When I think about what makes people great in sales year after year, three things come to mind which few people talk about:  

1. Longevity (time in role): Mastery of any trade doesn’t come quickly, including sales. It often takes years to figure things out, and once we do, then we start to realize we are only just beginning. According to Robert Greene’s book Mastery, it takes at least 20,000 hours of practice to master a skill. That’s the equivalent of 10 years, working 40 hours/week for 50 week/year. 

For context I worked in tech sales for 19 years. For my first 15 years, I made between 200-300K consistently. My last 4 years, I averaged 720K and cracked 7 figures twice. 

In our dopamine driven world of immediate gratification, people want to take shortcuts to reach the top and get rich. But shortcuts will not help you develop the skills you need, or become the person that’s capable of getting rich. Time is the great equalizer, and you have to stay in the game long enough to master a skill before you can realize the massive rewards. 

2. Consistency (showing up every day): Sales is a grind. There’s constant pressure to perform. Deals that look promising often face unexpected hurdles, such as your champion leaving or priorities shifting. Not to mention the constant internal changes of new territories, managers, and products to keep up with every year. All the pressure and change can take its toll, and make it VERY difficult to show up your best every day and execute the RGA’s (Revenue Generating Activities) needed to be successful. 

The result is that reps typically have two gears: normal gear and high gear. And high gear kicks in at the end of the month, quarter, or year when they are behind their number. 

Imagine if you worked in high gear throughout the year? What would you be able to accomplish? 

Imagine if you worked with urgency every day, rather than just when the pressure’s on? 

Imagine if you worked the same way you do Monday morning on Friday afternoon, because that’s the standard you have for yourself? 

Top performers show up consistently and work at a sustainable pace, whether it’s the first week of the quarter or the last week of the fiscal year! 

It also becomes much easier physically and mentally to work consistently, rather than killing yourself when the pressure is on, then half-assing it the rest of the year. 

3. Energy: To show up consistently every day and stay in the sales game long enough to achieve mastery, you must master your energy. Energy is what allows you to show up your best every day and build deep client connections with clients. Energy is what allows you to do hard things every day. Energy is what allows you to execute RGA’s daily. When your energy is low, you will resist doing what you need to do and you can’t perform to your full potential. Sales is a transfer of energy, and if your energy is low, your prospects and customers will feel it. 

While personality, work ethic, and intelligence all play a role in making sellers GOOD, it’s longevity, consistency, discipline, and energy which will make sellers GREAT! 

So how can you develop and grow in these areas? It starts by taking care of yourself so that you can stay in the game long enough to be great, work consistently, and maintain high energy. 

In today’s video training, I share 3 simple tips which will help you show up your best every day and avoid burnout in sales. 

You can find the video here: https://youtu.be/Y2PTk4nsPcg