System + Passion = Success
Written by Steven Kay, Talk Show Host & Producer
713-STEVEN-K / me@StevenKayLive.com / www.StevenKayLive.com
I was recently sent an invitation to write a short story for an upcoming book release on what I thought it took to be a successful sales person. When I was sent the invitation to submit this book segment, many ideas rushed through my head. I thought of all the concepts and techniques I had learned as a sales professional over the years; everything from qualifying buyers, setting appointments, presentation skills, overcoming objections, closing the sale, etc. Not to mention all the marketing work we do to get to the sale and after the sale activities, which is a sales function in itself; advertising, cold calling, networking, obtaining referrals, thank you notes, birthday cards, and such.
Out of all of these things, two things hold true to being successful in sales. The first is having a system. A proven formula that if followed step-by-step will lead you to a higher ratio of closed sales. Naturally, the system itself will vary from product and company. The main thing to remember is to find a system that has already been proven successful and follow it exactly. Of course, you must also find a system that works for you, a system that fits your personality and does not infringe upon your values or beliefs.
From all of the great people that I have had the privilege to learn from, this idea was as consistent as the concept itself. Brian Tracy says if you want to be successful in any field, look for the people who are most successful in your industry, find out what they are doing and then do what they are doing / have done, and you should achieve the same or similar results. Sticking to the system is key, especially if it is one that has already been put into practice and has a history of positive results. Straying from a formula will usually produce unwanted results more often than not. This is not to say we should not look for ways to improve our systems, testing new ideas and techniques in controlled environments is vital for growth, as long as the fundamentals of the system are not sacrificed.
The other ideal that I believe leads to our success, not only in sales but in any profession or any area of our lives for that matter, is passion. We must have passion for what we do, we must believe in it in our hearts and souls. If we do not have that fire in us for what we are selling, we may have some temporary success, but we will never reach our true potential.
We all have our own definition for success. To some, it may be making a certain income or accumulating a particular amount of wealth, it may be having the freedom to spend our time the way we wish to versus the way we have to, it may be giving the most we can to our family or our community or our church, it may be a vision of a desired lifestyle, or it may be many other things. To most, I think it is a combination of all of these things, and how we prioritize these depends on our core values. Many of the definitions or goals for ‘ideal’ success I mentioned above at first glance may seem to revolve around money. Although money itself may make some of these goals become reality, a deeper look at our values makes us realize that money is just one tool that we utilize to achieve success.
Our values are what we hold most dear to our heart. Our values are how we make most of our decisions, whether they are made consciously or subconsciously. They are the deepest of our beliefs, and what we are most passionate about in life. Whenever we act against these principles our chances for success diminish greatly, mainly because our heart will not allow us to violate what it considers to be most precious. Whenever we act in accordance to our values, it eases the burden and our chances for success increase because our passion is in our values. When we act from our hearts, our work is genuine. When we follow our beliefs, we remain true to ourselves and to those we serve. When we honor our values, we care for what is truly significant. When we are passionate about what we are pursuing, we are determined to achieve our goals. Yes, we must have passion for what we do. This applies to everything that we do. In every aspect of our lives, passion is the key.
I have had many successes and failures throughout my life so far, and I am sure that there will be more of both to come. I have always felt like I have succeeded, because I have always followed my values. I have never given up on my goals, because I have always had passion for what I was doing. My setbacks were my lessons, they taught me how to get to where I was going. My passion never let me stop trying.
Becoming or being a master sales professional, or a master of anything for that matter, requires two things: a system that is proven to work, and a passion for the work itself.
The formula is both simple and clear, System + Passion = Success.
These things go hand-in-hand. You cannot achieve success with a system you have no passion about, nor can you do so by being passionate about selling something without a system to guide you. Both pieces are critical to the success formula. Follow this formula, work through the details, and success will undoubtedly be yours!
About Steven Kay: Steven Kay is an up-and-coming talk show host and producer. The “Life Business and Money” talk radio program is continually growing in popularity among business owners, executives, and sales professionals. It airs on CNN 650AM Radio News in Houston, TX and is available online at StevenKayLive.com. Steven Kay Media is an independent advertising agency that specializes in talk radio advertising sales and promotions, as well as producing and hosting talk shows, which has produced several radio programs as well as developing several new projects soon to hit the air waves. You may contact Steven directly at 713-278-9109 or info@StevenKay.biz, or visit www.StevenKay.biz.
Please send your opinions and comments to me@StevenKayLive.com and/or call 713-STEVEN-K (713-783-8365) today at 3p-4p to have discussed on the air!
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