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.
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.
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