Losing > winning
We all have an affinity for winning. We prefer it 100% of the time. Most salespeople have an equal or greater affinity towards not losing. The pain of being #2 outweighs the joy of being #1. The problem is no great team can all individually be #1, and no great rep can consistently stay #1. It’s just not possible.
So what happens?
Well, our best reps create self-imposed targets & images to live up to in perpetuity. They become the rabbit, and everyone else is on the chase. Leadership will encourage this behavior (I have) because there is the belief in the distribution of “winners proof” - they did it, so can you. But when the exhaustion of being chased meets the pain of losing we sacrifice longevity. The person burns out, oftentimes in glorious fashion, leaving their potential spurned out on the sales floor like discarded raw material.
The difference between the folks who earn the most in aggregate - money or progression - is longevity, and longevity comes not from always winning, but from the ability to withstand losing - psychologically, physically, & spiritually. This is not unique to sales, it’s common of great entrepreneurs, sports teams, companies, & historical empires - the ability to withstand loss is the clearest & most defining characteristic of success.
Don’t play the rabbit game, play your game, and build towards a sales run you can be proud of. It’s easy to be tough for a moment, but only a special kind of person can stay in the game long enough to rise to a lifetime of challenges.
🤘