After spending ten weeks on the road in Q1 (mostly doing sessions for sales kickoff meetings), it’s great to be back home. I’ve been looking forward to some office time, catching up with clients, and the chance to finally put together a handful of new engagements.
It’s only midday Tuesday and I just wrapped up the fifth discovery/exploratory conversation with a prospective client so far this week with a bunch more on the docket. As posted on LinkedIn yesterday, I almost forgot how much fun it is getting to know new sales leaders and learning about their sales and sales leadership challenges, needs, and objectives. Every salesperson can relate to that life-giving feeling you have after a fantastic early-stage sales call where there was great, open, honest dialogue about the situation followed by healthy discussion around options for addressing the need.
So as I’m sitting at my desk energized from all of these conversations and excited about the future business these meetings will generate, I couldn’t help but reflect back on the painful loss I experienced last week – (read that short story here), and smile about how quickly the tide turns or momentum shifts. And just as I was having that thought, I glanced over to see the plaque my wife made for me back in 2007 after achieving my first (and only) hole-in-one. Check out the date engraved on the plaque. That’s exactly 16 years ago today!
Here’s the fun part of that hole-in-one story. On the previous hole (#16), I hit a horrible slice off the tee with my driver – so horrible that it broke a window in a condo as the ball sailed way off the course. The unhappy homeowner greeted me, handed over my ball when I arrived, and requested cash on the spot. Not exactly the highlight of my golf career ☺. And on the very next hole I accomplished every golfer’s dream; I scored a “hole-in-one.” If that story doesn’t describe the ups and downs of golf, I don’t know what does!
Sales Friends, while it’s important we take ownership of our defeats, and it’s always wise to do a healthy post-mortem analysis when we lose, we should also heed the great Ted Lasso’s advice and be like goldfish. Instead of reliving the past, wallowing in our failures, or getting angry at the world, sometimes the best thing to do is to simply put the defeat (or bad situation) immediately behind us and move on. Get back into action, execute the basics, and remain positive and proactive.
Sales Leaders: JOIN ME IN ATLANTA ON MAY 3RD
We’ve got just nine spots remaining at our next Supercharge Your Sales Leadership event at The Porsche Experience Center in ATL.
If you’d benefit from spending a one-day intensive with 50 driven, hungry sales leaders (and admittedly, some who are tired, overwhelmed, and ready for a recharge), check out the packed agenda, powerful outcomes and premium venue here: mikeweinberg.com/atlanta2023
The reaction and feedback from sales leaders who attend always amazes me — even though it shouldn’t because this is our 11th session. The name of these events is accurate because sales leaders leave SUPERCHARGED.
