All-Star Sales Book Sample

IN THE GAME OF LIFE, business, and sales, there are no time-outs, no overtimes. You only get one chance to play the game. The question you gotta ask yourself is, At what level do I want to play—do I want to wait on the sidelines or do I want to win?

If you really want to win, if you want to be an all-star, you gotta get in the game!

The all-stars are the elite performers who have earned the right to play with the very best. In this book, I call them all-stars, but others call them superstars, champions, leaders, top performers, or high achievers. You can call them anything you want, but one thing is for sure . . . they are winners. And when the game is on the line, they consistently step up to the plate and knock the ball out of the park.

These franchise players exist in every company and on every sales team. They are the ones who take initiative, make things happen, and do whatever it takes to help their team win. They also back the action up with consistency year after year. Yes, even winners lose a game or two, but the all-stars constantly pick themselves up, learn from their mistakes, and come back stronger than ever before.

Although I’ve never made a dime as a professional athlete, I have discovered there are many similarities between success in sports and success in life, business, and sales in general. In sports, it’s not uncommon for two athletes with the same talents, skills, and abilities to perform at dramatically different levels. One might be an average player while the other is an all-star.

The same is true in sales. Oftentimes someone will sell twice as much or make many times the income of others who have the same basic talents and skills and work in the same territory. They may also live happier, more successful, and more productive lives. In fact, the all-stars in life and business frequently have less education and experience than the average performers, and yet they achieve extraordinary levels of success. Why?

Early in my life I learned how small improvements in key areas of your sales approach and practices can lead to enormous differences in results. What this means is that very slight differences are what separate the all-stars from the average performers.

You see, anybody can succeed sometimes, but winning is not a sometime thing—it’s an all the time thing. The all-stars win because they consistently do the little things that the average performers don’t. They practice more hours than the average performers, they strive harder than the average performers, and they do the small things over and over again until they achieve winning results.

I also learned that all-stars are coachable. They are students of the game and are always looking for ways to take their game (or performance) to the next level. As a result, they are constantly raising their bar by raising their standards.

Many people play the game but never win. People fail because they don’t do the little things that will give them the edge it takes to win. As a result, they’re playing to lose without even realizing it.

You may be wondering, Why should I want to get in the game? Why should I put forth all this effort to be an all-star? What’s the payoff for me? Those are fair questions, and before you embark on any journey (or game) you should know where it can take you. When you achieve all-star success, the payoff is big—big fun, big joy, big competition, big recognition, big championships, big success, and yes, BIG BUCKS.

No, money is not everything and focusing on money at all costs is a recipe for disaster. But, when you play to win and you do it the right way, the big money comes as a natural part of the process. Most importantly, you get to experience all the great things with family, friends, and team mates that money can’t buy. Yes, being an all-star truly is a win-win for everyone involved.

Read this book in its entirety and it will show you how to play, compete, and succeed at the highest level. The strategies and techniques are tried and true—they work. They have worked in my life, and I have seen them work time and time again in the lives of countless others.

To get the full effect of this book, you must first understand that when I started out in sales, I was very young, inexperienced, and flat broke. Over a period of fifteen years, I worked my way to the top of every sales and management position, eventually becoming president and chief operating officer of a highly successful international sales-driven company.

Throughout this journey, I made many mistakes and learned many valuable lessons, experienced many triumphs and faced much adversity. I can tell you that all winners have scars. And, no matter what level of success you have achieved before, your past doesn’t have to dictate your future. High achievers in all walks of life have ups and downs, victories and setbacks. Learning how others have turned their setbacks into comebacks can inspire you to do the small things that will give you the edge it takes to win.

As you read this book, you’ll notice how much I use the phrase you gotta. Though it may not be proper grammar, it is a powerful phrase that inspires action. All of us have a list of things we should do: we should make those extra sales calls, we should start mentoring others, we should make the necessary changes to get that next promotion. To succeed at all-star levels you gotta turn your shoulds, coulds, woulds, mights, and maybes into action-oriented results if you want to achieve lasting success.

So, when you come across a you gotta, pay special attention and read the text that follows very carefully—it identifies the crucial steps you gotta take to succeed at the highest level. When you learn and apply these principles, you will quickly rise to the top and your future will be unlimited.

Inside of you there is a champion. You already have the unlimited potential to play your game at any level you choose. You can sit on the sidelines and watch others win, or you can jump in and play with strength, purpose, passion, and power. You can be a spectator, or you can be an all-star.

My hope is that by reading this book, you will set specific goals and stretch yourself. I hope you’re willing to discipline yourself. I hope you want to compete and that you will develop a burning desire to win. I hope you will make the decision to get off the bench and get in the game.

You Gotta
Get in the Game

I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYONE make a shot from the bench or catch a touchdown from the sideline. I’ve never seen a top producer, a top performer sit around waiting for someone to call and buy his or her products or services. In order to have any chance at winning, you gotta get off the bench and get in the game!

Star athletes can’t stand to sit. It doesn’t matter if the team is twenty points ahead or twenty points behind; the all-stars want to be part of the action. That’s why they’re all-stars. An all-star athlete can’t wait for the next play, and an all-star salesperson can’t wait to give the next presentation or close the next sale. True all-stars take the initiative to get in the game; they make things happen.

You can’t sit on the bench and be an all-star. There are plenty of benchwarmers. You gotta want to be in the game! You gotta want it with an unstoppable, driving desire!

YOU GOTTA MAKE A DECISION

If you want to get in the game, the first thing you gotta do is make a decision. A decision is a definite, conscious choice to do something. People make decisions—to improve their performance, to increase their numbers, to get to the next level—every day, but most of them are made without putting much thought or commitment behind the decisions.

Through my experiences, I’ve discovered that the top performers always make a conscious, committed decision to be the best. They leave themselves no outs. They say to themselves, “No matter what, I’m going to do it. That’s it. Period.” Making a conscious decision to do something is one of the defining differences between people who achieve great results and those who achieve mediocre results. They both have more or less the same abilities and opportunities, so it comes down to who is willing to make a decision and take action.

The first major turning point in my career involved a decision. When I started in sales, I was seventeen years old, fresh out of high school, and flat broke. So, I decided I would try sales part-time to make a little extra money. But I wasn’t committed; I wasn’t in the game. I looked at sales only as a way to make some money, and as a result, my career was like a roller coaster—there were months I rose to the top and months I plunged to the bottom.

I remember one month specifically. It was the worst month of my sales career. I made one sale for a $100 commission, but it cost me $500 in expenses to make that sale! By the end of the month, I was discouraged and had lost my confidence. I was sick and tired of the situation I had created and seemed stuck in. I was tired of my income—or rather, lack of income—tired of borrowing money from my parents, tired of the car I drove, and tired of my lackadaisical efforts and work habits.

I started to think I wasn’t cut out for sales and began looking for a different job. But I soon realized that in any job, I would still have to show up, give my best, and work hard if I wanted to be a top money earner.

Then I thought about some of the salespeople I knew who were making lots of money and having the time of their lives. I also remembered how much money I’d made and how much fun I’d had during the few times I was truly committed. I realized I enjoyed sales, and I felt there was nothing else that offered me the freedom, excitement, and opportunity that sales did.

That was the day I made the decision that I was going to do whatever it took to be a top producer.

That was over twenty years ago, and I can still feel the power of that moment. I made a definite, conscious choice to get off the bench. I still had a lot to learn, but I decided I was willing to do whatever was necessary to make it to the top.

Over the next few years, I had many ups and downs, but for the most part, my sales career took a hard turn for the better. I learned a lot, won many awards and competitions, and achieved top honors as a salesperson. I was on the fast track to the top . . . or so I thought.

Eventually, the awards and honors weren’t enough. I needed a new challenge, and I knew exactly what that challenge was: I wanted to start my own sales office. And not only did I want my own office, I wanted to build a team that could become number one in the nation. So I made a decision to do it.

At this point in my life, I was twenty years old. I had recently met my future bride, Susan, and she supported my decision. We set a date, made the arrangements, and with a lot of help and support, started our new office and our new life together. But after only a few months, I found out that running my own business wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. And to make matters worse, I wasn’t working as hard as I should have been. I had gotten a little lazy and was trying to play “executive.” In my mind, I had made it to the top.

Suddenly, we two newlyweds, with a new business and a baby on the way, found ourselves with no money and behind on our bills. For the first time since my “one sale, $100 month,” I was struggling again. The reality of the situation didn’t completely set in until my car disappeared. I thought someone had stolen it, so I immediately called the police. The first thing they asked me was if I had made all the payments. It was only then that I realized my car had been repossessed!

This was another turning point in my life. I realized that only one factor determined my success—me. As the saying goes, “If it is to be, it is up to me.” So I made a decision to get my car back. Once I committed to that decision, I did whatever it took to make it happen. I borrowed a car and found a way to make three sales that day, and those three sales gave me enough money to get my car back and pay my rent for the month.

I learned some valuable lessons from that experience. First, never think you’ve already made it. It’s the surest way to the sidelines, because it will make you complacent. Second, when you make a decision and take action, you can change your life. Because I made a decision to get off the bench and take the initiative, I was able to turn a negative situation into something positive in one day’s time.

Are you at a turning point in your life? Then make a clear, unequivocal decision to be the best and don’t leave yourself any outs. Tell yourself, “I’m going to do it. That’s it. Period.” The world is full of people who wish their lives were better but have never made the do-or-die decision that leads to stardom.

YOU GOTTA TAKE ACTION

Everything you have (or don’t have) today is the result of the actions you’ve taken (or haven’t taken) in the past. Taking action is like putting your car in gear. You can start the car and sit in it all day, but you’ll never go anywhere unless you put it in gear and step on the gas pedal. You see, a decision without action is only a good intention, and good intentions pave the road to nowhere. We all have the option to take action and get into the game, but most of us never do it. Why do we put off doing the things we know we should do? There are many reasons, but the most common are simple procrastination, waiting for somebody or something else to make it happen for us, “paralysis of analysis,” and fear or lack of confidence.

My experience has been that people procrastinate for a number of reasons. For example, we convince ourselves that we cannot overcome our challenges. We tell ourselves that it’s going to be too difficult, take too much time, cost too much money, or require too many resources. But these beliefs are rarely true. Taking action usually starts with one simple step that isn’t difficult, time-consuming, or costly. And even if it does require resources we think we don’t have, if it’s a priority, we can find the resources to make it happen. We always find the resources for the things we make a priority.

Some people won’t take action because they’re waiting for the right situation to magically present itself—they are waiting for the best time, the right opportunity, the new product with a big commission. They’re looking for a company, a manager, or even a customer to hand them what they want instead of making it happen themselves. Remember this: no one will ever hand you success. Just like with a car, you can wait for success, but you’ll never achieve it unless you get in gear and take action.

Then there are people who feel that before they take action they have to analyze the situation—research it, think it over, and discuss it with family, friends, or colleagues. Others say, “Someday, when I have more experience/learn more and become better, then I’ll take action.” Let me tell you, the road called “someday” leads to a town called “nowhere.” These people will never get in the game!

Please don’t get me wrong. Talking things over with other successful people is a good idea; analyzing an opportunity is important; learning is critical. But all the education, experience, and advice in the world won’t bring you success if you don’t take action. There are many geniuses who don’t have a dime because they never took action. There are also many multimillionaires who have very little education and much less knowledge than the geniuses because they constantly take action. Analysis sometimes equals paralysis. Don’t get bogged down trying to figure it all out ahead of time. I’ve been in sales for more than half my life, and I’m still learning. Life is a constant learning and growing process. It is vital for you to take action while you’re growing, stretching, striving, and learning.

Perhaps the biggest reason people don’t take action is a lack of confidence. Confidence is the feeling that you have what it takes to accomplish whatever task you set out to perform. We’re all born with some degree of confidence, but as the years go by, our confidence gets squashed. We hear discouraging words like “no,” “you’re too young,” “you’re too old,” “you’re too slow,” “you’re not smart enough.” And if we hear these negative words often enough, we can easily start using them when we talk to ourselves, hurting our confidence even more.

We also lose confidence as we face life’s struggles and challenges—personal failures, business failures, bankruptcies, getting fired or laid off, failing to achieve important goals. Some of these situations are within our control while others are not, but they can all negatively affect our confidence. The bottom line is this: most adults struggle with a lack of confidence every day.

So how can you regain this lost self-confidence once again? You gotta take action! Here is a simple formula I use when teaching people how to gain more confidence:

action > results > success > confidence > action

If you will just take action, eventually you will get some results. Lots of positive results will give you some success. Success will create more confidence. Greater confidence will lead to more action, and the cycle will continue. But it all starts with action.

YOU GOTTA PLAY OFFENSE

Let’s face it: It’s hard to score when you’re playing defense. All-stars play defense for one reason—to get back on offense. They do whatever it takes to block the shot, intercept the pass, and get the outs so they can get back to scoring points.

When you’re playing offense you are in the game. No, you can’t play offense all of the time, but most people spend the majority of their time going back and forth. They take one step forward on offense and two steps backwards on defense. Therefore, they never achieve the results they desire. Why is this?

On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being “things are utterly miserable” and 10 being “things couldn’t be more wonderful”), most of us live and perform at around 5 (“things are tolerable”). But 5 is probably the worst place to be. Things aren’t great, but they’re not awful, either. Maybe we sell just enough to get all the bills paid each month. Maybe we make just enough calls to meet our quota. We have one foot in the game and one on the sidelines. We know we should do more but there isn’t enough pain—enough anxiety—to force us into making a change.

Then something happens that pushes us over the edge. The banker calls to tell us we’re $3,000 overdrawn on our checking account. Our boss calls us in to tell us we’ve missed quota for the second month in a row. We reach the point where we’re fed up with the situation; enough is enough. We decide we’re not going to live this way anymore—not another day, not another minute. Have you ever had one of these moments in your life?

If you’ve had one of these turning points and you made the decision to make some positive changes and follow through, that’s great. But in the long run, that is not how we want to live our professional, or personal, lives. That’s living life in reaction, on the defense. Your environment forced you to take action and let go of whatever was keeping you on the bench. When you live in reaction, you’re not in control of your life, of your success—life is in control of you.

Don’t let circumstances dictate the quality of your performance. Don’t be satisfied with the status quo. You don’t need a lot of complicated ideas to improve your performance to the next level. All you need is one idea that you will use, one idea that can put you on the offense against mediocrity right now. Take control of your future by taking action now. Now is what you can do this day, hour, or moment to move your life forward.

Top salespeople spend most of their time playing offense. In sales, you’re playing offense when you are in front of customers or potential customers. The all-star salespeople spend most of their time prospecting, making sales calls, learning more skills, improving existing skills, and producing measurable results. So, get out of your chair and call a potential customer now. If you can do that, your confidence will soar and you will motivate yourself to make a second, third, or tenth call. It will only be a matter of time before you achieve better results and make more sales. If you will consistently force yourself to take some kind of action now, to play offense, the process will eventually become a habit and your success will grow.

YOU GOTTA TAKE INITIATIVE

Nike has a famous slogan: “Just do it.” This simple statement is more profound than most people realize. It reveals one of the great keys to achieving all-star status. You have to just do it—no excuses.

But if your goal is to achieve all-star status, you have to take it one step further. You gotta take initiative. When it comes to sales performance, I believe that initiative is the power to originate something and the drive to finish what you’ve started. Some people get started but never finish, others have great follow-through when they do get started, but don’t initiate enough action to make a difference. When you can initiate and close, you have initiative.

Initiative gives you the power to win, and the power to help others win. It’s more than just taking action or playing offense. It’s going above and beyond the call of duty. Individuals who take initiative commit themselves to completing their tasks—for their benefit and their team’s benefit. By taking initiative, you become successful and ensure the success of your company and team. When you take initiative you do more than just survive, you thrive.

Having the right products and services is important and timing is crucial to the selling process. However, initiative is what sets the top salespeople apart from those who are just average. For example, I was recently interested in purchasing a piece of property. The agent I worked with is the number one salesperson in the nation with his company. His office is also ranked twenty-third in the world in sales. He has made over $7 million in commissions in the last five years. I looked at over ten different properties and declined them all.

What impressed me most about my agent was that he was not discouraged by my repeatedly telling him no. He was clearly focused on the end result of finding me a piece of property. During the six months we have been working together, my desire to buy a piece of property has diminished tremendously. However, he’s as optimistic as ever that he’ll find a piece of property I’ll be satisfied with. Every time I have visited him in his office he is selling to people on the telephone or leaving them messages about homes or properties that might interest them. He takes advantage of every lead and works it to its fullest extent with the same energy and enthusiasm no matter how many calls he has made during the day. After experiencing his “sales initiative” firsthand and seeing him in action in his office,
I know why he is the top salesperson in the nation. “No” doesn’t faze him and he is persistent until he gets the sale. I’m confident that I will eventually buy a piece of property from him, and I will continue our business relationship for many years to come. He’s in the game, and that’s the key to all-star success.

Remember, decisions always initiate change and eliminate weak justifications and excuses. The truth of the matter is, you know deep in your heart it’s what you gotta do. So make a decision today to move your performance to a higher level. If you’re at a 5, make a decision and take action now to move to a 6 and beyond. To get in the game, focus your attention on the immediate process of making a decision and taking action now. Even if you think you don’t know how or you lack confidence, you gotta do it anyway . . . and you gotta do it now!

To be an all-star, you gotta get in the game.

To get in the game, you gotta

• Make a decision
• Take action
• Play offense
• Take initiative