Have you recently been bombarded by all the talk about recession, hard times and all the rest of the "Gloom and Doom" speak going around out there? Me too, and frankly I'm laughing at it. I've been a sales professional for over twenty years, and I'm here to tell you what's happening right now is no different from what has occurred at least half a dozen times before in my personal career. When things get tough, certain members of every industry go down with the "economic" ship. The weak fail and the strong survive. The weak usually include start-ups, because most new businesses are undercapitalized to begin with and without an established customer base the start-ups can't weather the storm.

For salespeople this can be very scary, especially when prospects tell you they are not buying because they are trying to stay alive. Again, I've been through this before and I want you to know that the current situation is - in fact - a tremendous opportunity for you to rise to the top of your field, regardless of what you are selling!

Here's the thing - what you are seeing now is just a cycle. As some of your prospects fail, the survivors are getting whatever market share the failures left behind. The survivors are getting stronger, and they are buying products and services - right now - that make them operate leaner and with better efficiency. When things come back around, the survivors will continue to grow, while a new group of start-ups will show up, spending seed money on products and services that will get their new businesses ramped up. In just a few years history will repeat itself! Since you can't fight it, why not just get more than your fair share of the available deals out there!

Listen to the majority of your fellow salespeople - what are they saying? 80% are complaining about their customers going out of business, reducing orders, etc. They are complaining about earning less than last year. Some are looking for a new job. Let them! Here's how I feel - "Too tough for you? Just right for me!" Don't you get it? This exact scenario is happening to you and your fellow salespeople as well! Some salespeople are shutting down, unprepared to fight the battle or weather the storm, while others are taking full advantage of the situation and reeling in the market share the others are leaving behind. Really, all you have to do to succeed is get tough, get organized, stay positive and enthusiastic, and stay focused on your game plan. You may have to pick up the phone a few more times than you'd like, or walk in a few more doors than you would prefer to, but so what? Success is worth it. So next time you hear a fellow salesperson whining about how tough it is, tell them "Too tough for you? Just right for me" and then get out there and secure your future.

I hope you choose success - it's just more fun than failure.