The Big Three

This is the third audio blog lesson in the Get Edified! Marketing and Sales Series, a complimentary series of lessons for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and anyone who sells a product or idea. Whether you’re selling to make a living or seeking to convince someone to adopt your idea, these lessons apply. In short, this series is for everyone because everyone sells in some form or fashion.

(If the audio player above does not work for you, click here instead to listen to the full audio lesson.)

There are three legs of a stool that will propel you to success and sales…and in fact, they’re pretty important to life as well.

Those three legs are:

1. A Winning Attitude
2. Purposeful Conversations
3. High Activity Level

Thousands of books have been written on the subject of success. I’ve read many of them, as I’m sure you have, also.

What I’ve read essentially boils down to these three tenets.

A Winning Attitude

Thomas Jefferson said, “Nothing can stop the man {or woman} with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.”

To be successful – in life, sales, sports, work, or anything else – you must maintain a winning attitude about yourself, your business, your family, your faith, and your purpose in life.

You have been given gifts, the opportunity to develop skills, and the aptitude to help people. And how you serve reflects your purpose in life. The goal is not to become someone else – it is to become the best possible version of you. We talk about this in depth in Ascend on Demand.

If you need help overcoming some challenges – some obstacles in your life that are dragging you down – there are ways to get that.

1. Start by being around positive people.

2. Greet each day with a CHIP on your shoulder – CHIP in this case being an acronym for Candor, Humor, Insight, and Passion.

Carrying the CHIP says, “I’m going to make the most of today with my eyes wide open. I’m going to have faith that God has a plan for me, and I’m going to do my part to make it happen.”

3. Start each day with gratitude and joy. Yes, some days will be tough. I’ve had my share of those. But even then, you get to choose gratitude and joy. There are times when you can’t control your circumstances or the actions of another person – but you can still choose gratitude and joy.

Purposeful Conversations

The greatest myth about selling is that there is a magic script somewhere, and if you say it like some kind of incantation, it tricks people into signing on the dotted line.

That is not what sales are about!

Making a sale is about a very purposeful conversation that starts with an optimistic attitude.

In this conversation, you are asking questions and seeing possibilities. You are listening intently, asking people about their dreams – and what they are going to do to make them happen.

You’re building trust and rapport by expressing a genuine interest in the other person. Now, if you don’t really care, get another business. Go do something else. But if you do care, let people know. Ask them questions, and then listen. Truly listen.

You’ve been there. Someone tells you about their new baby or grandbaby, and out come the pictures! Do you think it’s because they want you to tell them about your baby or grandbaby? Or about how you did this or that with your children when they were young?

No! They want to talk about their baby.

Give them the microphone, and let them talk! Listen, and you will build trust.

If nothing else, remember this: Don’t rip the microphone out of other people’s hands.

In a sales conversation, are you focused on them or on the script you are about to pitch?

“I’ve got my PowerPoint slides, and I’m not afraid to use them,” is not selling.

Selling is about purposeful conversations. It’s about listening and identifying needs…and then at the appropriate time, it is about presenting a solution that will meet those needs.

You can’t meet their needs if you haven’t listened to learn what they are.

“Let me tell you what I do. I do speaking, training, masterminds, and lunch and learns. I do coaching, and I can help your organization reach new levels of performance.”

Bull.

You didn’t ask them any questions. Even though what you say is true, it’s pointless if you did not take the time to connect with them and their needs.

Purposeful conversations are about confirming what you heard.

“If I heard you right, this is what you’re experiencing, and this is what you would desire. Here’s your current point A, and here’s your desired point B. Let’s talk about how I can help you get there. Would that be helpful?”

“Yes, indeed.”

You have not pitched to them and you have not wowed them with your credentials. You have simply listened, learned their needs, and offered a solution.

And they, in essence, have already bought into your product or service because you have earned more than the sale – you have earned their trust.

High Activity Level

“Hey, I made a New Year’s resolution that I’m going to get in shape.”

“Awesome, what did you do?”

“I joined the gym.”

“Excellent! When are you going?”

“Going where?”

“To the gym.”

“Oh, well, as soon as I get a chance. This is a busy week. Next week is busy, too. I might go the week after next…maybe.”

Did you know your body doesn’t get any better when you join the gym? It only gets better when you go and do the workout.

Put it on your calendar for a specific time, and then DO it!

People don’t get rewarded for what they INTEND to do; they get rewarded for having done it.

Your goals, your dreams…everything you say you want…are not going to happen unless you take action.

In my decades of coaching business owners and leaders, I have learned that the one thing keeping most leaders from making sales, growing their business, or generating a profit is not a lack of knowledge or intent. It is a lack of action.

While many think the action is making the sale or getting the client, very often the action is first “going to the gym” to work on themselves. It is pushing past the fear of picking up the phone. Or learning how to stop the gremlins in your head that say, “You can’t do it. You don’t have enough experience. It’s not possible.”

If you know me, you know one thing: I take massive action toward my priority goals every day. And I help others take massive action toward their priority goals, too.

There are no excuses.

Consider Nick Vijucic. Here’s a guy with no arms and no legs. He has a CHIP on his shoulder. He knows there is a purpose in his life, and he is doing all he can to fulfill it. You see him now, speaking all over the world to crowds of thousands. But what you may not know is that at one point, Nick heard those voices, too. In fact, he had more than any of us can imagine, all telling him he couldn’t possibly do what he’s doing.

He had to…

Pick up the phone and talk to people, just like you.

Fumble through a few conversations.

Get hung up on many times before that first, “Yes” came.

But he took action. And then he took more action.

You see him now, experiencing a high level of success and influence. But see him then as well…then do what he did. And this is exactly it:

1. Have a winning attitude.
2. Have purposeful conversations.
3. Take action – and maintain a high activity level. Never give up.

I challenge you to write these three things down on a 3 x 5 card and carry it with you. Refer to it throughout your day, every day, until it is tattered. Then make another one and continue the same practice. These are foundational to your success. Make them a habit.

In fact, let’s have some purposeful fun with this…take your picture with your card and post it to our Facebook community page. Then post another in 30 days. Show us those tattered cards and tell us about your success. Take action!

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Ed DeCosta is one of the most engaging executive coaches and thought leaders of our time. He delivers results with companies of all sizes, from high tech start-ups to Fortune 500 corporations. Ed is an ICF certified professional coach. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from West Virginia University, a master’s degree in international management from the University of Texas, and an MBA from the University of Texas. Ed is also an adjunct faculty member in West Virginia University’s College of Business and Economics, teaching Professional Selling and entrepreneurship courses.