"Shortcuts"
|
Shortcuts Add Up to a Big Detour in Life
BAD HABITS ARE EASY TO FORM AND HARD TO BREAK I was walking my dog Muffin this morning for thirty minutes when it occurred to me that I could cut ten minutes off of my usual 45 minute walk by cutting across a field. My first reaction was to do it, and then I realized that I wasn't walking to see how fast that I could get back home. I was walking for my health. It would not have made a tremendous difference today if I had taken the shortcut, but it would have set a precedent that would have been a first step in developing a new habit, and not necessarily, a good one. The consequences of taking the easy way out are not always immediately obvious. Cumulatively, they add up to the final result, and in this case -- less calories burned, a bad habit, poorer health, and an unhappy dog. FOR EVERY ACTION, THERE IS AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE REACTION What appear to be small shortcuts may add up to a big detour in life. The late W. Clement Stone, entrepreneur and author, said that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The same principle holds true in selling:
Any one of these taken alone does not amount to much, but taken as a whole or individually repeated on a regular basis, they could affect your entire sales career. THE OLD OAK TREE A friend of mine in New Orleans once told me the story of an old oak tree that stood on the gulf coast of Louisiana for over one hundred years. The old oak tree had endured fires, hurricanes, tornados, and draught. One day, for no apparent reason, the old oak tree died, and no one could understand why the tree had died. They called in tree experts who dug up the roots of the tree, and they discovered that tiny beetles had attacked the roots and killed the old oak tree. Your sales career can be destroyed in the same way. Tiny, destructive acts repeated again and again will destroy your career from the inside out.
SUCCESS IS A JOURNEY THAT IS ACHIEVED ONE STEP AT A TIME At any given time in your sales career, you are taking one step forward or one step backward. Life is a series of small choices that add up to a life of success or to a life of failure. My decision to not cut across the field provided beneficial results. I felt better physically and mentally for having walked the additional ten minutes. The same holds true in selling. Whenever you take shortcuts in the selling process, you are sure to shortchange your success. What shortcuts do you plan to skip today???
© 2004-2008 Joe Bonura & Associates, Inc. |
||
|
REPRINT info: Joe Bonura About Joe Bonura His background is unique. Joe owned and operated a highly successful advertising agency for 18 years. During that time, he found his advertising campaigns were more effective when he educated his clients in the areas of sales and service. He conducted training seminars for his clients as added value. Word spread that Joe was a quality speaker and more and more people asked him to speak. The demand became so high that he sold the agency to three of his associates to start his own speaking and consulting company, Joe Bonura & Associates, Inc. Joe is past President of the Kentucky Speakers Association and a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), a prestigious designation earned by only 8% of the 3,600 member National Speakers Association. Joe presently serves on the board of directors of NSA. He is author of the audio learning systems "Three-Dimensional Selling®" and "Turning Customer Satisfaction Into Customer Excitement®." He is author of the book Throw the Rabbit—The Ultimate Approach to Three-Dimensional Selling. Click here TO ENGAGE JOE BONURA FOR A TRAINING SEMINAR AT YOUR COMPANY
|
