Risky Business
By Jonnie Cummings
In today’s cut throat world of corporate sales it is not always enough to keep your head above water. With 10 years sales experience working for a Global Communications company, Jonny Cummings shares his views on how to succeed in today’s ever competitive business world.
With one of the highest labour turnovers in the sales industry, and record stress related illness at an all time high, the questions poses who would want a job like this??
t’s 2am UK time, I step onto a cold winter’s tarmac after arriving on flight BA7510 from Mombassa. Dressed in shorts and a tourist T-Shirt, I suddenly realise this was not the best choice of attire for returning from 2 weeks holiday. Slowly I start to feel my sun kissed tan start to drain away from my face and then it hit’s me, I’m back to work tomorrow!
Back to Reality:
As we approach the airport terminal I reluctantly switch on my Blackberry to find an email marked urgent from my Line Manager. ‘John, the General Manager of Corporate Business wants a performance review tomorrow morning, attendance is not optional, Regards’.
In one email my holiday memories are lost, an indescribable sunken feeling consumes my body and I realise this can only mean one thing. The next morning my worst fears were realised, only 3 months into the financial year and with very little sales on the board, my superiors advise I am to be performance managed.
As I leave the room a senior manger turns to me and says ‘You have a month to turn things round, I don’t think you’re going to do it’ Unfortunately this type of meeting is all too common place. With targets to be hit and revenues to be met, people often take second place in the Corporate World. Over the previous six months, four of my colleagues had experienced the same treatment and all four of them had now been ‘moved on’.
Decision Time
I walked out of that room with a choice to make. Do I hold up the white flag and accept their view that corporate sales is not for me or do I stand my ground and take the fight to them. I chose option number two. I realised that day that a positive attitude and an unshakeable self belief that you will win is everything.
Success in my mind has nothing to do with experience, nothing to do with ability, nothing to do with age or education but it’s down to how badly you want it. Quite simply it’s desire that determines success not ability. Take the case of a friend of mine who failed his first year at University dismally. He was more concerned with the party lifestyle and had no desire to study. Acting as a wake up call he re-sat his first year, only this time he passed with flying colours, did his ability change, NO of course not, but his desire did.
Attitude is Everything
What I found from that one Business Review was that a change of attitude can bring about an outstanding change of results. Over the course of six months I went from being bottom of the Sales League table to second place in a national league of over eighty sales professionals. Again it wasn’t my ability that changed, it was my desire.
It must be remembered that success doesn’t happen over night and everyone from time to time will lack confidence but the only way to conquer the fear is to just keep doing the things you fear.
With all the best business practise in the world and enough sales guides to fill a library, there is one thing above all which dominates my turnaround in situation, that is that I know who’s Boss. As a Christian, the Boss in my life is Jesus Christ. The secret of my success is that I continue to trust in my maker, believe in him for wisdom and provision and above all thank Him for every success and failure that comes my way in this journey we call life. Some days are easier than others.