Success isn't always what you think it is...THH #004

10 years ago I flew to Manchester UK on short notice to train the mid market sales team of a large corporate company.

They were starting to sell software for the first time and I trained their sales team on how to sell it.

That day I met a talented sales leader, he had the respect of all the top sales people of the organisation. He was the person people looked to when tough questions arose.

But the funny thing was...he wasn't the Sales Director, he wasn't the VP of Sales, he was managing a small revenue SOHO team of 6. By far the most junior leader in the room.

This surprised me, I got the opportunity to speak to him about his role.

He explained that he was in a cycle where his family was his priority, not his sales career.

Success to him was being able to drop his little girls to school.

Success to him was helping his boys with homework.

Taking the kids to football, cricket or whatever activity was happening that evening.

Long hours, being away from home, networking for his next position wasn't a priority for him.

Myself on the other-hand, I was building my career. I was on aeroplanes every week travelling somewhere. I was working on large deals, training sales teams and would be out of the country a few nights a week.

Why is this important?

We both had priorities, we both worked in sales and we both had a completely different vision of success.

He was in a cycle of stability and being present for his family.

I was on the upward trajectory of building my sales career and maximising my earnings.

Fast forward eight years...and it was the total opposite.

Covid and our first daughter got me to slow down and focus on my family.

He was leading a UK wide solution sales team, doing a-lot of travel and back in career building mode.

How will you measure success this year?

Are you focusing on getting a new position? Are you focusing on being present for your family. Are you trying to do both?

One of the hidden habits of elite sales professionals is to always measure success.

I drill my coaching clients is to always measure success.

If its a sales call, a sales cycle or even for their entire year. How will you measure success?

Always asking yourself this question helps you stay on the right path.

The other part of this is you need to know what your looking to achieve.

If you know what you want to achieve, you know how to measure success then you have a chance of making it happen.

It can be for the week ahead, the rest of the year or even your next meeting. Ask yourself two questions and give yourself a chance of success.

What am I looking to achieve?

How will you measure success?

Whenever you're ready, there are 3 ways I can help you: 

1.  I expand on referrals in greater depth in my book: The Work Before the Work: The Hidden Habits Elite Sales Professionals Use to Outperform the Competition GET MY BOOK HERE. 
2.  Looking to get more referrals and sell more? Let's discuss 1:1 Coaching here. 
3.  Lead a sales team? Let's explore me training your team. Book a call here