If You’re Not First, You're Last

People are coached from a young age to be the best that they could possibly be. The untold truth of the Sales Industry remains that if you’re not first, you’re last. Many Sales Representatives lack of the understanding that this mentality could, in fact, catapult them to major successes in the sales world.

Sadly setting a goal and achieving a goal of becoming a top Sales Representative on a respective Sales Team is not a priority for Sales Professionals. Arguably, becoming a top performer at your respective company is the most coveted accomplishment that you could achieve.

While some may wonder why being number one is important, the answer is fairly simple. If you’re not number one, then your ultimate sales potential has not yet been reached. Without reaching full sales potential, you are also not reaching the total income potential available to you. Achieving number one status is more than just a goal for pride, but a goal for a Sales Representative’s livelihood and ultimate earning potential as well.

Even Earning potential should be at the top of your radar as far as goals are concerned in the Sales Universe. Earning potential is not limited to just personal gain however, but also contributes greatly to the overall success of your company (or lack thereof). Earning as much as possible on a personal and a corporate level should be the main goals of any Sales Representative at any company.

Will Ferrell’s portrayal of Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights made this point clearly:

Although this is a catch phrase from a silly movie, the message rings true and has the potential to be practiced on a daily basis. Although rising through the ranks to numbers five, four, three or two certainly garner rewards, they are not number one and remain as stepping stones to the ultimate goal.

Think about some of the most successful athletes in the world. Do names like, Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Michael Jordan come to mind? These are people that are prime examples of the main point - do everything in your power to become number one at your trade and you will go far. Every failure will ultimately lead to success as long as you are persistent with your goals. They have used this mentality to master their craft, make tons of money and become the best in the world at what they do. Just like these great athletes, a great Sales Professional will do anything in their power to master their craft, rise to the top of their earning potential and become experts in their fields.

Following in the footsteps of these great athletes will not only aid any Sales Professional’s success, but will also help them to become a valuable asset to their company.