There is a condition in sales that occurs in even the most skilled professionals; an underlying killer of consistency that creeps in when you least expect it. It starts off with a seemingly harmless voice that tells you, “It can wait another day” or, “I’m tired, let’s deal with this tomorrow.” We call this condition the Minimum Disease, and it is the killer of sales careers.
Your success in your sales career is directly related to your effort. That little voice seems harmless at the time because it is so easy to justify it. But every time you heed that voice, your efforts drop and over time that loss compounds and Minimum Disease slowly takes hold of your ambitions.
Signs of the Minimum Disease
The condition can present in many different ways but is easy to identify if you are aware of it and know what to look for. You might have the Minimum Disease if the voice in your head sounds anything like this:
• I’ll prospect tomorrow
• That’s enough for today
• I don’t have the time
• They won’t be interested
• I’m not enjoying this, let’s move onto something else
• I just lack the motivation today
• It’s not my fault the market is not receptive
• I would rather do admin
• What’s the latest I can start?
• What’s the longest time I can take for lunch?
• What’s the earliest I can leave?
• What is the bare minimum I can do without getting in trouble with my boss?
If any of the above sound familiar, you’re probably suffering from it already. The good news is you can catch it before it spreads!
Getting over the Minimum Disease with Sales Training
Sales training for the most part is about skills and technique development, which require intensive training from sales professionals. However, a major component of sales training is the mental aspect, which is entirely up to the individual. An experienced sales trainer could preach until they are blue in the face on the importance of your mindset, but unless you learn to follow the advice you will never truly grow.
To help you overcome the dreaded Minimum Disease we have a couple of actionable steps you can take to keep your mental game on track:
1. Set lofty goals
Goals give you something to strive for and help you to stay accountable. When setting goals, think beyond the minimum requirement and set targets that challenge you and your team. Encourage creativity when setting goals – think outside the box and aim for ambitious targets that push the limits of what is possible.
2. Focus on your customers
By focusing on your customers’ needs and wants, you can create solutions that exceed their expectations. This mindset creates additional business opportunities, resulting in more sales. The more you focus on delivering value to your customers, the less you’ll worry about meeting minimum requirements.
3. Focus on personal development
Continuous learning not only keeps your skills up to date but also helps you stay motivated to achieve new heights of performance. Participate in regular coaching, attend sales webinars, keynote events, and workshops to boost your confidence, motivation and skillset.
4. Celebrate achievements
Acknowledge your hard work and success by recognising and rewarding your achievements. Celebrating success can encourage healthy competition and a positive mindset, which carries through to all your future success.
Looking to overcome the Minimum Disease and start a new path of personal development? Get in touch with our sales trainers today!
