Crossing the Grand Canyon on a Tight Wire

If you are GRIPPED by the magic of a guy crossing the Grand Canyon on a wire…

Moral of the Story: Mental State is Everything

In June, I resisted posting about Nik Wallenda and his gi-noromously amazing crossing of the Grand Canyon on a tightwire. All the analogies seemed too obvious.

Have you seen it? Watch here:

 

This magnificent feat continues to haunt me and I simply cannot help myself.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Three months after the crossing, I will tell you what I saw and what made the difference in my sales.

 

They fall into FOUR categories:

 

Balance (HA! You THINK you know what I am going to say, but you don’t…I promise)
Faith
Glory
Superstition (Surprise!)

 

Balance:
Let us start with this CRAZY idea that our lives need balance. What does that mean, anyway?

 

I mean, OF COURSE, Nik needs balance. (Tight-rope, right?)

 

Obviously!

 

Nik only gets extraordinary balance because he is extraordinarily IMMERSED. His work, his family, his faith, his eating, his sleeping, his friendships – they all live on the wire with him.

 

We ideologize things like Work-Life Balance.

 

Seems to me, that TRULY successful people make work a magical part of their lives. Think of Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie, Madonna, the Barefoot Contessa.

 

Now, if your next statement is, “BUT, how is their family life?” Well, we don’t know…

 

Here is what I learned from Nik Wallenda.

 

Faith and Work and Family and Eating and Sleeping are all-encompassed in his daily activities. (Along with all the other areas of life.) He has FOCUS first! FOCUS that it all works!

 

The difference it made in my sales: I became ALL IN! Doing EVERYTHING it takes to make my sales goals!

 

Faith:
This was a HUGE realization for me. If you have viewed the video, you cannot miss that Nik Wallenda was actively and vocally praying to his Lord the entire time. Here is a guy who is a super-star accomplishing an amazing feat – the whole time reminding himself and his Lord that this was NOT about him. It was all inside of his Creator’s will for his life.

 

No matter what you believe about God or religion or anything else, you simply could NOT miss that Nik was accomplishing something never-done-before and that he was giving himself over in Faith – to whatever is truest in his heart.

 

For Salespeople?

 

As salespeople, we give ourselves OVER to create something extraordinary every day. We are often scared, worried, and under-the-gun to produce results. When I give myself over to my Faith that I am destined to live a great life because “someone out there” wants the best for me, my whole work changes.

 

Would it be more fun to say to people, “Hey, look at me. I am Chuck Norris. I never lose. I did this myself!”?

 

YES. That would be more fun, but the second I do that, I fall off of the tightwire to my death. Period!

 

HERE IS WHAT IS INTERESTING!

 

Nik Wallenda could NOT have crossed that wire without extraordinary discipline, training, and support. But, somehow HE knows that – even with all of the mastery – he still needs FAITH in something outside of him.

 

An uncomfortable thing to discuss, but something I want to look at and deal with.

 

The difference it made in my sales: I trust that I am doing my job in honor of something more. My sales means something to me!

 

Glory:
This one shook me to the bone. Nik Wallenda lives his life in glory of something.

 

What I realized was that, mostly I wake up every day and do my life because I did not die overnight.

 

When I saw what Nik was willing to do by giving vocal GLORY to his God with his incredible feats…

 

Do you EVEN comprehend how vulnerable and crazy that is?

 

Almost as vulnerable and crazy as walking across the Grand Canyon on a two-inch wire.

 

I struggle with this one. Perhaps you struggle with something similar.

 

I do know that when I live my life for the Glory of God, things go helluva-better. Scary and beautiful (and scary!)

 

The difference it made in my sales: Everything I do is for the Glory of something bigger than me! I am lit up by my work.

 

Superstition:
This was my FAVORITE! (If you have made it this far).

 

Nik Wallenda was in an interview with a reporter who said something like: “I don’t want to jinx anything, but…”

 

Nik’s response was, “You can’t jinx anything. I am not superstitious. I can’t afford to be superstitious.”

 

In other words, Nik can ONLY deal with what is so. He knows that if he wears the same socks twice in a row, it does not impact wind patterns. He prepares himself for as many wind patterns as possible and learns deeply in his cells how he will respond.

 

He knows that the shoes he wears have the traction he needs, so he wears them. He does not wear the “lucky” shoes.

 

This has MASSIVELY changed my sales life.

 

I notice SO many superstitions in my sales.  “I will call this person a ‘future client’ and not a ‘prospect’.” “I will say ‘when’ I win this deal instead of ‘if’ I win this deal.”

 

The difference this made in my sales: I look at the numbers. What did I ACTUALLY do today to move my sales forward? What actually happened? What actually needs to happen next?

 

AND THE BEST THING!

 

The best thing I learned from Nik Wallenda is that his MENTAL STATE is everything!

 

So is yours.

 

Love your mental state UP!

 

The Irreverent Sales Girl

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When they don’t respond!

Sometimes you will reach out to people and they will not respond.

I want you to remember three things:

1) Every now and then, you will not connect with people where they are now. They WANT to get back to you, but you are not front-burner. Keep connecting. Unabashedly. It takes 7 contacts to get a response. Don’t stop at the first.

2) It normally takes 7 – 10 meaningful touches to connect with your person. Don’t give up after the first touch.

3) People are busy and want messages that will help them deal with what THEY are dealing with today. You will never be able to predict what they are dealing with today, so rely on the 7-10 touch rule.

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

OOOPS! I promised THREE THINGS, but they all boil down to one thing. 7 – 10 touches is the key!

Keep playing – especially if YOU are convinced you have a good solution.

Those who ONLY play the “low-hanging fruit” are destined for a life of desperation.

Play the BIG game.

Love ’em ALL UP!

The Irreverent Sales GirlWhen they don't respond

From an Irreverent Mixologist

From the Traveling Elixir Fixer, a brilliant quote: From an Irreverent Bar Tender

“I don’t care what you believe, just behave yourself!”

(via And yes, you should become her fan! https://www.facebook.com/TravelingElixirFixer)

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

Love ’em ALL UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl

Let’s revisit this “Know, Like & Trust” thing, shall we?

I hear ALL THE TIME…”People do business with people they Know, Like & Trust” from sales trainers and sales experts.Common Sense

Here’s what I wanna know…

WHY IS THIS A REVELATION?

People go to prom with people they know, like & trust.
People travel great distances at great expense to visit people they know, like & trust.
People like to give gifts to people they know, like & trust.
Let’s face it, people like to hang out with DOGS they know, like & trust.

It’s pretty common sense, isn’t it?

SO I CHALLENGE YOU…

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

If it is some kind of revelation to you that people do business with people they know, like & trust, WHERE ELSE are you not bringing common sense to your sales?

Things like:

People do business with people who deliver excellent service
People do business with people who have a sterling reputation
People do business with people they hold on a pedastal
People do business with people who do what they say they are going to do
People do business with people who have similar values
People do business with people who ….. I mean, we could keep going here, couldn’t we?

BUT THE BIGGER QUESTION IS: 

If learning that “People do Business with People they Know, Like & Trust” is a revelation to you, then what is going on with your sales? 

Do you not believe in what you sell?
Do you not believe that your customer needs what you sell?
Are your goals different from that of your customer?
Are you trying to meet quotas instead of make a difference with people?

And here is my favorite…

~DO YOU THINK DOING BUSINESS IS DIFFERENT THAN DOING LIFE? ~

This week, I want you to bring common sense to your business. (Sorry, this will require actual THINKING)

FIRST:
Are you doing the work that you know you should do to connect with the people who need what you sell?

If yes (and be honest with yourself about that one),

THEN:
Who are the people that “should” be doing business with you?
Why?
Do they know about you?
Do they agree that they need something that you offer?

Reach out to THEM. Be clear, simple, concise. Offer them something yummy!

Go be a great human being. Period. THEN, see what shows up!

Love ’em UP! (And the rest will follow)

The Irreverent Sales Girl

Who’s driving the train, anyway?

Just because you are not the one talking, does not mean you are not guiding the sale!

In fact, it is USUALLY just the OPPOSITE! Guiding the Sale - Who's Driving the Train?

Today a magical and truly wonderful thing happened!

I was in a meeting with an SVP of a Fortune 100 company…and MAN was HE talking. He was so enthusiastic about his company… he was so proud of the work they were doing an new opportunities on the horizon. He loves the brand. He told me everything from the way the founders started out in the Depression…all the way up to the new (and – shall we say – controversial?) CEO they have.

He talked. And he talked. And he talked.

And I ATE IT UP!

Wondering how to go from 5 to 6 figures in sales? Check out this Free eBook: http://ebook.solidsixblueprint.com/solid-six-ebook/

I listened to every word as if it were gold — which it turns out — every word was.

When he finally got around to asking me details about what I do and what my company offers, I had everything I needed to know to tell him how we could help. And he had said everything he needed to say, so there wasn’t anything in the background distracting him.

I told (short) stories back about how are companies’ philosophies and directions were aligned.

And HE ATE IT UP!

Know what he said next?

“Send me the contract. We need to get this going right away.”

Guess what I did! I STOPPED SELLING!

I said, “GREAT! Will you be signing it?”

– yes –

Then, I thanked him for his business. Asked him if there was anything else he needed. Said our pleasantries and ske-daddled.

He did the talking. I drove the train. I won the business.  FUN!

Love the talkers UP!

The Irreverent Sales Girl