How many times have you had to take an important call from a customer during dinner? What are the chances that you would reply to an email or twelve at 11:30 at night? Have you ever stopped what you were doing (getting the stink-eye from your spouse) to reply to a client on the weekend? Would you know how it feels to tell your son you will have to miss his game because you will be out of town on business?
There are some sales folks reading this that are saying to themselves, Of course… that happens every week. Others are secretly saying to themselves, No way… my personal time is my time!
That, my friends, is only one of the many differences between a salesperson that considers her career a lifestyle and one that considers it a J.O.B.
This isn’t about what’s right and what’s wrong. Not going there! This is about choices. And the good news is we all have them. We all have choices.
As sales professionals we get to choose whether to leave our cell phone on or off in the evening and on weekends.
As sales professionals we get to choose how late we stay up replying to emails.
As sales professionals we get to choose how early we wake up and start replying to emails.
As sales professionals we get to choose if we are available to entertain a client at dinner.
As sales professionals we get to choose if we are going to networking events in the evening.
As sales professionals we get to choose if we will open up a Sunday to attend an event with a customer.
As sales professionals we get to choose how late we will stay with a client knowing we have a two-hour drive home.
As sales professionals we get to choose how many nights to stay out of town to visit customers and prospects.
As sales professionals we get to choose if we will miss our daughter’s volleyball match because of business.
As sales professionals we get to choose if we will take the earlier flight to get to spend more time with the customer.
As sales professionals we get to choose if we will take the earlier flight home because “it’s been a rough road trip.”
As sales professionals we get to choose if we will maximize our time and make one last stop (or hit the hotel happy hour).
As sales professionals we get to choose if we will include our long-time client in a personal function.
As sales professionals we get to choose how many times we try to get in touch with a client on an important matter.
As sales professionals we get to choose if we will pick up a client at the airport or have her get an Uber.
As sales professionals we get to choose if we will wake up early because we know breakfast is our customer’s favorite meal of the day.
Yep… we sure do have a lot of choices. Lifestyle or not for you?
