You cannot turn away from the things you fear. The “brick” will not disappear. It will always be part of you, unless you remove it. When you look at success from this point of view, you can see that the motivation to break your success barrier is built into every brick that is holding you back.
Be the jackhammer
Viewed in this light, a goal is actually a jackhammer. Each time you set a goal for yourself and act upon it, you are chipping away at your success barrier. As each brick is removed, the barrier wall becomes smaller and weaker. That is the reason why success breeds success. The toughest part of tearing down your wall is removing that first brick. The choice is yours. Remove one or place one. You have no other options.
Journal your behavior
The “magic dust” to breaking your old behavioral habits and the consequential results is to not only have written goals but also to build a realistic weekly behavior plan to achieve the goals. More importantly, you must track (in writing) your daily behavior against the weekly goals and review them regularly.
This will not only increase your focus on the necessary behaviors required to achieve your goal but over time also will improve your attitude because you will feel a sense of accomplishment for achieving the behaviors that will ultimately lead to the new results you are striving for. This process works not only for improving your sales but also can work for things like losing weight or saving money.
When you present, dress conservatively, and wear a bit of red near your face. Lipstick or a red scarf or blouse will work. The red draws the eyes of the listener to your face. I would also suggest avoiding sleeveless blouses and open-toed shoes. Much better to present in a suit, or at least in a blazer or jacket.
Dress for the position you want, not for the position you're in.
It used to be that people found job security by working for large companies or by working at the same company for their entire career. As long as you did a good job, your job was safe since in the face of economic difficulties, the last people hired were the first to be let go. Within the past two years, all that has changed as huge banks and companies have folded under economic pressures and corporations have laid off record numbers of seasoned executives as well as junior staff in an effort to reduce inflated overhead.
Those laid off showed up for work, did a good job and remained loyal to a corporation they believed would be loyal to them. They, unfortunately, became the victims of analytical, everyday business decisions forced by a changing economy.
So where do you find job security? Does it even exist anymore? Job security does still exist, exactly where it has always been—within your personal brand. Whether you’re a careerist or an entrepreneur, your personal brand—and making sure the right people are aware of it—is your key to continued business success.
So what is a personal brand? It’s knowing exactly who you serve in your business life, what benefit you provide for them and what unique talent, quality or expertise you bring to your work.
Start with who you really work for—is it your boss, a whole department or individual clients, either internal or external? Then look at what benefit you provide for that individual or group. Look beyond your job function to your strengths, expertise and experience for clues as to the real benefit.
Selling Can Be Fun. This is both a true statement for those with enough talent to succeed in a sales career and the title of a terrific, concise book written by Marty Rubin, a highly successful executive and owner of his own printing company, Spectraform– they serve primarily the community banking industry.
Marty excels at networking and developing win-win long term business relationships and friendships. To quote the last paragraph in his book: Remember that people buy from people that they like and trust. Selling is relationships. It is a challenge, well worth the effort, as a source of income and a reason to feel good about who you are. Selling Can Be Fun is a road map for developing a successful sales career
Marty Rubin’s book starts with the very basics including talking about appearances and the importance of first impressions. The book goes on to focus on Show Time (the meeting with the target client), managing your time, pursuing the target account, the back up at headquarters needed for you to succeed, the importance of perseverance, staying visible with potential and current clients, holding onto customers, the importance of listening, the power of the ignored worker and the payback from thinking outside the box.
Marty positions his book as sharing his thoughts on what a beginner must understand and expect if she or he is to excel in a sales career. We think the book is much more….a resource for anyone either thinking about or already deep into a selling career. We can all learn from Marty’s wisdom.
Finding and developing truly top notch sales talent is one of the biggest challenges for any CEO or business owner. You can get a copy of Selling Can Be Fun by sending a check for $20 to:
Shari Geller dropped out of the work force and a successful law career to raise kids. Years later she discovered a program at Dartmouth University to help executives and professionals successfully resurrect their careers
