Open your mind to narrowing your focus.
I had the opportunity to be in training after about eight months in sales, which changed my perspective.
The class was titled Government, Education, and Major Accounts.
I was a bit intimidated by my classmates, as many were high performers.
On the other hand, I was just a quota rep, meaning my manager was counting on me meeting something close to quota, but not much else.
I was ok with quota because that was my goal each month. My manager had expressed the importance of being consistent and the importance of quota. I didn’t see myself as a high performer at this time.
The product lineup was extensive, but I was finding success by focusing on the mid-range machines because it seemed lots and lots of different businesses could use them.
My start to sales was in a new city, and the sales job title was new to me. Quick success was vital to staying on course.
I wasn’t anticipating an invitation to the training. Typically this particular training was for more experienced reps. Somehow I was given the spot.
It was a 3-day training held in a large hotel. I was not used to overnight travel for work. I was already nervous.
The trainer had an excellent reputation for being powerful. He was great and experienced. But he had wisdom too.
The whole training focused on the high end of the product line—the side I had never considered.
We focused on the large fast machines with all the finishing capabilities. Covering things like the weight (they weighed more than a refrigerator). We talked about how to put paper in them correctly. There is a right side of the paper to be copied first who knew 🤷♀️. Oddly enough, all that was interesting to me.
But, a shift happened during this training for me that I believe is one of the most important of my career.
I considered all the facts but the light bulb moment came when we talked about pricing. The large numbers did not intimate me but enlightened me.
The pricing discussion only came after we dove deep into learning about these massive machines and all their benefits.
We had also talked about the type of accounts that could use them and appreciate their advantages.
So, when pricing came up, I saw two things. First, it seemed reasonable for the benefits they offered.
Then here is the light bulb 💡 moment.
I could sell less than half the number of accounts monthly I was used to working with and make my quota.
It would be no harder to sell this large machine than it was to sell a smaller machine.
Half the work could give me the same results if you look at it.
The class wrapped up with a demo contest. I had to get in front of my highly successful peers and the North America trainer and demo one of these monster machines.
I had never even loaded paper in one of these monster machines before that day. But, guess what? I left with a very nice shiny new ink pen.
I had won the contest and learned a multitude of lessons along with experiencing that light bulb moment.
It would be possible to work half as much and still earn a quota. Something even better happened. I didn’t work half as much in the coming days.
Instead, I continued to work hard, narrowing my focus to those larger machines and the customers using them.
The results were terrific. Suddenly it became very clear where I should put my focus.
I knew precisely whose attention I needed and what to talk about when I had gained it.
I no longer felt like I needed to see everyone today.
It was like magic! I focused specifically on a type of potential client based on a specific part of our product line.
I began to sell more than quota, win new contests and I started to understand the importance of narrowing my focus and my efforts.
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