EVERYONE wants to have their ‘best year ever’, but the fact is that more than half won’t. And of course, you’re reading this thinking, ‘Too bad for them’, because you’re certain that you will. Interestingly, thinking that will put you in a positive position to help make it happen, but doesn’t guarantee it. You also need to act on the goal. And keep in mind that everyone wants to have their best year ever – including your competition. As a matter of fact, I was looking at your competitions hot prospect list, and saw that the names of your biggest customers were at the top of their list. How’s that for a best-year-ever slap in the face and chop to the wallet? Well, by now most of your New Year’s resolutions have faded into dust. You’re still eating the wrong foods and exercise amounts to a brisk walk to your car. Well, I have good news. Over the next few weeks I’m going to provide you with a detailed list of elements that, if employed into your daily sales life, will give you your best year ever. 1. Define yourself. In order to be able to have your best year ever, the first person you have to come to know, on as deep a level as humanly possible, is yourself. Personally, I define myself as a father, a grandfather, a writer, a speaker, an ideas person, a thinker, a traveller with endless wanderlust, a student, and a lover of fun and fine things. Contrary to what you might think, I’m not a people-person. I’m a one-on-one person. I get loyalty by giving loyalty. And I seek new knowledge every day. Have you ever defined yourself? Have you ever thought about who you are? Have you ever written it down? Start here. Your first challenge is to book an hour with yourself. Find a comfortable chair, and put your battery-powered laptop on Microsoft word. Define who you think you are. Or even better, who you think you are at the moment, and who you would like to become. One of the thinkers I respect most in the world, Dr Paul Homily, taught me to make all decisions based on the person I want to become. Like any eye-opening, thought-provoking statement, it was also a life-changing statement. Once you define yourself, you’ll ascertain both where you are and where you want to go. I’ll share one other personal insight with you: I also define myself as the “best salesman in the world”. It’s a personal feeling, and a sense of self-confidence that I carry with me wherever I go. When you define yourself, make certain that you include everything that you are ‘best’ at. In order to have your best year ever, you have to think of yourself as best. Even if it’s “best salesperson in the company”, or “best water skier in the city”. Whatever it is, to be the best – or to have the best – you have to think the best. 2. Develop a sales mission statement. Every company has a mission statement, and none of you can recite it to me, or even come close. The reason? Because it’s a bunch of corporate marketing drivel that you don’t believe in, let alone memorise. What you need is a sales mission – a reason to walk in the door with information the customer can use, be memorable about it, and walk out the door with a signed contract and a check. The mission that you can all embrace and live by is: ‘Get the customer to buy from me, and make the experience so memorable that they buy again, and tell other people how great I am.’ That’s an easy mission for you to live by. Mission statements are not meant to be memorised. Mission statements are meant to be incorporated into your philosophy as something that you carry with you as a statement of action. It’s the mission. Well that’s only two of 20.5 elements. But hey, it’s about having your best year ever, and I want to be certain you have all the information possible to make that happen. Yes, there will be several parts to this piece. Yes, the entire article will be available on my website after the last part has run. Your next mission is to return next week for part two of how to have your best year ever. In the meantime, I’d love to know what you are doing to have your best year ever. Send an email to bestyear@gitomer.com and all ideas will be posted on my site. Jeffrey Gitomer is the author of The Sales Bible, and The Little Red Book of Selling. president of Charlotte-based Buy Gitomer, he gives seminars, runs annual sales meetings, and conducts internet training programs on sales and customer service at www.trainone.com. He can be reached at 704/333-1112 or e-mail to salesman@gitomer.com © 2006 All Rights Reserved – Don’t reproduce this document without written permission from Jeffrey H. Gitomer and Buy Gitomer • 704/333-1112
