When things are going well. Your clients & customers are happy, everything is on auto pilot, that’s great. The sale has been made & the orders are coming in. Ahhh, time to relax, right?
If only it were that easy. In the sales world, it’s never that easy – never time to relax. Matter of fact, there are some organizations, some people within these organizations, that believe you are only as good as your last sale. In the words of Janet Jackson (circa 1986) What have you done for me, lately?
That’s the bane of a salesperson’s existence.
It is such a bane, such a pain, such a responsibility that many salespeople let their guard down & tend to “rest on their laurels”. Their mantra is Remember that one summer at band-camp? Referring to a sale that was made long ago, that they are still talking about.
Resting on one’s laurels accomplishes only one thing: MAKING ONE RUSTY.
In 2019, if you want to rest on your laurels you are taking a giant risk. Things you risk by resting on your laurels:
- Risk that the customer thinks of you & only you
- Risk that your competitors don’t swoop in & mop up your business
- Risk that nothing changes on the customer’s end (personnel, technology, systems, processes, etc.)
- Risk that your best relationships aren’t being compromised by your competitor
Like a lot of things in life, resting on your laurels is easy, but that doesn’t mean it’s right. It’s the hard things that pay off. Fighting to set that appointment with a tough, intimidating customer. Sticking around a customer after hours to learn the lay of the land. Staying an extra day at the customer (missing your daughters softball game) to meet with a new engineer or buyer on your projects. Pushing back from time-to-time & asking why? Or why not?
These are things Superstar Salespeople do.
Resting on one’s laurels is not an option for the Superstar. It’s not in the Superstar’s nature – not in the make-up. There are always one or two (or 10) other things the star can be doing. Most of these things don’t do a thing for growing business. Not that they’re busy work – they just don’t help grow business. Expense reports, admin work, internal meetings, more admin work, more meetings… Yes, the Superstar has all of these things on her plate, too. She just prioritizes. She spends the most time (during Pay Time) doing things with prospects &/or customers that pay her.
The Superstar will rest, when it’s time to rest. He just knows that he has a job to do. He knows people are watching. No, he doesn’t punch a clock, but that doesn’t mean he can screw off, come in late, take 3-hour lunches, leave early. He’s got a job to do. Sure, he has colleagues in the office that rest on their laurels, that’s the difference between them & the Superstar.
Let the colleague reminisce about that one summer at band camp. The Superstar has Janet Jackson ringing in her ears.
