Mary Ellen’s “Top 10 Secrets to Success”; Number Two

What a privilege it’s been interviewing thousands of top sales performers over the last two decades.  Plus dozens of sales training professionals have conveyed their intelligence to us as well.

In the spirit of sharing some of this wisdom, weekly I will post 10 Secrets I’ve learned.

Secret Number Two:  Make Your Word Concrete.  Simply put, do what you say you’re going to do!

Do you ever say stuff and not follow through?  Even if it’s well intended behavior, this is not good for you OR the person you are addressing.  You feel remorse (or at least you should) when you give your word and then drop the ball.  The person you’re speaking to chalks it up at “he’s full of it”.  And categorizes you as someone who can’t be counted on.  Nobody wins. 

One of the five essential elements of building trust relates to “Dependability”.  Actually, it’s not easy to be dependable.  Because it takes EFFORT to complete a promise.  But if you value your reputation as being a person who keeps their word, then it’s well worth the effort.  I’ve been cultivating this trait for about a decade and it’s now become a stress reducer.  I don’t overpromise or overcommit.  If I’m not sure that something is going to happen, I’ll set it up as “we plan to have this to you by the end of the week, I’ll keep you posted”.  Even socially.  “Are you coming to this event?”  I might say “It’s on my calendar as something fun to do, so we’ll see.”

The effort required centers on the concept of thought followed by more careful word selection.  And becoming comfortable with not pleasing people all the time.

People who can be relied on are rare.  Do you want to join this club?  If so, practice making your word concrete.  Meaning solid!

Next week:  Secret Number Three.

As I’ve previously stated, we’ve developed insights about what it takes to be successful after
interviewing thousands of top sales performers over the last two decades. Plus the dozens of sales
training professionals we’ve worked with have conveyed their intelligence to us as well.

In the spirit of sharing some of this wisdom, over the next ten weeks I will post 10 Secrets I’ve learned.

Secret Number One: Develop a “Can Do” attitude. We hear of the importance of having a positive
attitude, right? Well, positive + competence = “Can Do”.

We are often presented by new challenges or new ideas. The two extreme reactions range from
overblown enthusiasm to extreme crankiness. Think before you respond. First words should
be “interesting idea” or something along those lines. Automatic gushing is not required or appreciated.
And neither is cranky contrarian behavior. Many times in an average day you may find yourself starting
a sentence, after hearing a new idea, with the phrase “The problem is…”. WRONG. Stop this bad habit.

So, when you are asked to take on an assignment, it makes a much stronger impression to ask clarifying
questions right on the spot. Great questions showcase your intelligence. Get the expectations clear
right upfront. Clarify scope of work, quality standards, timelines, etc. If your experience tells you that a
task takes a week to complete properly and your boss asks you for something in 36 hours, you’ve got to
raise issues constructively on the front end so you’re not getting caught on the back end with a shoddy
outcome.

Remember: If you reek of competence, along with being chipper, people will dig your scent!

Next week: Secret Number Two.