We’re rewarded for being consistent.

The morning routine. Posting every day on LinkedIn. The steady longer-form content that shows up every week. People applaud it, and in some cases even look forward to it.

That applause is a trap. It makes you believe that consistency is the point, and there are plenty of things you do, even every day, that will never help you make a sale.

Most people try to overcome this by just doing more. You have a good week or month, and you’re not exactly sure what made it successful, but it makes sense to rinse and repeat it. Most of that picture in your head was unproductive, but it “worked,” so let’s keep going.

Listen, John Henry… I hate to break it to you, but there is a distinct limit on “more.” The value of simply outworking your competitors has almost completely been eliminated. More is not the answer. You need to do more of the right things that only you can do.

That’s where you run into trouble. You’re doing a lot, and you still don’t know exactly what to do more of.

I’m certain you’ve felt this. I don’t know a rep or a leader who hasn’t. You get to work early and put in time in the evenings. Throughout the day, you wonder if your manager saw you at that moment; would they be proud of what you’re doing? You’re pouring your heart and soul into this job, but it still doesn’t feel like you have control over it.

Years ago, I developed (bastardized?) a system I read in a book to help me score my sales activities. Each week, I had a target score that ensured I was doing the right things to hit my number.

It worked. I crushed my revenue expectations, earned bonus checks, and didn’t feel like I needed to check my BlackBerry (!) for that red flashing notification light all the time. I clearly knew what needed to happen each week to be successful, but the unintended benefit was knowing when I could shut it down.

I miss that tactile keyboard, but not as much as I miss the peace that came with knowing I was objectively performing above expectations.

A couple of years later, that system stopped working. Market forces changed. My company moved in another direction. It was no longer where I wanted to be.

I went out on my own. Eleven years later, I’m still working on the system.

I spent a few days in Knoxville this week at Dale Dupree’s Totality event. It was the conference I didn’t know I needed to attend until I got there. I was inspired by more than the views of the Smoky Mountains. The creativity on display, along with the genuine connection in the room, were definite takeaways for me.

I wrote more about it here.

My #ThankfulThursday post this week was about Dale, and the simple request he made to me last month before I decided to go to Totality.

“I really want you to come down here. I think this community can benefit from you being a part of it, and I believe you’ll benefit by being a part of this community.”

It was a simple request. The best sales calls usually aren’t complicated.

I’m glad Dale picks up the phone when I call. This time, I was really glad he called me.

I’m closing this laptop after I press publish, and I’m taking the family to the Hocking Hills in Southeastern Ohio for the week. I’m looking forward to a real break and won't be taking that laptop with me. If you need me, I’ll be with my three favorite people, so you’ll have to wait… 😉

Cheers,
JB