Self Discipline for Sales Success
Self discipline is the key to success in life. So many things can be accomplished when a person has the discipline necessary to do the things that will create success. In sales this fact holds the direct key to improving your income. It is so simple and yet so difficult for many. Self discipline is the ability to keep promises to yourself to do what you have committed to doing. Doing tasks now that you don’t want to do so that someday you will be able to do whatever you want.
Jack Canfield, in his book “The Success Principles,” writes that “behind every great achievement is a story of education, training, practice, discipline and sacrifice.” To attain success you have to be willing to pay the price – such as devoting yourself to one activity while putting the rest of your life on hold.
In his book “Outliers”, Malcolm Gladwell explains a theory that researchers have come up with – that 10,000 hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with becoming a world-class expert. This theory is also called ‘deliberate practice’ in Geoff Colvin’s book, “Talent is Overrated” where he defines it as not just the quantity of practice but the actual design of the practice. Deliberate practice is practice designed to improve performance. This means that supreme amounts of self discipline is required to do this type of practice since in order to improve performance the practice must be repeated; must give continuous feedback and it must be highly demanding mentally; and it isn’t much fun.
Self discipline is required to be a success in sales. What is your way to discipline? Do you need to work out to be your best? Do you need to read something relevant to your work? Do you need to research your calls? Do you need to turn the television off and focus on self-development? Do you start the day fully focused or simply check emails so that you can feel productive?
Regarding sales and discipline, I have worked with and known many salespeople who had a great deal of self discipline without any natural sales ability. They made the prospecting calls and made their sales calls every day. Often they were terrible at presenting and didn’t develop rapport easily but every day they did the work and they were successful.
On the flip side of the coin, I have also known many who had the natural ability to sell but absolutely no self discipline. Those personable, outgoing and attractive sales people who didn’t want to do the prospecting calls and sales calls every day. They were OK in the short term but they wasted so much time and opportunity that they eventually failed.
You can develop self discipline by having a plan and sticking to it. Make a specific number of prospecting calls, sales calls and stick to it no matter what. Maybe add a few healthy habits along the way and use self discipline to exercise and eat healthy. The more you make commitments to yourself and keep them the more success you will have in sales and in life.
