by Tim Roberts
Summer is for reading. It is my time to become better at how I live my life and thoughtful books have been the tool of choice for sharpening my sword. I have been fortunate that people know I like to read, so book recommendations come to me as fast as my thoughts can attract them. Thanks to all who have even gone so far as to send me books that have impacted their lives and to client collaborators who share what they’re reading. I’m amazed at what I don’t know I don’t know.
This summer has been no different. There are a lot of books on my nightstand and in my office. But the ones I need most have been kindly guided to my attention in almost mysterious fashion. May I share one in particular with you? Greg McKeown’s Essentialism – The Disciplined Pursuit of Less.
I share this in hopes of bringing value to your sales life. I share this because it seems that so many of my hardworking fellow sales travelers appear to have mastered the art of chasing non-essential activities. I share this with you as a means of my own therapy because as I look at McKeown’s model of a non-essentialist and essentialist, I suspect I have landed on the wrong side.
I wish to confess to you that I have been very proud of a schedule that is five weeks out, packed with non-stop one-on-one interviews, coaching and training sessions. I confess to you that I have been thinking, “I have to,” “It’s all important,” and asking, “How can I fit it all in” as McKeown fears most alleged busy people do. I confess to you that I have been focused on getting more things done yet not the right ones. I fear my trust factor has been tarnished.
The business world needs the trusted salesperson more than ever. Customers will pay more for this caliber of professional despite the many salespeople who believe “I must have the best price.” Your own company prefers that you focus on the essentials – the most productive sales behaviors. Heck, they would even prefer you handpick the best customers as opposed to the time-consuming chase of anyone, anywhere, anything. Ask yourself, how many customers do you have right now that you don’t like, that suck the life out of you, your time and your company’s resources?
This is a good book. It’s not about time management, it’s a book about being intentional regarding what you pursue. In the very early pages McKeown states “…a characteristically succinct principle, captured in just three German words: Weniger aber besser. The English translation is: Less is better. A more fitting definition of Essentialism would be hard to come by.”
Consider it essential. I intend to take Mr. McKeown’s work as a challenge. I owe it to the customers who have chosen me and Sandler Training, Trustpointe.
At Sandler Training, Trustpointe we help our clients pursue targeted, qualified prospects with a systematic process. To learn more about non-essential sales activities, the disciplined pursuit of less and true confessions, contact Tim Roberts at 317.845.0041 or tim.roberts@sandler.com.
Ever considered the “perks of being unavailable?”