Don’t mourn the loss of a deal. Let go and move on.

Then look to find a hidden opportunity. Here a scenario that may be unpleasantly familiar, a big deal slips away and the sales person goes into mourning the loss. It’s on their mind all the time. They think about what a great opportunity that could have been, and even how they would have spent that money. Meanwhile, they lose focus and operate with a clouded mind, as a result lose more deals. Then having lost all confidence, they go into a downward spiral and start to come off as pushy and desperate. We all know what that leads to. And it all goes back to a deal they lost a year ago. The best thing you can do is to clear your mind and focus on the opportunities in front of you. Some of my biggest deals came as a result of losing a smaller one. It can be a great motivator, and combined with the short deadlines it often creates, we are forced to grow. The results are frequently nothing short of amazing.

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As it pertains to Sales: The one with the most behavior flexibility has the most influence. I had a chance to control my equation by changing my behavior, but I chose to be at its mercy by staying on the train.

This used to happen to me in sales as well and I see others also make this mistake on a regular basis. You are giving a sales presentation or a pitch and it’s clearly not going well. You realize this and continue doing what you are doing anyway, because it feels uncomfortable to do something new. Doing something different, outside of the box or something opposite to what’s not working altogether is often the best way to have a breakthrough with a tough prospect or customer. Like Bruce Lee said “Be like water”. Think of it as a great opportunity to learn for next time. You will be surprised with what happens when you let go of sticking to a plan that isn’t working, and just try something different. A good technique when debating whether to go for it or not is to just say the following to yourself: “F*ck it!” and go for it. This alone took me miles.

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I did it, so you don’t have to.

I open my eyes, it is 4:58am and my alarm should have rang over an hour ago. Today is my second day at my new job and I am scheduled to accompany my CEO on his trip to Boston. Our train is leaving at 6:20am. I have been excited about this trip since I first found out about it last week and it’s a BIG deal to me – a great opportunity to both learn a lot and spend some time getting acquainted with my new boss. I made sure to prepare and get to bed early.

I jump out of bed, adrenalin running through my body and I scream: “How (insert your favorite profanity here) did this happen!?”. I check the alarm, 3:45am as I set it last night. I take a moment to collect myself; there is still plenty of time. I tell myself: “I will make it!”. I just need to be on my 1^st train by 5:15am, no problem. Much to the surprise of my girlfriend I’m fully dressed and look like a million bucks 6 minutes later.

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I highly recommend you check it out

Today I received a recommendation letter from a client, with whom I recently worked  for a couple of months. I want to share it with you, as it really captured both: the expectation people come in with and what actually takes place. David does a really good job of describing what the work  we do together is all about.

Here is the letter:

“Before I started working with Gene Plotkin, I felt stuck.  My life was happening all around me and I didn’t know how to steer it or in what direction.  I was second-guessing myself all the time and not sure of who I was or what I wanted.  Simply put, I was lost.

These problems affected my relationship with my family, friends, dating, and work.    I had a huge lack of confidence, low energy, and a lot of frustration.  I was trying to be someone that wasn’t me and it was time for a change.

I started working with Gene because I thought he could help me sort things out and give me the insight I needed to make all my goals a success.  I thought he could unlock my true potential and everything would just work out.  Like there was a magic button for happiness and I just hadn’t found it yet.

I was very wrong.  What Gene did for me was so much more than this.  He helped me to see what my goals really are.  He helped me to realize that most of what I thought I wanted wasn’t in line with my true values and desires.  I was living other people’s expectations.   He helped me to strip away all that isn’t me and gave me the tools to go after what I want.

Because of Gene I now have more confidence, more energy, more passion for life.  I no longer feel stuck or lost.  I now feel open to whatever possibilities are out there for me.  I’m not tied to this or that; I’m free to accept what ever comes my way.  I have the flexibility and the freedom to live my life without fear.  That little voice in my head that questions everything I do, that tells me I’m not good enough, that makes me scared, is gone.

All of my expectations about working with Gene have been greatly surpassed.  I came into this wanting someone to fix me.  I left knowing I didn’t need to be fixed; I just needed to let go of all that holding me back.  Gene didn’t just make my issues and problems go away, he guided me through them and empowered me to do it for myself.

As an investor in the stock market I can tell you that my psychology can often be the deciding factor between a good trade and a bad one.  My emotions, doubts, fears, and expectations, all play a role in my success or failure as a trader.  I can honestly say without a doubt that working with Gene Plotkin has been the best investment I have ever made.  Improving my confidence and my self worth is a return on investment that will pay dividends for the rest of my life.

Today I feel unstoppable.  I know that I have what it takes to live the life of my dreams.  Everyday I have a choice, and the choices are infinite.  I’m so excited about the future and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

David Gonyo”

I especially enjoyed what he had to say about trying to find the “magic button for happiness”. I can’t tell you how often I see people come in with this type of mind set. In today’s culture of instant gratification, you can find a lot of books and coaches that will promise to show you where your magic button is. It’s a great way to sell books and services to people desperate to believe it. However, in my experience there is no magic button, bullet or wand. What works, is a process based on feedback and constant improvement. For good results there always has to be effort on the part of the client.

Thanks for reading.

Every day, I hear from someone who calls themselves a “software salesman” or an “insurance saleswoman,” and I wonder why they pigeonhole themselves this way.

And then it strikes me: They are product peddlers as opposed to salespeople.

What do I mean by this? Well, a gifted salesperson can sell anything to anyone. Not because they have great products but instead because they are supremely confident about themselves and know they can charm and intrigue virtually everyone they come in contact with.

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My answer to all these questions is: I really wanted to learn what creates success. Passion along with an open mind, led me to learn and most importantly try many things. Some turned out to be great, while others were a complete waist of time. With so many resources available, the difficult part was figuring out the good from the bad. What I decided to do here was to put together a top 10 list of books that really made a difference in the way I view the world. These are the books I recommend to anyone who owns, operates or wants to own a business. In fact, I highly encourage everyone to read them. When you do, come back here and share your thoughts.

You can find this list by clicking here: Top 10 book recommendations

Gene Plotkin