Selling in today’s complex and ever-changing environment requires us to adapt, learn, and grow continually. We must be aware of obstacles that stand in the way of our desired future. After working with thousands of business professionals, here are the two most common productivity killers I have observed.

Comparison

You might have heard that “Comparison is the thief of all joy.” And while this statement can be true for some, it doesn’t have to be for you. Comparison is something we do as human beings and maybe even more if we are competitive by nature or in sales. Clearly, we shouldn’t compare ourselves to others but when we do what is the outcome? Does that comparison make us feel inferior or provide motivation? You choose.

Miserable vs. Motivated

Imagine, you break a personal sales record this quarter, and feel pride, confidence, and achievement. Then, you find out that your friend at another company sold that same amount three years ago. Your internal perception of confidence and growth quickly turns to unhappiness.

What happened? We let comparison hijack our success instead of compelling us to an even greater future.

Two important questions to keep in mind:

  • 1. How often do I find myself comparing my success with other people’s?
  • 2. When you compare yourself to others does it make you miserable or provide you with an extra step of motivation?

Productivity Pitfalls for Comparison in Sales

  • Do I make enough money compared to ____?
  • Does Company X provide a better bonus structure?
  • Is my territory better than _____?
  • How long did it take me to do ____?

Make comparison work for you by staying confident in your accomplishments and letting others inspire you to new levels of success.

Competition

It seems like every industry I talk with is experiencing one of two challenges. Competition is going up, typically with new competitors entering the marketplace via new technology, and the price they used to charge is going down.

Compete on Price vs. Creating Value

Productive sales professionals know that competing on price is a tiresome process that can leave you feeling deflated. Instead, they choose to look for and create new ways they can be valuable to their customers.

Take Andy Grove, successful CEO of Intel. Even though Andy had built the company into a financial juggernaut, he knew that disruptive technology could cause his company to lose valuable market share.

Instead of taking Intel’s current products and offering them at a lower price, he commissioned a new product, the Celeron brand. This helped Intel successfully win against new competitors in the market.

You can find more excellent insight from Andy Grove in his article, 8 Timeless Leadership Lessons.

This creative thinking can be seen in smaller businesses too. John, a financial planner, has seen the rapid competition brought about by the internet, yet he has grown his practice year on year. Instead of lowering his fee, John created a process to track the investment success and saving habits of his clients. In sixty days John helped his clients achieve visible financial results.

The real value he provides is not just in a yearly financial planning session, but in a process which helps his clients save and invest habitually with consistent success.

When our default thinking and action is to lower our price, our confidence and marketplace sustainability take a hit.

by Eric Papp
Time Management Speaker

 

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