28FebRising To The Challenge

Today was a tough day for me. I pride myself on having Rhinoceros skin. I guess its just because of the fact that I have had to overcome soooo many negatives over the course of my sales career that I have truly developed an unshakable attitude.  That being said I must also say that I have learned that to be a good coach, one must first be a good student. I am not ashamed to say that someone I respect truly humbled me today. Yes, without a doubt they put me in my place. I have recently undertaken a sales project that has been quite challenging. It requires overcoming some pretty adverse market conditions and has very limited resources. I have been chugging along in a self woven web of disillusion all the while believing that my half ass plan would work.  It actually took the firm words of a trusted mentor to make me realize that I have lost track of the basics.

Market conditions change, competition changes  and personnel change sometimes beyond our control. As successful sale managers and marketers it is our responsibility to quickly adapt to those changes. “Who moved my cheese” . . Who Cares? The question is where can I find more?  We cant take success for granted just because we feel we started out with a good plan. Success is a string of short, ascending measurable goals that all lead up to completion of a primary task. To ensure success we have to have checkpoints along the way where we pause to evaluate our progress and adapt our course of action to changing road conditions if possible. Even an airplane on auto pilot needs a pilot standing by. Thank you Tim for reminding me of that today.

To your success,

Omar