Fighting Procrastination

Sales Man Up


Fighting Procrastination


Procrastination is the bad habit of putting off until the day after tomorrow what should have been done the day before yesterday.- Napoleon Hill


Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy. - Wayne Gretzky


Have you ever put something off that needed to be done ? Join the club, right ? I’ve known salespeople ( and did this myself at one point in my career until I learned the hard way) that procrastinate completing their weekly expenses. They wait for weeks on end, and send in one month of expenses at a time. Ouch. How can you even begin to construct an accurate account of your expenditures four weeks later ?


We tend to delay doing things that are uncomfortable or unpleasant. We shun the more difficult tasks, and turn towards the path of least resistance. I recently cleaned out one side of my garage. I schlepped in a trash can, a recycle bin, and backed up my Honda to receive items for the thrift store. It took me hours to sort, throw away, and toss unwanted items into my SUV ; but at the end of the day when I was driving to the local Habitat for Humanity with a car full of “ stuff”, I felt great. I asked myself, “ why did you put this off for so long ? “  I dreaded the thought of how bad that task could be, and I was wrong. The feeling of accomplishment was so much better than the feeling of dread. Granted, some projects do require a larger block of time to accomplish ; and this may require more organization and planning. But what about the things related to our business that we know we should be doing on a daily or weekly basis , like prospecting, cold calling, or following up on leads?


I find it interesting that the very meaning of the word “ procrastination” , according to Noah Webster is “ to-morrow “. I can definitely acknowledge that we sometimes do not possess the emotional bandwidth to deal with certain things, so we avoid them. They do have a way of circling back again to bite us. Have you ever noticed when they do resurface they look like they've been working out?They're bigger ! They've grown like a middle schooler on summer break !


Procrastination also brings his friends, “guilt and shame” . I literally felt ashamed of my garage and the condition it was in. Like a teenager hiding alcohol in his room, I was sensitive about this space, knowing that I was putting off doing something about it . I found so many other things in the house to focus on rather than doing the one tough thing that needed to be tackled. I even usurped some of wife's jobs, so I could avoid dejunking my garage. Have you ever done that with your business ? Our tendency is to focus on something easy, something that doesn’t require much bandwidth, that makes us have the appearance of staying “ busy “. The fact remains that while we are doing the “busy” work, our business plan remains untouched. That claim situation with an unhappy customer is festering because of neglect. That potential client remains uncontacted, because we are tied up. We tend to substitute easy and manageable things for the harder and more exacting tasks. It’s more convenient to get caught up in checking our email and texts, than to pick up the phone and prospect new opportunities.


So how do we break the procrastination cycle ? My wife shared a book with me called “ Eat That Frog “ in which author Brian Tracy helps overwhelmed readers overcome and conquer procrastination. One of his main tactics is to tackle the “ big frog “ first. That huge item or action that is literally hanging over our head like a dark summer rain cloud. Brian teaches us to jump on that big task first and get it out of the way, instead of putting it off until later, and maybe not getting to it at all. Once we eat the frog, everything else on our list seems so much easier !  What’s on your frog list ? What key items that are connected to your business have you been putting off doing ?


Maybe it's time to break out the Tabasco sauce and eat that frog. Decide that you will act on it TODAY and not tomorrow. Break the habit of procrastination, and feel the good dopamine chemicals hit your brain because you chose to get things done NOW !




Procrastination is like a credit card; it’s a lot of fun until you get the bill. - Christopher Parker

The Power of Carbonation

Sales Man Up

The Power of Carbonation 

One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say. - Bryant H. McGill 

Carbonation is a powerful force in life. I know this first-hand as I worked several months during a hot Florida summer, as a Route Sales Delivery person for a popular bottling/beverage company. In addition to our “NR” - non returnable plastic bottles of drinks, we also provided a fair amount of drinks in glass bottles. I recall one sweltering day in Winter Haven, FL, at a mini mart; as I loaded my four wheel dolly with about 16 cases of drinks and pushed my way up a concrete embankment towards the store. I had clearly overloaded my cart, but I was too lazy ( or efficient ?) to make two trips. Trouble came rather suddenly when I reached the glass entry door of the store , and unbeknownst to me, hit their raised threshold a little too fast. Several cases of drinks decided they didn’t want to stay on the dolly, and jumped ship, rolling down hill towards the gas pumps. It looked like an exploding Star Wars Death Star as carbonated drinks began exploding and spewing everywhere. Customers pumping gas started ducking behind their cars, and workers behind counters. I discovered that day, the power of carbonation. ( and not trying to stack too many drinks on your cart at one time )

Salespeople are carbonated also. We build up all of this information, knowledge, and energy. We get all shaken up and feel like we are about to burst as we anticipate the sale. In our nervousness, we finally get in front of the customer for a presentation and we verbally throw up ! I'm sure you've either done this or witnessed it before, and it is not a pretty sight. It sort of looks like my carbonated drink debacle in Winter Haven - facts shooting there, numbers and illustrations spewing here, all at the speed of a Cat 5 hurricane. It's sort of like blowing up a balloon and letting it go, watching it flutter back and forth across the room without direction; until all the air is gone.

I think our hope, deep down, is that we may somehow impress our prospect with our vast array of product knowledge. Unfortunately, we become like a wild shootist, firing our sales gun wildly in numerous directions, expecting somehow to hit the target. Our intent is to give the prospect something of value that will stick. Without really listening to what the client’s needs are, we can come across as someone who is simply there to razzle dazzle and close the deal. Most savvy clients see right through this tactic, and move into “shut down” mode. The force field is up, and we are locked out !

Maybe a better approach would be to show up and ask questions ? Build our case. Find out where the pain points are. Where are the problems that need to be resolved, and how could our product or service accomplish this ? What are our prospects greatest challenges , and how can we help solve them ? We need to be a problem solver not a problem causer, showing ourselves to be a consultant, not a sales mugger or assaulter. When I was young home renter, I had to use a pair of plyers to drive a nail in, but I can assure you that a hammer works much better ! If we ask and listen, the client will actually hand us the hammer and tell us where to strike. Show up, but don’t throw up. 

I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.- Ernest Hemingway 

Conflict Creates Character

Sales Man Up


Conflict Creates Character


Character isn't something you were born with and can't change, like your fingerprints. It's something you weren't born with and must take responsibility for forming.  - Jim Rohn


“ Good morning sir ! If you're here for breakfast, I have the perfect table for you,” claimed the tall strapping young man, as he shook my hand and led the way to a two seater, close to the breakfast bar. I knew that Hilton provided a decent breakfast, but this treatment was more on par with a five star restaurant. “ My name is Michael” ( not his real name…). I introduced myself , told him what I would like to drink, and Michael sprang into action. He arrived back at my table in a nanosecond with a smile on his face, and the next few minutes of conversation seemed to stop time.


With my urging, this pleasant twenty eight year old gave me the run down on his personal story. Originally from Georgia, he was one of the only members of his family to attend college. Somewhere along his sophomore year of school, Michaels parents were driving to visit him, and were involved in a fatal car accident. Both of them died. Michael was devastated, but believed his parents would've wanted him to finish his education. He told me with a glimmer in his eyes that on every test, in every class, and on each final; he pictured his parents delighting in his progress. Experiencing tough financial times, Michael spent the duration of his senior year living out of his SUV. He said, on cold nights, he would look for 24 hour diners where he could at least warm himself with a cup of coffee. He would wash up in the college bathrooms. After years of perseverance, Michael graduated with a Masters degree in engineering and recently accepted a position with a well known central Florida aerospace company. He still worked as a waiter for Hilton on a part time basis, he told me, “ to never forget where I came from. “ Soon, he would embark on his new career as an engineer.


With tears in my eyes and a lump in my throat, I was so moved. The only thing I could do was reach out and give him a big papa hug. I told him that he was already a success, because true success is not measured by our bank account, but by the riches that grow out of the wealth of our heart and spirit. He successfully looked adversity in the eye, and was not deterred from his goals. He stayed the course.


To every person trials must come. Everyone experiences conflict, adversity and challenges. These experiences can make us bitter or eventually make us better; depending on how we process them. The Greek word for “ character “ means to “ be marked or etched”. Life's experiences make an impression on us . Conflict marks and etches us. Sometimes, adversity can cut us very deeply. I have observed though, people who choose to think more like a victor and less like a victim, emerge on the other side of conflict with a tremendous depth of character. Many times, those who suffer much love much. Just like my new friend Michael, they choose to move forward despite the pain and the hurt. We don't deny the existence of the hurt or pain. The key is in not allowing it to consume our life.


Are you going through a season of conflict right now in your job, career, or personal life ? Take responsibility for the things you have the power to change, and let go of the rest. Focus on becoming a better you from this situation. Don't throw in the towel. Wrap the towel tightly around your hand ,and keep pressing on !




You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of. - Jim Rohn