Consistency trumps talent
The death of the salesman
I’m surf mad and I love following the World Championship Tour where the best surfers in the world compete for the world title over a series of events throughout the year. Every year there is a fresh batch of talented rockies that join the tour. These guys are so talented they can do 360 degree reverse airs in their sleep. But at the end of the year, a lot of them don’t make the top ranks due to inconsistent performances.
It’s the same in sales. Some salespeople have great talent and have some rock star months, but they fail to back up their performance the following month and end up falling short of their goals. To be at the top of your game, you need to have consistent performances month after month. Talent is useful, but it will only get you so far.
Consistency is all about doing the work. To get consistent results, you need to do consistent sales activity each day, week and month. You also need to make sure the sales activity you are engaged in is effective. Think 80/20 and focus on the 20% of activities that generate 80% of your sales results. It looks something like this...
If you do consistent sales activity and the activity you are engaged in is effective, then you’ll achieve continuous growth. A lot of talented salespeople know what they need to do (top 20% activities), but they are inconsistent in their actions which leads to variable results. Salespeople that are consistently under performing (flat lining or downward spiralling) need to work harder (consistent activity), work smarter (top 20% activity) or both.
Happy selling!
Mark.
Mark Windust is the founder of Mastermind Business Solutions Ltd and is an influential Thought Leader in the areas of Business Development, Sales Growth and Entrepreneurship. Since Mastermind’s inception in 2007, Mark has worked with 1000's of business leaders, salespeople and entrepreneurs’ to help them grow.