My friend refers to the moment a new idea is born as the “ah-ha moment”. All new business begins with that special inspiration. Think about the light-bulb, Henry Ford’s first car, or more recently, recycling. Through the ages, the public initially deemed these novel ideas to be nuts. But the inventors kept on forging forward.
Years ago, many of us were deemed ridiculous upon announcing our intentions of moving to the brand new Silicon Valley. Years later, we heard Apple Computer dismissed as a wannabe. It was said it would never go anywhere. Now I’m betting the people who made the pronouncement are sorry they didn’t buy stock in the company!
You have to believe in yourself
Through the years I have met many highly successful people who said their biggest battle was not letting the naysayers win. The first person who has to believe 100% in your business effort is you.
So the questions become:
1. What do you believe?
As an experienced salesperson, I can tell you that the moment there was a single doubt about the people, the process or the technology behind what I was supposed to sell, I stopped in my tracks. As a business owner, it becomes an immense responsibility to be certain everything works upfront as promised.
2. What do you want?
You will be extremely lucky to never encounter another who says, “that won’t work”! Examine your priorities and goals. What would you truly like to achieve regardless of the learning curve? Are you willing to pursue it no matter the unforeseen setbacks or remarks of others?
In its infancy, Apple Computer was a partnership between Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. It dissolved. Jobs went elsewhere only to return a few years later. Wozniak left, Jobs became CEO, and redesigned his vision for Apple Computer. The journey and the process were difficult, but in the end, Apple became a recognizable force. Are you willing to risk the bumps in the road to get to your destination?
3. How will you get there?
Do you need a team of people in place or will you be in charge of everything initially? This topic requires consideration.
Last week I received a recommendation of groups to contact for our “Be Inspired to Get HIRED!” event on April 27.
In my reply, I stated that I look forward to making the calls. An email returned within seconds exclaiming I should hire the calls out, as my time would be better spent creating more content.
For most people, the recommendation might be true. Perhaps calling cold is not your favorite thing to do either. I happen to enjoy it immensely as I usually make good new friends in the process. Business is likely to come from the connections, not just for the one event but for future ones too. It would be detrimental for me to hire this out.
The point is, only you truly know where you need the most help, and that’s where you should seek it. While your roadmap will change through the years, have a starting plan with flexibility built into it. Remember, it’s your roadmap, not that of someone else. Own it. This is your personal brand.
Embracing these concepts and working each and every day toward your vision will steer you to the Smooth Sale!
Author:
Elinor Stutz, CEO of Smooth Sale, LLC, (800) 704-1499, was honored by Open View Labs with inclusion in their international list of “Top 25 Sales Influencers for 2012.” Elinor authored the International Best-Selling book, “Nice Girls DO Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results”, Sourcebooks and the best selling career book, “HIRED! How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews”, Career Press. She provides team sales training, private coaching and highly acclaimed inspirational keynotes for conferences.
