“The only thing worse than training employees and losing them is not training them and keeping them” – Zig Ziglar.
Occasionally I’m asked if I can guarantee the results of a sales team after they attend a seminar and my reply is, “It is difficult for me to guarantee the application of the content presented and the commitment of a salesperson to their career success and professional development after they attend a seminar.”
Commitment is about applying what we know. Often we know, but don’t. We know how to make cold calls, but don’t. We know we should exercise more, but don’t. We know we should eat better, drink less, but don’t.
What are we waiting for? Why can’t we decide to start and just apply what we know we should do now?
It boils down to one word; commitment. How’s your commitment? At any given time you can rate your commitment to an obligation from 1 to 10? Do you know when it’s not 100%; and does that increase or decrease the likelihood of the desired outcome? Often a lack of commitment will give you substandard results. The only influence to a better outcome is luck. Who is responsible for your level of commitment? Hhhmmm. Let me think about that. Ah, you are!
Where did you learn commitment? Did your parents demonstrate commitment to each other, maybe it was through their work ethic, or their role as a parent? Perhaps it is from someone you admire, that you can study and learn how to commit to an obligation.
How do you show your commitment to others? As an employee, boss, parent, spouse. What are you doing to display your commitment? We all have different roles and when we commit to the expectations of each role, we are making evident our commitment with personal integrity.
What do you look for in others to prove their commitment? When you need to count on someone, there has to be some evidence to determine the level of risk you are taking. The risk could be financial, emotional, or intellectual.
As a salesperson, selling a service, you have little options on offering a guarantee or warranty. The value of your service is found and determined by the prospect and their interpretation of your level of commitment to them and your service.
Think about the small details that make the difference. Are you returning phone calls, responding to emails, showing up on time, following through on promises, keeping obligations when you are making small talk, etc.?
There are a lot of issues that are important, but few we can truly commitment to. Know your role. Perform the obligations and expectations with commitment and you will own the future. Nothing is impossible with a commitment.
Make commitment a word others will use to describe you in your absence. Create a reputation of commitment.
[…] If you have it, you own your future. If you don’t, well, it’s not too late to start. (Read: Commitment! for […]