No, I don’t mean what you think I mean but rather, are you truly committed to being successful. Let me explain.
Many of us belong to a fitness or health club, and many of us strive to get there to exercise based on a schedule or commitment we’ve made to ourselves, or others. Now, that being said, have you ever skipped a work out, or ever passed on a set or repetition? Going to Yoga, have you ever left early?
If the answer to any of the above is yes, then welcome to the club. Not the fitness club, but the club of people who never seem to get quite there, the “there” being what you had set out to do.
On the other hand, if you make it to the gym reasonably frequently, albeit not as often as you had planned, then you’ve probably noticed that one person who always seems to be there. I’m not talking about the gym flies that just hang around and talk. I’m talking about that person, that guy or gal who is always working out. I’m talking about that person who is consistently lifting a weight, spinning on a bike, or doing crunches. I am talking about that person who is fit and buff, obviously the result of sustained and rigorous exercise over what must have been a very long time.
So where am I going with all this?
Of my years and years of involvement in the B2B sales vertical, whether years ago as a sales rep, or the present where I coach and mentor B2B sales people, there is one thing that is abundantly clear to me, that the one single thing all top performers unanimously possess is commitment.
I don’t mean commitment to clients, or commitment to employers or colleagues. I mean commitment to themselves and specifically, a commitment to a plan of action and execution that will make them that one percenter.
This is easier said than done. Things pop up, events get in the way, and sometimes it’s just plain difficult to muster the mojo required to stick to the plan, but it is just that, sticking to the plan, that will give you the best chance of being the best.
For those old enough to remember, we never had personal trainers or even classes in fitness clubs back in the day, nor did we have the for-hire professional that now seems to be a must have if one is to get fit. We didn’t have someone we were paying upwards of a hundred bucks an hour to be there and hold our feet to the fire, to make sure we did each exercise, let alone even show up. And you better believe it, when you pay that kind of money, you show up, and you do your full workout!
As organizations become leaner with the promise that technology will replace people, and therefore allow for fewer managers responsible for greater numbers of those they manage, it has never been more important to be self reliant, to be able to find your own inner discipline and from there, rise to the level you so much want to reach. Again, easier said than done.
If fitness buffs can have trainers, the B2B sales person should seek one out as well.
Presenting the Accountability Partner.
Yes, an accountability partner. Someone you know and trust. Someone who shares your aspirations, goals, and desires to become a top producer. An accountability partner.
They come in many guises. You could hire an accountability coach. Or you could do what we used to do back in the day before we paid someone to help us work out, when we had training partners. Training partners were friends that belonged to the same fitness facility and shared the same interests in fitness.
If you were a runner, you teamed up with one or more runners and committed to not only run, but run with them. There was an expectation that you would be there, and that your partner would wait if you were late. They would push you, and you them.
But the most absolute benefit was that you were provided the support and discipline that made it all the harder to just not show up. Maybe you were a weight trainer, or aerobics buff. It didn’t matter. It was always easier to not only get to the gym, but to do your full workout, no missed steps. They held your feet to the fire, and you held theirs.
An accountability partner should….
1) Be a peer or colleague in your company that shares a similar role
2) Be someone you trust and like
3) Be someone who shares your drive, commitment, and work ethic
4) Be someone who isn’t afraid to hold you accountable
5) Preferably be someone you share a financial target with, such that your performance
is dependent on their success, and theirs yours.
6) Not be commitment phobic!
Team up, and sit down before the beginning of the year to map out each of your year -end objectives and then create a business plan. Reverse engineer your goals so that you know not just which steps are important, but when they are important.
Agree on reasonable and achievable short term goals based on activities and execution, and then be unrelenting in your stewardship of each other’s actions.
Don’t rely on management or your immediate supervisor to provide the kind of support you’ll need to be the best you can because generally speaking, they just don’t have the time anymore. Moreover, and I can attest to this from vast experience through time spent with managers, they just don’t want to.
Most managers declare a strong aversion to what they define as micro managing. They feel it isn’t their job and expect individual sales people to just “do it”, but as we all know, that isn’t always easy.
Find that person and make the commitment. Get an accountability partner.
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