I’m a dog guy in general and never had a cat growing up, but at one time in my career I was traveling quite extensively so I gave my dog away and went to a shelter and got a cat. Cats in general are more self-sufficient and easier to take care of for someone like myself with a busy travel schedule so in the end it all worked out.
If you think about it, sales is one of the top earning professions in the world, but becoming a superstar salesperson is not an easy task, and achieving the upper-echelon of success takes a lot of work. However, just as importantly as working hard is working smart and paying attention to the traits and attributes requisite for success.
Believe it or not, I’ve learned some valuable sales lessons simply by watching the behavior of my cat.
Flexibility: Have you ever watched a cat fall? No matter its direction or flight, a cat always seems to land on their feet, despite numerous twists and summersaults often falling from incredible heights. In order to achieve success in sales, you must be willing to roll with the punches and take everything in stride. Rejection is inevitable, but you must be willing to dust yourself off and jump back to your feet quickly.
Work Ethic: From a sales perspective, we must recognize that trying a new approach once will not result in the desired outcome. It takes plenty of practice to develop a high level of competency. Unfortunately, most sales people don’t give themselves permission to fail. They attempt to use a new process or strategy, and when they don’t get the result they want immediately, they move onto something else while convincing themselves that the new process won’t work in their particular situation. Successful salespeople keep working with a new concept until they master it and become proficient. Patience and discipline are critical success factors in this endeavor. When my cat sets its mind to doing something, she works diligently until her objective is accomplished. I remember one time, there was a mouse hiding behind the refrigerator, and my cat sat in front of it for hours upon hours waiting for the mouse to come out. My cat even tried to coerce or trick the little rodent. After much effort, she finally achieved her objective by jumping on top of the refrigerator to fool the mouse into thinking she wasn’t there. Work ethic is important, but sometimes working smarter not harder is the key to success.
Boldness: My cat can be ostensibly bold. She will often tempt her fate by going places or doing things she shouldn’t. I remember one time, my 110 pound German Shepherd lunged toward my cat. My cat stood her ground and swiped her paw at the dog, holding her ground even though I’m sure she was afraid. Being bold means taking calculated risks. Being bold means you move out of your comfort zone at times. Whether you have to summon up the courage to make a cold call or apply a new strategy, you can develop the ability to be bold simply by making the choice to do so. For many people, cold calling is the most challenging aspect of selling, and many people would rather suffer poor sales results as opposed to pick up the telephone and dial for dollars. However, if you summon up the courage to make just one call, it will become easier to make the second call, and even easier to make the third call. I look at the word “FEAR” as the acronym for False Evidence Appearing Real. Sometimes, being bold is all you need to move a sale forward.
The Sales Advisory Board
