Qualities of a Super-Performer

Our top salesperson sells twice as much as a salesperson we’d call “really good”.  One quality he has is that he is not working to sell to any quota, and won’t be happy at any given level.  He simply wants to sell as much as he possibly can – to see what his true potential is.

He feels he isn’t working unless he is front of customers.  He doesn’t hang around the office, and works the hours necessary to accomodate his prospects.  He has patience, a great attitude, likes people, and asks the right questions at the right time.  He helps other salespeople.  He wants to be here and wants to win – everytime.

Sure, I want more salespeople like him – and I’m looking!

Struggle, but don't suffer

Struggle – when you are pushing, fumbling some, changing, and figuring new things out to get better.

Suffer – when you are repeating the same mistakes, dealing with the same underperformers, and not making progress, yet still not making the changes you need to make.

Struggle, but don’t suffer.

Positioning

(I leave you to think about this one, because when you don’t think deeply about it, you’ll say it’s not true).

“If your business is positioned to have to worry about the competition, you haven’t positioned your business properly.”

Do you help other people get what they want?

If you have unhappy customers and unhappy employees, they are not getting what they want from your enterprise.  

If they don’t get what they want, you can’t get what you want.

Spreading yourself too thin

Less is more.  Many entrepreneurs who have been at it a while can make their lives better not by adding things in their life, but by taking away.

Rushing through one day after another and not being able to do anything well is not as good as eliminating some things so you can focus and be good at less things (the most important ones).

Take just three minutes right now – make two columns and list what you need to do better, and what you need to stop doing to make time.  Then do it. 

Attracting quality people

When I was just starting out, or a few years in and struggling, I did not attract high caliber people readily. As my business grew, both in sales and in physical facility, better and better people were showing up looking for a career.  Hmmm.  That makes sense.

High quality people are attracted to successful people.  The earlier you can appear successful (in dress, speech, leadership qualities, plan, people around you, and what your place looks like), the earlier you can attract top quality people to help you be more successful.

When people meltdown around you…

Don’t join them.  The leader in business or at home has to keep a level head and not have moments of weakness where they say things or act poorly and break down relationships.  People are emotional, that’s a given.  You are too of course, but outwardly you need to be a gyroscope; a source of stabilty and strength for those more emotionally afflicted.

Stay cool.

"Internal Forces"

Do the forces outside your business govern how your business performs?  The economy, competition, media, trade associations of any kind, and the government, etc.?

As a leader, your job is to let positive “Internal Forces” overpower anything that is going on outside your business.  Take control of your destiny and don’t let outsiders be in charge – ever.

"Scope"

I like this word.  What is the scope of your activities inside your business?  What is the range of your thinking?  How close do you go?  How far do you go?  Are you able to see enough to make the important distinctions of what is working or not working now, and what needs to be done to make things better?

What is the scope of your understanding, thinking and decison making?

Do you want to be "Self-Employed?"

A doctor or a lawyer is “self-employed”.  The moment they stop working is the moment they stop getting paid. Is that what you want?  

Or do you want to build a business (collection of people and assets that provides a product or service) that produces a profit, and be a ‘business owner”?