Selling and the Value of Zero
Welcome, now let’s dispense with the pleasantries and get right to the heart of the matter. It’s cold, it’s not at all pleasant and it should scare you. Sales is the only profession in the world where Zero haunts you at each and every turn. Now with tongue firmly planted in cheek lets look at it. We’ll use us as an example.
Once upon a time I hadn’t made a single sale, not one, not ever. Zero. But it felt great when I did. Then when I woke up today all these years later, my sales for the day were a Zero, I knew what I needed to have, but I started at Zero.
When last week ended and the new one began my sales for the week were yet again at Zero. When the First day of the quarter rolled around I was at zero, I had no sales. But wait, it gets worse. If I missed my number last month and I’m still in the same Quarter, I’m not at Zero…I’m at less than Zero to get back to where I need to be. I need far, far more than one. When the last year ended and every one else was resting and relaxing guess what…my sales were at Zero.
The Beatles wrote something like “one is the loneliest number”. They were wrong! When you’re in sales Zero is! But I can’t imagine any other way of life. If you’re a seasoned professional or a newbie, it’s a reality that we all face sooner or later; it’s a dare, a challenge and a belief. Sales is not only a profession, it’s truly is a way of life, one to be proud of. Nothing happens until a sale is made. Not sure who said it first but it is damn sure true. And it’s NOT for the light hearted!
So why the short Chapter entitled Zero…because it’s real, maybe you have customers, and you might even have a lot of them. Before you put the book down thinking it’s just too crazy, think for a minute, I dare you. What if you lost all your customers? What if what you got paid to sell changed? What if your residual income, if you’re lucky enough to have one, was taken away? You’d be outraged, livid beyond belief. It happens every day. Right now you’re thinking I Quit! Right? Maybe, but perhaps your company closed… why? lack of sales. Or you got out and “right sized”. Guess what, while politics plays a part, those who are furthest from Zero on a regular basis, they not only survive but thrive whether it’s there or elsewhere. These are the people others want to be around and emulate, hoping that something is to be learned from their success.
Now what if being a Zero meant you moved to a new company? Took a new position in which you can really prove something, how good you really are, not to the company but to yourself? You’re back at Zero but for all the right reasons, not just the obvious ones.
So the next time some one who has never carried a bag and been successful tells you that you have an easy life, make too much money and don’t work very hard. Just smile and think to yourself Zero, not because you start that way each day, or week, month, quarter or year. But because unlike them, you and only you can control how many Zero’s come to the left of the decimal point in you paycheck. Then go sell something… after all you were just reminded how easy it is. Right?
So remember at the end of the day you did choose a life full of zero’s and guess what, it is not the easiest way to make a living but I tell anyone with an open mind it is the best! You get to control and run your own little world, you are the center of industry and business for your own fate, no market trend or set back can stop you from achieving what you set out to do. Do you have to change with the times? Absolutely. So now lets move onto change.
