DO THE HARDEST THING FIRST

What keeps most people from getting started at the beginning of the day is that they wake up facing a difficult or distasteful task that they do not even want to think about. Ironically, this becomes all they think about, and then they look for any distraction they can think of to avoid performing that task.

To start your day right, tackle the task you find most difficult or unpleasant first. If you hate making phone calls, do it early in the morning rather than waiting until the end of the day. If you plan on having a difficult encounter with a colleague or one of your assistants, deal with it immediately rather than letting it ruin your entire day. Get it out of the way, so you can start to look forward to what you truly love about your work and to your dollar-productive activities—tasks that carry the promise of generating revenue.

If “Do the Hardest Thing First” doesn’t quite work for you, consider some variations on this approach. The key is to become productive as early as possible in the day. Here are some other suggestions for starting your day off right:

• Take a step-by-step approach. Jot down a list of everything you need to get done today and prioritize items on the list.

• Perform the most profitable tasks first. Focus on dollar-productive (revenue-generating) tasks first.

• Perform the easiest tasks first. If tackling the most difficult task is just too overwhelming, consider dealing with something easy to work up some momentum.

• Perform the most obvious tasks first. If a task obviously needs to be accomplished before you can perform other tasks, tackle the obvious task first.

I generally tackle the most difficult tasks first. I call the people I don’t want to talk to, address any problems that cross my desk, and immediately tend to the task I am most strongly inclined to avoid. Then, I focus on the most profitable (dollar-productive or revenue-generating) activities. I learned about dollar-productive activities from the “Condo King,” Allen Domb, while shadowing him. If I have any time left near the end of the day, I deal with the remaining items on my list in their order of importance.

TELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DO

If you have just launched your career in sales, the very first step you need to take to be successful is to tell everyone you know about your job, and I mean everybody—friends, family members, neighbors, acquaintances, and even your old friends from high school. Develop a list and mail out something, then give them a quick call. Maybe you’re a travel agent or you’re selling cars or computers or home furnishings or stocks and bonds—things that everyone needs and everyone buys sooner or later. Family and friends become the first customers for many salespeople and you build from there.

But even if you are selling jet airplanes or complex software, let everyone know what you do. Just because you are selling something your friends and family know nothing about or have no direct connection to does not mean they cannot introduce you to people they know who need your products or services.

REMAIN POSITIVE

Positive people generate positive energy, which ultimately attracts customers, colleagues, and opportunities. Negativity bogs people down, saps their energy, and drives people away. Stay away from negative people. They have no value in your life.

With customers, you should always be positive. If someone asks how your business is going, say it is unbelievable. You could be just steps away from bankruptcy, but you have to present a positive outlook. This extends to your competition. Never badmouth your rivals. Mudslinging will never help you win your customer. It probably will only backfire.

If you’re having trouble maintaining a positive outlook, you can find plenty of inspirational books, audio recordings, and web sites to improve your outlook. For starters, visit Mr. Positive himself, my friend and colleague Dave Boufford at www.mrpositive.com. SimpleTruths also offers some inspirational movies, including 212^◦ The Extra Degree, which you can check out at www.simpletruths.com/movies. Get yourself pumped up and stay that way! This can make a huge difference in your career.

WORK FOR TODAY, TOMORROW, AND YOUR FUTURE

As a salesperson, you are probably very busy attending to today’s business, but if that is all you are attending to, then you are merely doing business, not building a business. This is a common trap, and it often results in a sales career that is less successful and more stressful than it really needs to be. You end up constantly chasing your tail—hunting for new clients one day, serving them the next, and starting the whole cycle over again the following day. Every month, it’s either feast or famine.

To avoid having a sales career marked with slumps and spikes that burns you out long before you hit your stride, always be working on today’s business, tomorrow’s business, and future business. Take some time every day to sow the seeds of tomorrow’s and your future business, so you will always have plenty of business to harvest. This will take you off the sales roller coaster that destroys both the personal and professional lives of so many salespeople.

By taking this approach, you can flatten out the hills and valleys and establish a steady flow of business and revenue. You can plan your business and scale your workforce more effectively, so you are not in a constant cycle of hiring people and then laying them off. You and your team will be much happier and more productive.

Tip: Remember your ABCs and Ds. A projects are those that need immediate attention and that are very close to generating revenue. B projects are in the works. C projects are in the planning stage. And D projects are those you have just begun considering. Keep clearing those As off your plate, moving Bs to As, Cs to Bs, and Ds to Cs (or delete the Ds that are not worth pursuing or that you know will never move up the ladder). With this system in place, you can always be sure that you are working on today’s business, tomorrow’s business, and future business.

STICK TO IT

Very likely you have heard the expression: It is always darkest before the dawn. Everybody knows that expression, yet it fails to encourage many people to stick with it. Time and time again, I see very skilled professionals give up just before they are about to achieve success. They get discouraged, run out of steam, and collapse right before they cross the finish line.

Remember: If you keep working hard, things will improve.

I coined a word for this: sticktoitism. You’re probably already familiar with the word stick-to-itiveness. That is the official word—the one you will find in most dictionaries. I prefer my version, and I prefer it so much that I am determined it will earn its place in the dictionary some day. In short, sticktoitism is the dogged determination required to get something done in the face of adversity.

You need to make a commitment to yourself, right here and right now to be a successful salesperson. Promise yourself that no obstacle will block you from your goal and that you will continue to pursue your goal regardless of how impossible the odds of success seem to be. If you honor that commitment, I can guarantee that you will achieve whatever level of success you are capable of dreaming for yourself because you will not let up until you have achieved it.

My friend John Vigi became one of the nation’s top stockbrokers, but when he started out, he had no clients and no commissions. John remembers cold-calling as many as 300 people in a row without a single sale. Talk about discouraging! His secret of success, however, is no secret. He had the sticktoitism required to succeed, and succeed he did.

His determination and sticktoitism brought the attention of Merrill Lynch leadership and he was promoted and celebrated by his company many times over. During his time at Merrill Lynch, his portfolio of clients kept him busy enough to be among Merrill Lynch’s top brokers nationwide. For me it’s the same. I don’t have to work nearly as hard at selling as I once did. I’ve established my customer base and hired great assistants. Now I have an ever-growing business along with more time to pursue my professional and personal goals, more time for family and community and myself.

Stick to it, and you will succeed.

Ralph’s Rule: If you are a novice, remember this: Even the most successful producers started out alone and afraid, but you can overcome this with natural curiosity, hard work, and savvy marketing. Ask questions, work hard, and let everyone know who you are, what you do, and what you sell.

WEEK 2

STAY PUT

High turnover among staff can kill any business, from fast food to the biggest corporations. I believe it is especially damaging to sales organizations. Believe me, I tried it both ways—jumping from job to job and staying put—and I know from experience that staying put definitely is better for me, my customers, and my company.

I have observed that most salespeople jump from company to company hoping for a better commission split or a nicer boss or better hours. I did that myself when I was younger. I changed real estate firms seven or eight times, always hoping for a better arrangement, before I finally opened my own company. I realize now how silly I was to think all that moving around would have done me any good.

It is clear to me now that the perfect boss, the perfect company, and the ideal marketplace are nothing more than seductive illusions. You make money by digging deep where you are right now and making it happen here and now. The only thing that switching from firm to firm accomplishes is to waste your time, energy, and resources and significantly damage your bottom line and the bottom line of the company whose products you have been selling.

Just imagine how much burden the departure of a skilled and experienced salesperson can place on a company. New salespeople are not nearly as productive. In addition, the company now needs to invest more resources training someone new, and the new person is much more likely to make costly mistakes. Of course, when you are a disgruntled salesperson, the damage that your departure does to the company is no concern of yours—in fact, their loss can make you feel even better about leaving.

However, when you choose to leave, you experience similar setbacks. You lose some of your business contacts and support from colleagues. You are not nearly as productive learning new products and new systems as you would be selling for a company where you already know the ropes. And in your new position, you are more likely to commit costly mistakes. Bottom line: You will have fewer transactions, and each transaction will take you longer to process, at least until you can get up to speed. One more thing to consider: There is no guarantee that you will be treated any better or have better opportunities at this new company.

In contrast, an experienced staff requires much less supervision. In auto sales, veterans often perform double the number of transactions per month as their novice counterparts, and top producers may do 30 or more transactions a month—a sale a day! Veterans also need only one hour per deal instead of the four hours a transaction typically takes a novice to process. Quite a savings for the dealership, and quite a boost in earnings potential for salespeople who stay put.

Every time I moved to a new company, I had to start over. Every time I switched real estate firms, I had to buy new business cards and let my clients know where they could find me. I had to create new stationery. I had to develop new marketing materials. Each time, I lost a lot of momentum. And, of course, I had to learn a whole new system with each new company.

Was it worth it? No, it wasn’t. In hindsight I think it’s clear that all those moves cost me more money than they made me.

Sometimes you’ll have a serious disagreement with your boss. You may have different goals for yourself than your boss does. If these disagreements are serious enough, then, yes perhaps you ought to make a move. But don’t give in to that temptation to move every time you run into a routine disappointment at the office. Instead, take some of that energy and put it into making things better where you are.

Perhaps you can negotiate a different commission split or get your boss to pay for new marketing material for you. Maybe your company will pay to get you some additional training or to send you to your industry’s annual convention. Any of these steps would make you a more professional salesperson and probably a happier person. It would ease the disappointment that was making you consider moving on.

Try it next time you’re tempted to move. What can you lose? If it doesn’t work, you can always go somewhere else. But you may find that your working conditions and/or pay improve just for the asking.

In Week 3, I show you how to develop an entrepreneurial mindset that will ultimately place you in control of your own destiny regardless of external influences, such as what your sales manager says or does or doesn’t say or do.

Ralph’s Rule: The most successful salespeople are the ones who make things happen where they are, not the ones who jump ship to new companies every year, hoping to find happiness somewhere else.

WEEK 3

CULTIVATE AN ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSET

Too many salespeople think of themselves as employees, treat their careers as jobs, and focus too much on market conditions. They bellyache about the dealer or broker they work for, their sales manager who provides no support, the unrealistic sales quotas they have to meet, and the fact that the economy just isn’t what it used to be. They end up wasting a lot of time they could be using to move more product. As long as a salesperson has a mindset that what they are doing for a living is a job, they will be in a dead-end job.

To be successful in sales, stop thinking like an order-taker and start thinking like a small-business owner, an entrepreneur. Think of yourself as You, Inc., a business entity unto yourself, a revenue generator. Your success depends on you and you alone.

PROCURE TOOLS AND RESOURCES

Take a few minutes to write down a comprehensive list of what you think you need to succeed in sales. Do you need a new computer? A specialized software program? A way to market yourself more efficiently in print or on the Internet? An assistant to fill out paperwork? Additional training? Draw up a comprehensive list of tools and resources you need, prioritize the items on your list, estimate the cost of each item, and then start gathering everything you need.

Tip: If you have a sales manager, you may be able to convince your manager to cover the cost of some of the items you need or at least offset your cost in some way.

By performing this exercise, you are essentially creating a business plan for You, Inc. You probably already have a clear idea of what success would look like for you. Now you are developing a plan for moving from point A (where you are now) to point B (where you will be when you have achieved success). I talk more about goals in Week 5 and about developing a comprehensive plan in Week 6.

Your business plan should contain a timetable, estimated costs, and your estimated increase in sales revenue. It may even include how much time you are initially willing to invest per week and how much time you will spend each week maintaining that level of success once you achieve it. Consider including a breakeven point in your timetable, showing exactly when you anticipate the investment to pay for itself.

If you are an independent sales agent or if your manager refuses to invest in your success, then acquire the resources you need yourself. Borrow the money if you have to. Invest in your own success.

Tip: Demonstrate your commitment to the company you work for before expecting the company to demonstrate a commitment to your success. Once you have proven yourself, you hold a stronger position at the negotiating table.

Remember: The great thing about sales success is that you invest time and energy up front, but once you achieve success, maintaining it requires much less time and effort. You can then invest your extra free time and energy in other pursuits, both professional and personal. You can achieve a balanced life, which is ultimately much more rewarding and fulfilling than career success alone.

MARKET YOURSELF

Now that you are your own business, launch it like any large corporation might launch a new brand. I often observe salespeople primarily marketing the companies they work for and only secondarily marketing themselves. They pitch themselves as RE/MAX agents or Ford dealers rather than emphasizing their own brand. When you crank up the marketing machinery, keep in mind that You, Inc. is the company you are promoting.

You may be marketing your company and your products, but those entities are only peripheral interests. You include them because they are a part of what you sell, but by marketing yourself, you ensure long-term success. Even if you happen to change companies or start selling other products, you retain all the benefits of the time, money, and energy you invested in your marketing efforts.

Tip: Before clients will buy from you, they have to buy into you. They have to know you and trust you, know what you sell, and believe that you are going to treat them fairly and with respect. The goal of your marketing campaign should always be to build a high positive profile that constantly reinforces your image and the fact that you are knowledgeable and trustworthy.

Your personal marketing campaign should exploit all media, including print advertising (business cards, flyers, brochures, and so on), the Internet (web sites, blogs, e-mail, e-newsletters, and so on), and traditional media (television, radio, newspapers, and magazines). In Week 17, I show you how to engage in shameless self-promotion. However, remember that this is not an ego trip. Your success depends entirely on your ability to make your customers and everyone around you successful, too.

HIRE EMPLOYEES (ASSISTANTS)

Until you have one or more employees, you are simply a self-employed freelancer, and you are probably wasting time on no- or low-profit chores, such as pushing paper and stuffing envelopes. You should be spending time on dollar-productive activities—marketing yourself, meeting with clients, selling product, and exploring other revenue-generating opportunities and partnerships. Everything else you should delegate to your assistants.

I always tell the people whom I mentor or coach, “If you don’t have an assistant, you are one.” If you don’t have an assistant, hire at least one. If you are concerned about having to handle payroll, consider hiring a virtual assistant (VA) who works on contract. That way, you can pay the person, issue him or her a form 1099 at the end of the year, and not have to worry about dealing with complicated payroll deductions. In Week 8, I unlock the secret to my success—the people who help me achieve what I could never achieve on my own.

BUILD A SALES TEAM

When more business is coming in than you can personally handle yourself, consider building your own sales team rather than turning away prospective clients. You can handle the arrangement any way you wish. You may include someone, probably yourself, who plays the role of rain maker—attracting new business; another person who takes care of the actual selling of product; and a third person in charge of closing the deal and processing the paperwork. Each person on the team can have his or her own specialty.

As business picks up, you can add members to the team to scale up for the increased workload and acquire talent the team is lacking. Always be in the process of recruiting new talent, and take your time adding members to the team, so you can add the cream of the crop.

Admittedly, any discussion of building a sales team is premature for Week 3, but I want you to break out of the habit of thinking small and break into the habit of thinking and living large. You need to realize early on that your potential is unlimited. In Week 47, we will revisit the team concept, so you can begin planning your sales team as next year’s project.

Ralph’s Rule: Winners make sales. Losers make excuses. You are the key to your own success.

WEEK 4

PROJECT A POSITIVE ATTITUDE

Positive things happen to positive people. While you might question what came first, the positive attitude or the positive things, the fact is that negativity drains ambition and motivation, and without motivation, you never even get up off the couch to try anything.

I have witnessed with my own eyes the destructive power of negativity. I have seen productive staffs fall victim to a single Eyeore who was convinced that nothing good would ever come his way. Both negativity and positivity (yes, I made up that word) are contagious. The question is: Which one would you prefer to catch and have your team catch?