Nothing has changed
Last week, I was reminded of an age old lesson.  That lesson is that there are no shortcuts to success. Despite all of the advances in technology, medicine and cognitive understanding only effort and hard work truly bring success. Unfortunately, I learned this lesson at my daughter’s tennis lesson.  I say unfortunately because I have been steering her towards golf since she was born and after all that effort, out of the blue she tells me that she wants to be a tennis star.  Why?  Because my parents took her to a professional tennis match a few months ago and she met and got autographs from some of the top female tennis players in the world.  That experience lit a spark in her and now she wants to travel the world and compete against them.  When she gets older I will remind her that I took her to two LPGA golf tournaments and it did not faze her.  I digress.

It takes that much to succeed
Let me return to my point about hard work and effort.  So there I was at my daughter’s tennis lesson.  As the class was doing various drills, I overheard a conversation between another parent and the head instructor of the tennis club.  While I did not hear all of the details, I did hear something that really stuck with me.  The parent asked the instructor if he still competes in tournaments (apparently he used to be a big name player).  The instructor said no because he is only able to practice 2-3 hours a day.  He went on to say that when he was successful and winning tournaments, he would practice 4-6 hours a day. The instructor said, “If I am not prepared to compete at the highest level, then it does not make sense to do so.”

How about us
As I reflect on the conversation between the parent and the instructor, I thought about our lives as business professionals. How much do we prepare before we are “On Stage” or competing so to speak; whether it is before a sales call, big meeting, performance review with an employee, marketing presentation or any myriad of times when we have to perform? Fortunately, I have had bosses and mentors who drilled the importance of planning in my head since I was a very young professional.  It is no mystery that that the better I perform is in direct correlation to how much I have practiced and prepared. When I have an opportunity to mentor young adults and other professionals, I tell them that despite what they say their ambitions are in life, their level of effort in planning and practicing is the true indication of their ambitions.

What do the greats do?
A long time ago, I was talking to someone about the greatest athletes of all time.  Of course, Muhammad Ali’s name came up. Muhammad Ali was once quoted as saying something to the effect of, “I have already won the fight by the time I step into the ring.” Basically, what he was saying is because he had put in so much effort and was so prepared leading up to the fight that all he had to do was step in and execute…which he arguably did better than any other fighter of his generation.

To Your Story!

Ja Marr Brown

Recently, I had to take a trip to Atlanta. Because the meeting location was about an hour from the airport, I decided to rent a car.  Along the way, I drove by a graveyard.  I have passed by graveyards many times, but this time it was different. Normally, I think about the family members and friends of mine that have passed away and I say a little prayer of thanks for having had them in my life and for all of the lessons they taught me through their stories.  Often times, I find myself tearing up, because of how much I miss them.  But the thoughts of missing them are trumped by the joy and comfort I have knowing that we shared so much together when they were alive. In addition to the fact that the lessons they taught me, continue to lead and guide me.

The stories buried with the individual

All of the sudden, I became sad again.  Not because of the people I personally knew that have passed, but because I thought about how many of those individuals in that graveyard died with their stories untold?  How many of their family members and friends truly knew them? How many of them had stories and information that if shared could have touched and changed someone’s life? So many times when someone passes we hear people say, “if only I could have spent more time with them.  If only I could have gotten to know them better.”

I also thought about how many of them passed with the regret and disappointment of knowing that they never pursued their dreams and passions in life…and now, it is too late.

It is not too late to tell your story

However, it is not too late for you and I.  You can tell your story, you can inspire others, and you can leave a legacy for yourself. It does not have to be on a grand scale…just tell your story to the people in your life who mean something to you.  Share the lessons you have learned and that have shaped you as a person.  Teach your children the lessons life has taught you, what to do and what to avoid.  If you are a manager teach your employees the stories about your career that can help them.

I have been fortunate enough to write a book titled, “What’s Your Sales Story?”  This book was written because I wanted to inspire other professionals through my story, and give them a roadmap for which to write and tell their own story.  My book, will also serve as a teaching guide for my daughter when she starts her professional career.

Since the day my wife and I found out that she was pregnant, I started keeping a journal for our daughter. I chronicle the daily lessons and stories that are not only shaping my life but hers as well.  I am overwhelmed with joy and peace knowing that she will always have those journals to serve as a reminder of who her father was and the story of her life. I highly recommend that all parents do that for your children.  When you are gone, how will they remember you?

Finally, make sure that at the end of the day you have no regrets in life and can say, starting today, that you pursued your dreams and passions in life.  When someone you know passes by your gravesite, make sure that they can say…I know his or her story!

Now it is time to share your story.  Please write back and share your comments.  Remember, your story can change lives!

To your story!

Ja Marr

We have all heard or used the phrases, “Your glass is half empty” or “Your glass is half full,” to describe if a person is an optimist or a pessimist.  I am someone that has used those phrases very liberally when I would speak to people in my personal and professional life.  If I felt someone was being negative or not seeing the big picture, I would say, “Your glass is half empty.”  If he or she was being positive or optimistic despite the challenges they faced, I would say, “Your glass is half full.”  As a manager, I would often use those terms to assess the mindset of my team.  Of course, the hope being that the operating mindset was one of, “The glass being half full.”

Hungry animals just attack

I was recently talking to someone about the importance of having a positive vs. negative attitude.  At one point in our discussion, he asked me why I was always positive and seemed so upbeat and excited about life, regardless of the challenges or obstacles that I have faced.  He said, “Why does your glass always seem half full?”  Without hesitation, I fired back an answer that surprised me. I said, “So many people get hung up on the verbiage of someone’s glass being half full or half empty.  As far as I am concerned, it does not matter if someone’s glass is half full or half empty if they are thirsty.” A hungry animal does not get hung up on the size of the prey.  They attack small prey with the same ferocity as if it were big game.

Just Drink

As I reflected on the answer I had given him, I tried to figure how I came to that conclusion.  I picked up one of the journals that I have written and the answer soon emerged.  Whenever I described one of my aspirations such as Salesperson of the Year, District Manager of the Year, Winning a Golf Tournament (scrambles only), writing a book or learning to play the piano, I described what one would consider days that my mental glass was half full or half empty as I pursued those aspirations.  Yes, I may have made more progress when I had a positive attitude and my mental glass was half full, but that did not mean that I was completely unproductive or did not make progress when my mental glass was half empty.  Why?  Because regardless of the challenges or obstacles both mentally and physically, I was still very thirsty and willing to drink whatever was in the glass.

Regardless of how I felt internally my passion and desire for my aspirations was absolutely relentless. Whether I felt positive, negative or otherwise, my dreams were bigger than a simple “passing” thought of being positive or negative. The energy that people experienced as they observed my drive for achieving my aspirations was not about being positive or negative, it was about being Purposeful.  I call this the Relentless Pursuit of Excellence!

Yes, Tiger Woods

As I focused my research on others that are pursuing Excellence, one example stands above the rest.  In 2008, I had the privilege of attending the US Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego CA.  Thanks again G Force!  We have all heard about how Tiger Woods, once again, beat all odds and won the tournament despite his desperate need to have knee surgery.  Well, I was there.  I saw the look of pain and agony on his face every-time he took a swing.  I was only several yards away and saw how he at times could barely walk as he hobbled down the fairway.  But I also saw something else…he was Purposeful or should I say “Thirsty.” I am sure that both negative and positive thoughts entered his mind over the course of the tournament; however, they were trumped by the overwhelming thought of, “I want to and am going to win no matter what!”

Here is the lesson:  No one wakes up feeling either 100% positive or 100% negative every day.  There are ebbs and flows in everyone’s mentality.  However, what should not change is your desire, purpose and passion for achieving that which you are pursuing. Regardless if your glass is half full or half empty…if you are thirsty, drink every drop!

To your story!

Ja Marr

I am often asked what separates the average salesperson from the perennial sales performer. My answer is always the same. Perennial sales performer know, understand and fully utilize their stories to engage, communicate and connect with their customers. Average salespeople do not.

Of course, this answer isn’t always easily understood at first. The surprised and sometimes skeptical expressions quickly go away, however, as I remind others not only just how often we all use stories in our personal and professional lives, but how easy sales becomes when stories are properly used and understood.

Stories, though, are not just important to sales success. Stories are the very fabric that runs through all human interactions, framing our perspective of the world we live in.

Stories uplift our spirit and stir our emotions. They awaken our soul and breathe hope into despair. Stories shape and define entire cultures. They teach and provide perspective. They build companies and grow careers. And nothing ever gets sold without a story being told.

Stories are at the core of our genetic makeup. Throughout history stories have been used to teach, entertain, honor spiritual beliefs, settle disputes, express love and they have been used to sell. Take for example the story of David and Goliath or the Boy Who Cried Wolf. They contain universal themes and messages that can be applied to any culture or situation.

According to the Kalahari Bushmen, recognized as the oldest living culture on earth, a person’s story is viewed as his most treasured resource. From our birth to our passing, stories serve as the backbone of our existence, both personally and professionally.

When it comes to selling, just as in life, everyone has a story behind what drives them. What’s your story?

When it comes to developing your story, one of the key components is identifying, assessing and fully leveraging the potential you have as a sales professional. Everyone has potential. It’s up to you as to whether you choose to recognize it, embrace it and fulfill that potential that exists within you.

My grandfather came to recognize the potential he had in him and chose to fulfill that potential by inspiring the lives of those he encountered every day. He knew early on, going back to his days in World War II, that the bigger the obstacle or the bigger the goal, the more important it was to have others who believed in you even more than you believed in yourself. This philosophy was put to use on the battlefields in Europe and again on the battlefields throughout some of the toughest communities in San Diego.

My grandfather leveraged his knowledge and skills and embraced his own potential by proactively engaging and inspiring others to do the same in their lives. Many of those he reached out to in his lifetime, beyond just family and friends, were hundreds of misguided souls who had lost the sense of who they were and felt they had no potential. Organizing a baseball league and instilling lifelong values and skills through his coaching, these individuals not only regained clarity on the potential they had lost sight of, but they also came to realize my grandfather believed in them more than they even believed in themselves.

Over several decades he set the framework and provided the guidance for dozens of kids and even adults to discover their innate potential and fulfill it. Those who genuinely wanted to change their lives followed my grandfather’s guidance and opened their minds to the possibilities of perennial success.

The results of having my grandfather believe in them more than they did in themselves were astounding. Hundreds of boys and girls who could have wound up in prison or dead in the streets were awakened to a new set of possibilities. Today many of those boys and girls, now full grown adults, serve as a beacon of hope to their own children and others for what can be achieved with one’s potential, no matter the obstacles.

Some questions to consider:

· Who do you have in your life that sees you bigger and better than even you see yourself? What kind of potential do they see in you?

· How does the belief someone else has in you affect your performance as a sales professional?

· Are you overwhelmed by the pressure and expectations they have of you? Or do you embrace that and use it to improve your performance?

· What level of potential do you see in yourself as a sales professional? Are you achieving this potential or wasting it