Are You Out of Balance?

When recently driving on the interstate, l felt a vibration with my steering wheel. I immediately knew that my tires were out of balance. The tires required an adjustment or they would wear out unevenly, and I would be purchasing a new set of tires earlier than expected. I took the car to the auto repair shop, and within minutes, the tires were adjusted, and I was back on the road again.

Set Backs

This fall I had to remember to set my clocks back one hour. For the first few days, I found myself waking up at 4:00 AM instead of my usual 5:00 AM. Because my body and mind had to adjust to the new time change, it took about two weeks before I felt comfortable with the "new normal" time adjustment.

Decide To Participate

If I had decided not to participate in the time change, what do you think would have happened? I would have been one-hour early for every appointment. My whole schedule would have been out of kilter, and my life would have been out-of-sync with the rest of the world.

Daily Adjustments

Life is all about adjustments. You adjust to the weather by wearing or not wearing a coat. You adjust to your favorite sports team, winning or losing. You adjust to economic conditions by controlling your expenditures. You improve your golf game by adjusting your swing. The list of adjustments you make on a daily basis is endless.

Watch Out

Without thinking, many of your adjustments are automatic. For instance, when crossing the street, you see an oncoming car so you either stop or alter your course. If you do not adjust, you might collide with the oncoming car.

Insanity

In selling, you must also adjust. If one routine is not working, then you must develop a new one. If a sales approach is not getting the desired results, you must reevaluate the situation and adjust your approach. Failure to do so will put your sales success at risk. As the saying goes, "Doing the same thing and expecting different results is insanity."

Stop, Look, and Listen

If you are not reaching your sales budget, it is time to stop, look, and listen. Stop, take a look at your customer, and listen to what the results are telling you.

Get a Move On

You can add new prospects by looking at new industries that require your product or service. Consider a change from retail and manufacturing to service industries, or vice versa. Would that work? As an example, I worked with an advertising media outlet that primarily concentrated on retail stores because that was the competitions' approach. I convinced them to go after non-traditional advertisers, resulting in new opportunities and massive new income.

Watch What You Say

What do you say when you make phone appointments? Are you getting the appointments? If not, what can you adjust in your phone approach? What can you say to increase the number of appointments you get? In order to change your top and bottom-line results, you must constantly adjust to reality, and not continue what you have always done, expecting a different outcome. Shake up your world and come out of your comfort zone.

Seek a Friend

Have an accountability partner observe your presentation. Ask for advice to improve your approach to get better results. Periodically modifying your presentation will produce new energy and avoid sounding like a robot on steroids.

You Become What You Think About

Read something every day to improve your sales skills. Visit my website and read some of the free articles on sales, customer service, and marketing. No new input equals no new output. For thirty to sixty minutes daily, I read business books and articles with the intention of learning something new that I can apply to that day. I am always amazed at how many times something I read in the morning will help me adjust something I do during the day.

Keep Track to Stay On Track

For 30 days, keep track of how you spend your sales time. At the end of the 30-day period, consider how you invested your time. Note the word "invested." You do not spend time, you invest it. After reviewing the results of your 30-day assessment, adjust your routine for increased productivity. Life is comprised of seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, and years. How you use those time segments will determine your success in the future. Small changes can equal big results.

What Are You Waiting For?

So what are you waiting for? Adjust your schedule today and increase your productivity immediately.

© 2013