“Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” - Vince Lombardi
Everyone is an individual. They are creative in their own way. Some can write, others can speak, still others sing, lead people, organize others, and the list can go on. We can do things by ourselves and can do them well. We all have been part of a team at some point in our lives. We had to work with others and get along with people so we could do something together. Create something as a team instead of just as one person. 
Could we do the project or work by ourselves? Maybe. Too often we think that we want to be alone and not have to work with others. We are seeing a shift in the workforce as I write this, where people want to work from home. Apart from their coworkers. Working alone has some advantages and disadvantages but the key question is, can we work together?
I have been blessed to get to work with a number of people in my life. This collage is a representation of a few of those people that I got to collaborate with. I have been an individual contributor most of my career. All that means is that I was there to sell it to the client. Someone set the appointment after taking the call, that was placed by a customer that saw an advertisement, that someone created. I can go out and sell on my own, but I need someone to make the product, I need someone to deliver the product or even install the product. I will need someone to account for the transaction that I help create as well, so that everyone can get paid. Also, someone needs to write the checks to pay everyone. This could be a small company and all those jobs are held by one person. Most of the time, we need to focus on what we can do well and let others do what they do well. When we collaborate, we can bring different strengths to the table and accomplish so much more. We can work on a project together and the ideas that flow are multiplied because someone said something that sparked you to think of something else, and so on. I believe this is what spawned the saying the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
What has collaboration done for you? Have you been able to work with others to create something? We have the chance to work with others all the time, but we get to choose who we will collaborate with. Do you need to find someone to help with a part of your business? Do you need some software to help you manage your business or your team better? Do you need a coach to help you in your personal or professional life? Do you need help with marketing, HR, accounting, or sales? In the book Who Not How by Dan Sullivan with Dr. Benjamin Hardy, they talk about getting people involved who can do the how instead of you trying to figure it out yourself. Isn't that one of the goals of collaboration, finding people who are more skilled at something and letting them do it?
If you are ready to work with someone on your sales then contact us for a free 30-minute conversation to see if we can contribute to what you are doing.
The end of anything is the time to conclude, summarize, and evaluate how the process, program, whatever you are finishing. Some people look at the end of a calendar year as a chance to do just that, evaluate the previous year and make some decisions and even goals for the upcoming year. We can look at the end of the year as a chance to beat ourselves up over the lack of progress or lack of goals achieved in the past year. Year-end should be simply an evaluation of did this get done or not, without any judgement. That can be hard to do. Simply reviewing the prior year to gain understanding or an assessment of where things are so that you can make plans for the upcoming year. It should be a time marker or progress check in.
Goals are good and we should all have them, and you need to check in with the progress against the goal. Do not put a lot of pressure on your year-end other than to check in. When you have disrupters that appear in your life it can pause your goals or even shift your goals. Learn to make adjustments as you go along.
I have had a few of those in the past couple of years. I started working for a company and had big plans and goals to do things. There were expectations on me as well from my new boss and company. In the two years I worked for the company a few things happened along the way. My daughter got married, my physical health needed some serious attention, my brother died, I got to focus on my mental health, and I got to focus on my family relationships. I got the chance to focus on the things I needed to without even knowing I would need to focus on them. Being with that company gave me the chance to focus on those things. Now I was not as successful with my job as I wanted to be, or they wanted me to be. I did get to learn a lot during that time and now my goals have been adjusted. I became aware of the shifting of goals during that time, and I got to learn from them and not be judgmental of myself or others during that time.
Is it time to make some changes? Contact us here or get a spot on our calendar to find out how we can work together in the new year.
How has your year been?
Have you dealt with adversity? Probably.
Did you have hardships? Possibly.
Perhaps you had your best year ever. Maybe you started a new job, new relationship, or welcomed a new family member this year.
How are you feeling about this year?
As I look over the past year, I see a lot of things that have happened. I lost my father in February, welcomed my first grandson in March, and was hospitalized with COVID Pneumonia in April. I also finished a successful first year in business, finished writing my first book, and started a regular room on Clubhouse with a friend of mine.
Life is about perspective and this time of the year is especially prone to reflecting. Hopefully, you can and will take the time to reflect on the past year and see what can be learned from it and what could be improved. This is something that you could do every month, or even every week. Reflect on the the things that have been going on and what could you have done differently? That is how we grow and improve.
I hope that you get the chance to reflect and see what a wonderful life you have, even if this year was not a great year. One of my favorite movie lines is, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around every once in a while, you could miss it."
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“Patience is the companion of wisdom.” - Saint Augustine
For some of us being patient is a difficult thing. We want to get to the next sale, we want to win the fight, we want to overcome the next obstacle. If you are patient, you can learn a great many things. You can learn what your customers really want, what your boss is trying to communicate, what that person really fears. You can hear things that are important to know for you to get that next sale, win the fight, and overcome that obstacle that is keeping you from the next level. Learning to be patient is something that can take time and lots of practice. We live in a microwave world, and we are used to instant results or near instant answers. Nothing can replace the process that needs to take place for us to learn the lessons, yet we feel the need to hurry it along. It is not too late to learn the lesson of patience. Sit and wait it out and let it run its course and it will provide you with far great joy than if you rushed it. We want the answer now and in sales we want to push that too. That is what some people need our help with, making decisions, but sometimes it is necessary to let it play out. If you have ever had a fine wine, great bourbon, or even a great meal, they all take time to develop. There is a reason that a great chili tastes better the day after it is made, because the flavors take time to come together, and a good lasagna takes about an hour or more to make. Patience can be a wonderful thing if you allow it to be.
What can you do to be more patient? If you want help with this get on my calendar for a free consultation. You can contact us to learn more here.
Listen to the full podcast here.
Thanks to Elaine Lindsay and her team at SZF for allowing me to share my story.
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Being in sales, this quote may challenge you to say not me. You want to make sure that the message is getting across to your customer or that you were able to persuade them. Yet, they may be thinking of nothing more than how you made them feel after you have gone and cannot remember what you said or did while you were in their presence.
I used to think that I could always go back to things, and they would be the same as before, a friendship, a romantic
relationship, even a chore around the house. The reality is you can never go back to the same situation with the same expectations! You have changed, they have changed, and maybe even the situation has changed. Things are constantly changing all around us and they change us. Though nothing may have physically changed, I have walked away from puzzles and returned hours or days later to find the solution staring me in the face. My perspective did change. When it came to relationships, it took separation from some of those for me to realize this truth. I wanted to go back to the way things were and the comfort or familiarity of that relationship, but I could not. I did not realize it, until much later, that things have changed, sometimes significantly on either side or both sides. I would get frustrated by the lack of emotional connection because I was looking for a familiar feeling or positive memory. That was in the past and it was hard to realize or come to grips with that. Every day we are making steps towards positive or negative growth whether we want to or not, we never stay the same. I heard this when I was in my late 20’s or early 30’s and it has always stuck with me. At times, I could see this clearly and not so much at others.
If you are in sales and you think that you can pick up where you left off, you might find that the situation has changed, a lot. People have good days and bad days. People change jobs and their personal world changes outside of you and them. The world keeps spinning even though we do not want to admit that some times. So, what can you do to stay connected with your clients? It's called nurturing the leads. If you are not spending time connecting with your clients, whether via email, phone call, text or even stopping in to see them, then you are not helping your clients or nurturing the relationship. You may actually be losing them. If you keep in touch with the clients, you will change as they change and you will both see the change. It will be easier to connect and help them out as their needs have probably changed as well.
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