Mindset...The Difference Between A Sales Rep And A Sales Professional.

"We will pay a heavy price if we insist on navigating the 21st century with a 20th century mindset."

Tom Steyer

Are you putting in the work?

The way it was is not the way it will be!

What got you to where you are at will not keep you there.

You must be willing to get off of the comfy couch. You must get outside of your physical, mental, and emotional comfort zones. You must be willing to push the envelope, to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

“The comfort zone is a psychological state in which one feels familiar, safe, at ease, and secure. You never change your life until you step out of your comfort zone; change begins at the end of your comfort zone.”

Roy T. Bennett

Do you need to stretch yourself outside of the comfort zone?

Would now be the time to rise up and become that sales professional as opposed to living in the sales rep safety zone?

Unfortunately, many in sales are consistently inconsistent and will turn their head and mentally say, "No thank you, I'm comfortable just where I am at." And you know what? This is OK, just accept the fact that you will be replaced at some point in time.

Could ones thought process, behavior, attitude, and approach to their sales career be the difference between a sales rep and a sales professional?

The only way to become better at sales is to spend time working on it. 

Let's stop for a moment and check out how Merriam Webster defines mindset and professional.

Mindset - a mental attitude or inclination, a fixed state of mind

Professional - characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession, exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace

Huge two words that stands out here... ETHICAL STANDARDS... you get what I am cooking?

A sales professional earns the trust and respect of their clients. They maintain self-respect and dignity. They achieve trust by never wavering from their core values and beliefs.

I believe sales professionals have developed habits, routines, and rhythms that guide them to stay at the top.

Sales professionals are called professionals for a reason, are you willing to do the work?

DO YOU VIEW YOURSELF AS A SALES PROFESSIONAL?

Think about this... Imagine a doctor who is embarrassed to admit they are a doctor? A nurse who covers up the fact they are a nurse. Or a teacher who doesn't want anyone to know what they do for a living.

In every profession, the members within that profession are proud to be a part of it. Can the same be said with salespeople?

How many in sales make up other terms. They call themselves account executives, product specialists, customer relationship agents, relationship managers, just to name a few.

Sales professionals are proud of who they are, they celebrate it!

Sales professionals understand selling is one of the most fundamental and important functions within society. Without selling, how does money move through the economy at the rate that it needs to?

ARE YOU INVESTING AND PUTTING IN THE WORK?

"Without hard work and discipline it is difficult to be a top professional"

Jahangir Kahn

Fail to put in the work and you will never find true success.

You’ve heard about Malcolm Gladwell and his 10,000-hour rule. He studied and discovered the most successful people are the ones who have put in the hard work. They dive into their craft and study. And they worked and worked some more.

You can’t expect success to come to you just because you want it to. You must be willing to work hard.

You must adjust your mindset. Every morning, look in the mirror in and say to yourself, I'm a sales professional.

Moving from a sales rep to a sales professional requires:

• A commitment to yourself
• A commitment to a stronger work ethic
• A commitment to a plan

How many of you will double-down and do the things necessary to change the course of your sales career?

Will you commit to doing the work, or dodge it, settling for the sales reps mindset?

• Becoming better is simply, better.
• Progressing is simply, progress.
• Potential is simply, potential.

Sales professionals invest in themselves

How many in sales have invested at least 10% of their annual income in their own professional development and improvement in the past 12 months?

Sales reps don't think it's their responsibility to improve themselves. They won't attend seminars, workshops, online learning, or even purchase a series of books without their company paying for it and requiring it of them.

Sales professionals invest in themselves. They see themselves as professionals. They have a professional mindset. Professionals understand that they must constantly and continually "sharpen the saw." They buy the books, get the newsletters, attend the conferences, listen to the podcasts, get coaching, and seek out betterment.

Can you imagine your tax accountant delivering your tax returns and then mentioning they haven't spent any time updating themselves on tax laws for years?

How about the doctor going into surgery to work on one of your family members, thoughtlessly saying, "It's been years since I've bothered to take a class or upgrade my skills."

Why is that sales reps find excuses and sales professionals just do it?

How many in sales are willing to do the things necessary to become a sales professional?

A SALES REPS MINDSET OR A SALES PROFESSIONALS MINDSET

Are you committed?

Do you have what it takes to take your career to the next level?

Are you willing to put in the work to become a sales professional?

"I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses."

Kobe Bryant

Sales professionals understand that initial achievement is just the tip of the sales iceberg.

Sales reps stop as soon as they reach the peak... such as achieving presidents club.

Sales professionals see feedback and critique as thoughtful insight of their weak spots.

Sales reps see all of this as someone criticizing them.

Sales reps blame others, point fingers, and make excuses.

Sales professionals accept responsibility and hold themselves personally accountable.

Sales reps stall after failure or lost deals.

Sales professionals grow after failure.

Sales reps strive to achieve.

Sales professionals strive for continuous growth.

Sales reps live for opinions.

Sales professionals live for the truth.

LOSING IS FOR SALES PROFESSIONALS

To quote Thomas Edison,

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work”.

Mentally strong sales professionals aren’t superhuman. They’ve simply developed positive mental habits that support their mental toughness when it comes to their sales development.

Sales professionals don’t let failure and adversity stop them from taking the necessary steps forward to sales betterment. Instead, they let go of the past, lost deals, missed quota and they learn from all this to improve themselves.

Sales professionals learn from losing. Sales reps make excuses when losing.

A few things to think about...

Are you committed to being a professional?

Sales reps crave to get noticed.

Sales professionals crave to be remembered.

What do you want to be remembered as? A sales rep or a sales professional?