Own up to being Grown up

It never ceases to amaze me how much we all moan about our lot - me included.

I will now set you possibly one of the most difficult tasks you have ever been set - try going 24 hours without moaning or complaining about anything. Sounds easy but i tell you it is very, very difficult

This is possibly what appears to be the simplest of all actions to take yet when you try to achieve it is one of the hardest things to do.

I want you to spend 24 hours, yes just a single day where you do not complain about anything. That’s it. That’s the exercise. Spend a day not complaining about the journey to work, the weather, your football team’s result, last night’s TV, your colleagues, your job, your next sales call, your clients, in fact no complaining about anything whatsoever. No using "victim" language. No moaning. No nothing that is negative.

Instead use positive MATURE language that reflects your healthy view of what you can achieve. A positive outlook, a view of what obstacles are in your way and a grown up method for dealing with anything that hits you.

Two things will happen:
1. You will be amazed at how difficult it is
2. You will be amazed at how much you can get done when you focus on being MATURE about dealing with anything and everything

This blog is about the M in our ADMIRe model - Maturity

The key aspect of this element of the model is that we are all responsible for our own lives, our own thoughts – everything we do, we do to satisfy our own emotional needs. The ones we need satisfied at the time we make a decision to do something.

Blaming others, using “victim language” like – “it was not my fault”, “I have to”, “I was only following orders” is an excuse. It is an excuse for not being responsible for your own actions

A simple way to explain this is the “Event – Stimulus – Response” model. Something happens, it stimulates a thought in our minds and we respond or react.

Fact - we are responsible for our own emotions, nobody else. We choose how we respond to a situation based on our emotional needs at the time

These choices we make can be based on our own view of moral responsibility or duty. They are still our choices, based on our emotional needs at the time.

Whether your actions are “for good” reasons or whether they are poor (for example blaming someone else for the situation and doing nothing about it) they are still your actions based on your choice of satisfying your emotional needs.

So we all have the choice to do what we do. Nobody can make you feel guilty or responsible. There is no such thing as sacrifice

You make decisions based on your present emotional needs. You always have. You always will.

Neither is there any value in you being a “victim”. Make a point of not complaining ever about the choices you make and actions you take – it’s up to you.

The good news is that, rather like a vintage claret or cognac, our emotional MATURITY gets better with age. What matters is that you use your experiences to shape how you respond to situations – remember it is not necessarily what happens to you that it is important, it is how you respond to what happens to you that counts.

The great news therefore is that MATURITY enables us to have control over our thoughts and therefore our outcomes

Use this part of the ADMIRe model to focus on how you approach your sales calls. Own up to being Grown up about your own success. A healthy pipeline and great sales results will be the outcome. When you hit a difficult time make sure you do not blame anyone or anything for the circumstances and outcomes.

If you act with MATURITY in a grown up fashion then you are more likely to overcome your difficulties and get back on to the road to success. Dont' forget to LEAP over any obstacles

Next time we will look at the "I" in the ADMIRe model - that is for Interdependence or teamwork.

Speak soon and Good Selling

LEAPing Obstacles

Where have you been I hear you say across the virtual world. Back in February I was talking about the ADMIRE model and had just got to talk about D for Desire and setting goals when suddenly I disappeared, as did Mark, my Co-Director in Accredit.

Well, no excuses, we have not performed our blogging tasks for almost 3 months and have left you hanging on like a weekly cliffhanger at Saturday morning cinema (ask your Dad/Mum)

Last time we said we would introduce you to how you could overcome obstacles by using our LEAP model (do you get it? - you can LEAP obstacles!)

Ironic isn't it, I am just about to tell you how to LEAP obstacles and I let the little obstacle of being very busy with Clients get in the way (you know who you are and thank you so much for your business and kind words of feedback for us)

So what is LEAPing obstacles to do with being successful at selling? Well, whilst we are busy setting our goals and planning our work we often hit a metaphorical brick wall. Something that is in our way. Something that stops us from progressing. Some apparently insurmountable problem that is so daunting that it makes us think that our plan must be rubbish and our goal unattainable because this immovable object is in our way.

Good news folks - we can LEAP obstacles put in our way

Here's how

LIST issues, problems, hurdles that get in your way - for example lack of information, changing timescales, lack of money, lack of resource, lack of knowledge and skills, lack of customers to talk to.

EXTRACT those things that are insignificant or that you can do nothing about - for example client changes timescales for her own business reasons, you lose a team member to another project, your sales budget is cut by 20%. Accept it if you can do nothing about it or it is meaningless. Move on.

ACTION those things that you can do something about - do more research, find replacement resource, get more for less with the budget/time you have available, learn more about your client's problems and her business

PROGRESS towards your goal with activity everyday until you have achieved it

Successful salespeople have many attributes. One is that they are not victims. They do not complain when something goes awry or when circumstances outside of their influence or control change. They get on with what they can influence, affect and action and they make progress on their plans and goals every single day until they achieve what they set out to do.

Being focused, having a positive attitude and having positive thoughts leads to positive actions, results and outcomes.

You too can LEAP over your obstacles if you focus on your goals and believe in yourself.

Next time we are going to talk about how being "Grown Up" is vital to your success

Thank you for your attention - apologies once again for being "off the air" for so long