EFFORT Will Win People’s Hearts (and close deals)
EFFORT will win people’s hearts.
So much of sales is effort based. Wait, let me take a step back.
So much of life is effort based.
The longer you live in the world of sales, the quicker you realize that effort is legitimately 95% of the battle.
This is the brute force method : sometimes you have to WILL your way through solutions. It’s going to be hard. It's going to be time consuming. But if you take the time, the energy, and the EFFORT, results follow.
The great thing about effort is that anyone can have it. Anyone can do it. It cannot be taught. It’s a personal choice. Its not decided the moment you're born, like your family/where in the world you're located. Effort rests completely on you.
Some people (top performers) use this to their advantage. Other people (average to below average performers) do not. They watch the clock, don't go the extra mile (or an extra 10 feet) to get to the prize.
There isn’t anything wrong with the work/life balance argument. Some people are completely consumed by work (to the fact that is doesn't seem like work at all, its actually fun, see my article on the power of obsession), and others are not. It's reality. However, if you are the type of person who watches the clock, there’s a chance sales isn't exactly the right job for you.
In the world of sales, if you're not going the extra mile, someone else is. And they will win.
Though effort can absolutely be controlled, it’s not something that can be forced. It’s impossible to fake effort in the long run. Sure, some people will be able to fake effort and try extra hard when they start a new job or are pursuing a new client for a day, a week, a month. But to truly be great, the effort cannot stop. There needs to be a desire to win instilled so deep that it likely won't ever be fulfilled.
The best news is, when you're young and inexperienced, effort can carry you through a lot of obstacles you're going to run into. You won't understand your product or the market, but if you try extremely hard, work the hours, and put in the effort, your clientele will notice. You’ll also notice. The flow is real. You’ll feel it.
Follow up when you say you're going to. Get back to people early in the morning and late at night. They will remember.
It will help you learn faster. The more brute strength you apply to something early on will help you overcome the learning curve at a higher rate of speed.
Here are a few examples of high effort individuals (and not coincidentally, exceptionally successful people) to paint the picture
Take this quote from the beginning of Michael Ovitz’s book, Who Is Michael Ovitz:
David Goggins (Marine and Green Beret , now ultra marathoner) refers to his process of maximum effort or mental edge as Taking People’s Souls. This is an extreme example, but people who can relate to this sort of thing will instantly recognize the mindset he’s applying. Here are a few highlighted captions from his book, Can't Hurt Me:
Taking Souls is a ticket to finding your own reserve power and riding a second wind. It’s the tool you can call upon to win any competition or overcome every life obstacle. This is a tactic for you to be your best when duty calls. It’s a mind game you’re playing on yourself.
Taking someone’s soul means you’ve gained a tactical advantage. Whoever you’re dealing with, your goal is to make them watch you achieve what they could never have done themselves.
Take their negativity and use it to dominate your task with everything you’ve got. Take their motherf******soul!
Jason Lemkin (must follow on twitter) highlights one of the tough parts of sales and it's as simple as this:
I’d argue, there is a small percentage of the population that doesn’t know how to operate WITHOUT that type of pressure. You want to work with these people / have them selling your stuff!
Control what you can control. So much of sales (and life) is difficult and frustrating because there a ton of dynamics that are completely outside of your control.
EFFORT is ALWAYS under your control.
Here is a quote from the Fish That Ate the Whale, (Cohen) about Sam Zemurry, “the Banana King” who overthrew United Fruit, one of the largest conglomerates in the world back in the early 1900’s.
For Zemurray, his motivation was clear: he wanted to win. And would do whatever it took. Here was a self-made man, filled with the most dangerous kind of confidence: he had done it before and believed he could do it again. This gave him the air of a berserker, who says, If you’re going to fight me, you better kill me.
If you’ve ever known such a person, you will recognize the type at once.
You should NEVER lose due to lack of effort.
Main follow up from this post is pretty straightforward:
TRY HARDER - Effort Will Win People’s Hearts (and close the deal!!!).