by Tim Roberts
I could barely keep my eyes open.The white dividing lines of the highway were coming toward me hypnotically, in a soothing harmony with the soft jazz station I had tuned into.The glare of oncoming lights strained my eyes even more. I just kept thinking, “Only twenty more miles to go until pillow time.” A two-day training session followed by the long, nighttime trip had simply rendered my body drained. My eyes seemed to bear the brunt of an exhausting trip.
Tired eyes are the product of overtime.There are myriad reasons, physical, mental, and emotional, that cause our vision to blur and eventually shut down completely. Tired eyes occur at every level of an organization. People are given challenges to solve and, since the paring down of the economy, there are fewer people to take on more challenges.Everyone’s getting taxed.
Not surprising, the tired eyes of others are an opportunity for salespeople, especially those whose business acumen runs deep enough to bring insight to more difficult challenges. You see, when normally capable people are given challenge after challenge they begin to wear down. They could be staring the answer right in the eye, yet are unable to see it because of the strain.Fresh eyes are needed.
CEOs exist to find solutions to seemingly impossible challenges and grow the enterprise.They keep their own stamina intact by relying on capable outside resources--a fresh set of eyes called trusted advisors, their own secret weapons.The Level 5 Leaders that Jim Collins describes in Good to Great consistently insist, “I didn’t do it alone, I had help.”
An original thought from a trusted source is the juice that allows a worn-out executive to re-engage. Fresh eyes have a value that can’t be overstated. Salespeople who are motivated to earn the title of trusted advisor understand the importance of looking at old challenges from a new angle.
There are very few top-notch business leaders, including sales managers, who can go it alone and have the stamina to go the distance without fresh support. I’ve heard it said, it takes a village…and nothing could be truer in sales management.
At Sandler Training, Trustpointe we have a group of sales managers who meet monthly. It’s easy to see they need each other. They insist on the camaraderie because, while they face similar challenges, they depend on a fresh perspective, specifically, a new set of eyes.
Driving alone can be enjoyable, even desirable. But when your eyes are heavy from the burden of the road, the smart thing to do is give up the wheel and let someone else take a turn.
Looking for help in getting a fresh perspective on your sales challenges? Contact Tim Roberts, Sandler Training, Trustpointe at tim@thetrustpointe.com or 317-845-0041.
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