#1152 Don't worry, They're not that Good
I guess they're just not that good at what they do - they, being our competition.
Woody Allen famously said, "80% of success is showing up." I don't know if he meant going to a lot of auditions or staying the course in your development as an actor, but the way I interrupt it is that most folks don't show up consistently, if at all.
I encounter this constantly, from the home repair guy who blows off an appointment to the generator company that forgets to invoice me and the new car salesperson who doesn't return calls.
Most folks don't show up. That doesn't mean that they miss a meeting. I mean, they don't "show up" the way the situation demands. That includes but isn't limited to being dressed right, on time, with an agenda, being prepared for the meeting, having researched the client, and speaking the king's English. Too often, they "show up and throw up," fire-hosing information about their product or service without asking a question.
All this is to say that if you're reading this, you're probably among the minority that does show up prepared and ready to listen. Remember this for every business opportunity you encounter: You have no competition. I've been at the helm of several different sales organizations that excelled excellently. Was I a great leader? Were they exceptional salespeople? I don't think so. I think we showed up. We had a plan, made it public, and made it happen. We planned and checked our way to stardom. Along the way, accountability gave us confidence. We did what we said we would do and learned we could rely on ourselves so when we showed up, we were conditioned to expect good outcomes – and got them a great percentage of the time. It all came from creating a plan, setting up actions, and being accountable to execute those expectations. I am knocked out by the lack of commitment among business and tradespeople. Sometimes it's ignorance. They may not have been exposed to the basic blocking and tackling needed daily to succeed, so they're winging it. I mean, if you throw a bunch of desert dwellers into a pool, some may doggy-paddle to the edge, but most will flail about and drown.
I have always believed my competition was flailing about. I imagined that they didn't stay in consistent touch (reaching out even when there was no sale to be made), they were often late, unprepared, lacking in interpersonal skills, talked too much, didn't listen enough, lacked a cogent plan and were satisfied with the precious little success that wandering afforded them.
Of course, there are many successful sales organizations out there, and many that were and are more successful than any I stewarded, but they are rare gems. I've mostly encountered badly polished rocks, hoping to fool less discerning eyes.
I've always believed that the little I do (which is a little) keeps me and my teams ahead of the pack. I like the way Dr. Rob says it. I do a little a lot—not a lot, a little. Thirty minutes in the gym four times a week is better than two hours on Saturday. In other words, it's an apple a day, not 30 apples on the last day of the month.
The consistent plan/execute/report system leaves no place to hide in an organization. When you don't show up, someone is looking for you, and if it happens enough, they find someone else.
You'll also need to have a personal plan within the organization's plan. You'll want to expect more of yourself than anyone else has the right to expect of you.
Here's the deal. Pareto had it right. Only 20% get it done. Showing up, as I've described, puts you there, and if you want to be in the top 20% of the 20%, always do a little more than expected and remember the advice of the great Jim Rohn. "You've got to work harder on yourself than you do on your job."