Have you noticed that some sales people have more success in their territories than others, and continue to have more and more success? In fact, the majority of our sales are from a handful of people. Why do you think that is? It’s a result of positive habits and our friend, Momentum!
As Aristotle wrote, “We are what we repeatedly do.” The dictionary defines habit as, “an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary.” Studies show that 95% of everything we feel, think, do, and achieve result from learned habits. Our habits and routines allow us to use minimal conscious energy for everyday tasks. When you got in your car today, do you remember putting on the seatbelt? Probably not, since you’ve done it so many times it’s an involuntary and habitual. Habits can be helpful – so long as they are good habits! If you’re fit, it could be because you keep a healthy diet and work out every day. If you’re having success in sales, it could be because you’re habitually in your accounts and closing for the right outcomes (i.e., changing preference cards, asking the doctor to walk to the OR Director’s office, and you don’t leave the hospital without a PO).The main noticeable characteristic successful people possess is they all have good habits. A daily routine based on good habits separates the successful elite from everyone else. Their habits have driven them to continually be more informed, more knowledgeable, more competent, better skilled, and better prepared. Ask yourself: do I execute the Standard Day to ensure I always close and achieve a Model Day? It’s great to get into procedure, find PAIN, get the commitment to use your product, but unless you get the doctor to fight for the product for his next procedure, and then get a PO, what exactly have you achieved?
The ideology of habit applies to momentum, which is hard at first, but once you get into a routine of positive habits and you get going—watch out! The Law of Inertia states, “Objects at rest stay at rest and objects in motion stay in motion.” Remember playing on the merry-go-round as a kid? Everyone would jump on, and it would take so much effort to get it moving. One big push produced a little movement, and then another push produced a little bit more, and so on. You continued to push until all those efforts added up, making it easier and easier as the merry-go-round would go faster and faster, until it moved on its own! When it would start to slow, you would run beside it for a few seconds, then jump back on. It took such little effort to keep the merry-go-round and party going! The hard part was the initial act of getting it going. Your old ways, old conditioning, and your sales results are similar to the merry-go-round—everything is at rest and wants to stay at rest. So how can you change this? It might seem difficult at first, but by making those efforts (pushes) to achieve a model day every day until it becomes a habit, you will build the momentum. Once you get going, like the merry-go-round, it’ll be hard to stop; you’ll be virtually unbeatable, and eventually you’ll need to put less effort in while achieving even greater results. Remember, momentum can work on in two ways: it can work for you or against you. The compound effect is always at work; negative habits, when left unchecked, can send you in a momentous tailspin of “unlucky” circumstances and consequences.
It’s no wonder they say: successful people tend to get more successful, the rich get richer, the happier get happier, and the lucky get luckier!
