Have you ever wondered why there are top salespeople in every field and then there are the rest?Most of us have the same sales tools and abilities, yet the average salesperson never puts him or herself in a position to reach that next level.Why not? We all do the things it takes to get to that level, but I believe some people stop when they realize they could fail. That is often what separates those who are successful from those who aren’t: fear of failure.
In sales, most of us like to say things like, “What’s the worst thing that could happen? They could say no?” How many times have you heard that? Yet we still never ask. The moment avoiding failure becomes your motivation, you’re already down the path of inactivity or procrastination.
So you go to a workshop or a seminar, and all these ideas are running through your head. You’re going to do it this time! But by the time you drive back from that workshop to your office or home, you’ve already talked yourself out of 90 percent of the ideas presented. “That was great for the person talking,” you reason, “but he’s a better salesperson,” or “That’s just not me,” you tell yourself. You talk yourself out of trying because you could fail. Just the definition of the word ‘failure’ brings you down: breakdown, stoppage, malfunction, crash, collapse, disappointment, letdown, not a success.
Those words alone make most people not even want to try. But we all have to realize that disappointments or failures are part of life.The good news is, the more you experience them, the better you’ll get at your successes. Each disappointment or failure is taking you one step closer to being a success. The problem is most people quit before they even get through enough disappointments, not realizing it’s those roadblocks that are going to make them great.
I speak in front of a lot of people, and I remember the first time I got up in front of a large group. It was one of those ‘disappointments’ we’ve been talking about. It was a very short presentation, and I talked and talked – unbelievably – about nothing that anyone could understand. I could have found a way to quit then, but I realized that those disappointments were going to eventually make me a success. That experience helped me to learn what didn’t work so I could improve.
I’ve been in the same industry 23 years, and in the last 24 months I’ve been with three companies. One of them went bankrupt, and the other was taken over by the FDIC. Not great experiences… on any level. But I don’t see that as a failure – a disappointment maybe, but in no way did I fail.
How did I respond? I put myself in a position to figure out how to get better on the other side of these complicated situations. It can be difficult to remain positive and view each disappointment as an opportunity to learn and grow, but it’s what separates the good from the great. I am still thriving in the same industry, with all the loyal people that have followed my leadership and continue to work alongside me.
That’s the separation I’ve been talking about. The only way you can truly succeed is by going through the disappointment it takes to get great. For me, that quest will never end. Knowing I’m going to do it wrong before I could ever get it right makes me want to keep doing it.
That attitude – that willingness to fail – is what separates the best from the rest.
Dan Manginelli's Blog 