Yesterday I sat with an aspiring young professional who wanted to know the formula for breaking into a great job. I asked him what he thought of his current one. He said it was okay but that he didn’t see a ton of opportunity to grow. I then asked what he was doing to show his manager and co-workers that he was capable of growth. He couldn’t answer. I followed up by asking him to give me three reasons his manager should give him more responsibility and, after drooling on himself, he mumbled three things that were merely part of his job. In short, he was doing nothing special but was expecting special career results.

Perhaps it’s the new world of entitlement we are living in that is leaving many to believe that being average is enough to produce exceptional opportunity. Wrong! If I thought looking for excuses, being negative, and looking for somebody to blame was the path to wealth and happiness I’d say…go for it! But truth is…it doesn’t work. Are some people given more opportunities than others unfairly? Maybe. But who cares! Because for every one person who found success or got promoted for the wrong reasons, there are 20 others who busted their hump, took a risk and did things to convince everybody around them that they were an irreplaceable asset.

So this week, take 15 minutes in your office, grab a pen and paper (or an iPad), and write down five things you do in your profession that make you special. And if your list includes the same things that all your co-workers would write then it’s not SPECIAL. Which means you aren’t worthy of any additional opportunities. And the same things goes for many companies who also believe they too should expect extraordinary results without doing anything extraordinary.

In short, NOBODY controls your destiny but you. Because nobody has that power over you. And if they do, it’s only because you gave it to them. From this point forward in 2012 you will expect nothing from anybody and instead give everything to everybody. Your reward will be life and a career that gets you noticed, gets you opportunity and gets you to the TOP!

This week, Brian Sullivan, CSP interviewed Eric Chester, author of the new book, Reviving Work Ethic. If you’re looking for hard hitting truth about what it takes to get to the top, listen to this high-energy interview by going to www.preciseselling.com/podcast

-Peter Drucker

Are you ready to commit to making 2011 your best professional year yet? If so, grab a notepad or laptop, and let’s get to work. Take five minutes right now to fill in the blanks below.

Your 2011 PRECISE Commitment

I will make $______________ in 2011.

I will be rank #_________ in my company in sales.

I will close ________ sales a week.

I will prospect with ____________ new clients each week.

I will schedule _________ hours/minutes each week to do nothing but plan.

Now take that sheet and put it in a place where you will frequently see it. Let it remind you of the commitment you made to yourself. Next, schedule 30 minutes in your office during Christmas week to begin your planning for 2011. Think about where you should spend your time, who you may need help from, which clients you will spend more time with…or less time. In short, commit now and plan now. And when January 3 rolls around, you will not only have hopes and promises, but a clear path to get you to the TOP.

For sales tips and occasional creative yet random thoughts, follow Brian Sullivan on twitter @preciseselling. President of Kansas City-based PRECISE Selling, he delivers seminars and internet training programs on sales, customer service, leadership and presentation skills to companies of all sizes. Check him out at www.preciseselling.com.

You are not judged by what you have but rather by what you give.
-Brian Sullivan

Are you rich? And if so, how do you define rich? Is rich determined by the type of car you drive or the watch you wear? While there are many interpretations of the word “rich,” remember that your value is not determined by what you have but instead by what you give. So if you want to become richer than you are right now, all you have to do is give more of your time, talent and treasure to others.

So this week, take 15 minutes to make a list that contains at least these three categories: Work, Community/Church, Home.  Then under each column, list your special talents that you can offer in a greater way. Then go put those talents to work. It might mean taking on an additional project at work, perhaps volunteering to help coach a kid’s team, or maybe skipping that fancy dinner and giving a few extra bucks to a charity in need. Whatever your “give” is, just remember that each time you give of yourself, you are making a deposit in your own account. And as that account fattens, you grow richer everyday.

“If you don’t have a plan for yourself,
you’ll be part of someone else’s.”
-Unknown

We are now three weeks into 2010, which means your sales plan should be in full swing. If you haven’t made one yet, let’s give you some tips to makes sure you are on the right track. In order to make your plan work, you need two components. The first is a Strategic Objective that includes the larger goals you want to accomplish. Those goals might include becoming your company’s top sales performer. Another might be to grow your business by 20%. Whatever those Strategic Objectives are, it is important that you match them up with a very specific Tactical Plan. These are the smaller milestones that will help you get to your larger objectives. If you are in sales, you need to do the following:

1.    Determine exactly how much product you need to sell each week
2.    Determine how many live sales presentations you need to deliver each week to reach that sales goal.
3.    Determine exactly how many prospecting calls each day it will take to reach the sales presentation goal

For example, if you need to sell 5 of your focus products each week to reach your yearly goal, you may have to present to 10 prospects each week. To get those 10 presentations, you may need to prospect with 20 new potential clients. Which means you need to make 4 prospecting calls each day. Once you have that number in your plan each day, let it HAUNT you! Don’t end the day until you reach that Tactical Objective.  By breaking down your plan to a measurable daily number, you will have created a plan that sets the course to making you your company’s top sales performer. See you at the TOP!

Think of the greatest leaders in history and how they handled “worrisome” things. Our friend Sir Winston said the above words just before a madman from Germany began dropping bombs all over his country. But Churchill was famous for approaching a “challenge” with confidence and calmness and it was those two qualities that fueled his thinking and planning. By planning for all that “could” happen well in advance, he was better prepared to lead once it did.

What might happen in your sales territory, your business, your marketplace and your industry in 2009? Have you thought about it and effectively planned for the “maybes?” What will you say if your largest customer calls next week and tells you they are cutting their budget in half because of a down economy? Have you planned your response to help them understand that they NEED you to help them through the tough times? If not, it’s time to get to work.

Now let me warn you in advance. The following exercise just might make you worry a bit. But by thinking and planning now, you should have nothing to worry about. So take time this week to do the following:

-Think of five things in your business that, if they happened, would scare the heck out of you and your bottom line.

-Write those five things down on a sheet of paper or in your computer.

-Take 30 minutes or more to develop your action plan should those things occur.

-Then be proactive NOW by doing what is necessary to prevent those things from happening.

By turning WORRYING into PLANNING, and then PLANNING into ACTION, you will find that this worrisome economy just may produce your finest year ever. And THAT should worry your competition.

This week, Brian interviewed the key Planner of Operation Iraqi Freedom on his weekly radio show. Col. Kevin Benson’s battle plan was used by American Forces in the initial phases of the war. To get a perspective on planning and leadership rarely heard, go to www.preciseselling.com/Radioaccess.htm to listen to the interview.  To find out more about Brian’s sales and leadership programs, visit him at www.preciseselling.com or email Brian at bsullivan@preciseselling.com.