Whether you realize it or not, you are a creature of habit. Unless you do shift work, you probably get up at the same time everyday, follow the same routine to wake up and get yourself ready for the day, drive the regular route to work, do the same things once you get to work, and take the same route home at the end of the day. Once there, you probably have dinner, watch television or read the newspaper, and follow some sort of routine once it’s time to go to bed. You set the alarm for the same time and when it sounds the next day, you start the cycle over again. Don’t get me wrong. Routines can be good. They help us improve our productivity. They allow us to multi-task. They make us feel comfortable, safe, and secure. They reduce stress. Plus, when we have developed a great routine, we can often generate more business. However, the drawback is that they can be difficult to break away from. When you become accustomed to a specific schedule, it can be easy to forget changes in it. For example, if you usually schedule your first client meeting after 9:30 it is very easy to miss a meeting that was recently scheduled at 8:30. I recently encountered two situations that relate to this.
The first was an appointment with my massage therapist. For several years, she scheduled her appointments on the hour or half-hour. So when she booked my massage at fifteen minutes after the hour, she forgot about it and was several minutes late.
The second was my fault. I normally meet with my trainer early in the morning, three days a week. I had to re-schedule one workout due to a business commitment and made my appointment for a later time on a different day. Unfortunately, I arrived at the gym at my usual time only to realize that I was several hours early. The change in the schedule messed up my routine.
So, how does this relate to selling?
As a sales professional, you need to recognize that routines can prevent you from achieving your full potential. However, if you persist at incorporating that new technique into your sales approach, it, too, will become part of your new routine. That’s the great thing about the human spirit and brain, it is very adaptable. The most successful people in business and in sales know that changes to their routine will cause them some discomfort. But, they are also very aware that these changes will become more comfortable and part of their routine if they work at it long enough. It can certainly be challenging to change your behaviour and routine when you are used to making a certain number of calls every day, or meeting with a specific number of clients, customers, or prospects. When you have a specific daily routine, it is usually difficult to incorporate something new. Or, when you have developed the habit of selling in a particular manner, it is very stressful trying to change your approach. I see this in my sales training workshops all the time.
People can intrinsically grasp a new concept or principle but experience difficulty trying to actually implement it into the way they sell. That’s why many sales training programs don’t work; you can’t expect to change your behavior or routine immediately. The key is to keep applying the concept even though it feels uncomfortable and foreign. In fact, in most cases, you will begin to feel comfortable with the concept immediately after you experience the greatest frustration and difficulty. Consider learning a new sport, hobby, or task.
At first the movements feel uncomfortable. Your moves are not smooth, accurate or natural. And this feeling usually persists for quite some time. However, just when you feel like giving up because it has become too difficult and frustrating, something clicks and the movements start to feel more natural. You have now progressed to the stage of being able to achieve results. The same process happens when you decide to try something different when selling. Most sales people don’t enjoy cold calling because they don’t work at developing their skill long enough. They go through the motions of making their calls everyday but they don’t focus on improving their skill nor do they stick with it for the necessary period. People who do acquire the ability to effectively cold call have made enough calls to understand the dynamics, develop their skill at calling, and incorporate it into their routine.
How relevant still today are the wise words of Mark Twain. Many a person who longs to become a successful Internet marketer never even gets started. They put of taking the first steps to building their business -- day after day. They read all the e-books, listen to all the audios, watch all the videos ... and do nothing.
They suffer from prepare-itis -- the debilitating syndrome that holds back many a wannabe Internet marketer. Why is there such a paralysis amongst new marketers? What keeps them from making the move? From putting into action all the preparation they have done?
== Does Fear Hold New Marketers Back? ==
Fear can be a factor in preventing new marketers from taking that first step. It is a big step into the unknown. There is fear of trying. Fear of failure. Fear of ridicule.
It takes a lot of courage to start your own business. You are stepping away from the security -- even if it is false security -- of a steady nine to five job. You are stepping into a maze of unknown practices and terminology -- things you have never been exposed to before.
You are taking a chance of failing -- not making any money or, worse, losing money. You also set yourself up for ridicule from family and friends. They can't understand your desire to be an entrepreneur, your need to build a business of your own. Some are not ready to face you leaving them alone in their hum-drum work-a-day world -- they may envy you.
== What Is The Biggest Obstacle To Online Success? ==
The biggest fear that can stop most would-be entrepreneurs from taking that first step, is the seemingly overwhelming mountain of work to building a business. Whether it really is a mountain or not, when you first plan to start a business, the tasks can be perceived as a mountain of unsurmountable heights. Suddenly -- in your mind's eye -- you are looking at Mount Everest.
As you get ready to build a business, as you read more and more e-books, you come to see more and more tasks that you believe need to be done to get your online empire on its feet. Stacked one on top of the other, these tasks resemble a great wall, built to separate you from your goal.
== How Can You Break Down The Wall? ==
So, take Mark Twain's sage advice -- break that wall into its individual bricks. Then start! Take one brick at a time, down from the wall, deal with it, set it aside in the "Done" pile. Don't look at the wall, focus on the brick you are working on now. Notice how light the brick is ... how easy it is to move it out of your way.
Before you know it, you have moved a considerable pile of bricks and the wall is not so tall anymore. You can start seeing your goal on the other side.
By breaking a large overwhelming task into small manageable tasks, you soon conquer the monster. Before you know it, a large number of tasks are done and you come to realize something fantastic -- you have started your business!
== What's The Game Plan? ==
Sit down, right now! Take a look at that monster you have to tackle. Write down the steps you need to take. Break them down as much as you can. Now make your "To do" list.
Each day start with the first unfinished task on the list and complete it. Cross it out -- there's a psychological victory every time you cross off a task. As the number of crossed out tasks grows, it's like that pile of bricks you've taken out of the wall.
Steadily tackling one small task at a time is how you will create a successful money-making online empire. Remember another wise old saying -- "Rome wasn't built in a day!"
Both Kelley Robertson & Kevin Riley are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Kelley Robertson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Japan Car, Marketing and Sales and Negotiation. Kelley Robertson, author of The Secrets of Power Selling helps sales professionals and businesses pinpoint what they need to do differently to improve their sales. Receive a FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales" by subscribing to his free newslet. Kelley Robertson's top article generates over 27100 views. to your Favourites.
Kevin Riley has sinced written about articles on various topics from Blood Pressure, Make Money Online and SEO Articles. Kevin Riley is the Mission Leader at Internet Marketing Force (IMF). Discover what you need to do to get started on your successful online business. Apply for your own free Pre-Mission Briefing today, at. Kevin Riley's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.