Get Out of Your Own Way

Just a quick note today, because I’m taking a much-needed break this weekend with some friends on my annual golf trip. As I write this, I’m hoping the smoke clears over Northern Michigan enough to make it safe to head outside. It only smells like a campground outside now as opposed to an actual campfire, so we’re headed in the right direction.

I posted earlier this week about my preparation for this trip; about how the practice is important, and getting my swing in the right place is pretty crucial for success. At the end of the day, though, I perform my best when I’m not thinking about mechanics. I remind myself that I’ve made a million golf swings in my life, and that I’m actually pretty good at making them.

The real key is getting out of my own way and letting those good swings happen rather than fretting ove a couple of small details and making them bigger issues than they should be.

It’s not hard to see the parallel to sales.

Early in my sales career, I recognized that I was a better rep during the last 5 days of the month than I was for the previous 25. Once I hit my number, I freed up. I had more fun. I pushed the envelope a little bit, and took bigger swings. More often than not, they paid off and only accelerated my success.

Contrast that with a tighter, more conservative approach for the first three weeks… It got the job done, but it certainly didn’t feel the same. I think it was February of ’09, maybe ’10, when I decided to take an even bigger swing.

“What if I started the month with the feeling that I had already hit my number? Could I be that rep all month instead of just the last week?”

I could, and I did. It led to one of the most successful three-year periods in my career.

Trust yourself. Be it your golf swing or your discovery calls. Even though we all have areas we can improve upon, we’re still good enough to be in the game, and questioning your talent is never a recipe for success.

Coming up this week, it’s the final webinar in my summer Know-Win-Grow series. Is that account actually growable, or do you just have a ton of access? This is one of my clients’ favorite topics, and I’m happy to run through it with you on Thursday. Register for it here.

See you back here again next weekend.

Cheers,

JB