When champions fail... what they do
that you do not.
by Dr. Jeffrey Lant
Author's program note. A lady I know
well, a lady accustomed not just to victory but to constant victory,
was last month handed her lunch in her company's sales contest. She
lost by the thinnest of margins... just 1 widget. But it didn't
matter; for her opponent a win was a win; knocking off the queen was
sweet indeed.
Thus my friend woke up this morning no
longer champ, but "former" champ... and I decided to pen
these thoughts because I've been where the lady is today... and I
have a pretty good idea about how she feels. I've also got some
thoughts I hope helpful for regaining the crown...
I suspect she already knows them and
has already begun regrouping, for that's what champs down on their
luck do. But you probably don't...
To get you in the mood for victory, I
have selected Marvin Gaye's 1976 hit "I want you." This is
precisely what you must say to and about success. You'll find it in
any search engine. Go now. And when you've got it, dance it. For
there's nothing like dancing to clear your mind, put oxygen in the
blood... and rouse yourself for your next great challenge -- taking
back the crown you've (temporarily) lost.
Congratulate the winner.
Ever watched the loser of our
quadrennial elections for president get up and calm his rabid
followers, to deliver for the world a gracious speech of concession,
capitulation, and class? Of course you have... it's as American a
tradition as apple pie and selling missiles to tyrants. We like to
think that people who have been at each others' throats just hours
ago mean to bring good fellowship and reconciliation to the nation.
We expect these high expectations to be met... by losing presidential
candidates and by... you. Do so at once. The quicker you make
connection and say your piece, the faster you'll move up and out of
this most unhappy zone. Remember, if you can't rise to actual
sincerity, fake it. Either way, just do it.
What went wrong?
Champs either 1) win for a reason or
series of reasons; or 2) lose for a reason or a series of reasons.
The key is being clear on these reasons and either 1) maximizing
their impact, or 2) limiting it.
You must know what you did that worked
and arrange to do more of it.
For instance, say that you were making
only ten prospect calls a day. This clearly wasn't enough; that
objective needs to be increased, to 10 CONNECTS per day, not just
dials. This would increase your competitive position at once, after
just 1 or 2 days. Do the same with everything you did before...
increasing what you do and thereby increase your likelihood of
winning.
Note: it is easy when you are a
constant champ to take winning as an inevitable state of affairs. But
no true champ ever takes winning as anything other than a state of
constant preparation, focus and humility. The last is perhaps the
most difficult factor... and the most essential.
What didn't work.
Equally, you must decide what you did
that didn't work... and radically root it out of your brain and daily
schedule.
Were you so confident of victory that
you began to cut corners? For instance, instead of emailing to your
safe lists every single day (the necessary standard for champs)
perhaps you emailed them only 4 or 5 times in a week. Or, maybe you
didn't do your blogging daily as you should; again getting by,
instead of getting ahead. If so, you need to re-read the story of the
tortoise and the hare. There's a lesson there just for you.
Important point: the factors discussed
above are the two easiest components of the thorough review you must
make, the review that puts winning closer to your grasp... and
lessons the probabilities of future failure. Approach these factors
as if you had never been a champ before... as if winning were your
objective, your destiny, and you were determined to identify each
factor that would help deliver victory. In other words, start from
square one... never assume... never give it a "lick and a
promise"... you need to reinvent your game to win it again.
Adding potential new success factors.
Okay, you've considered what you did
that was successful and vowed to do more of that. And, you have
reviewed the failure factors with stern determination to expunge them
from your play book and daily success agenda. Now you need to
brainstorm new things you can do which, if successful, make your time
in the wilderness short and your restoration inevitable.
For instance, say that you were trying
to run your business without calling a single prospect ever. In such
a situation the "something new" you'd need to adopt would
be calling so many prospects each and every day.... and not just
calling them either, but connecting with them.
Equally, say you hadn't been using
landing pages, blogs, safe lists, traffic exchanges, etc. Now's the
time to add them.... one at a time. The objective is to improve your
game, not spread yourself too thin. Focus is key...not overwhelming
yourself, making yourself tired.
Now improve your offer.
Business champions all know that making
a superior offer, an offer that excites, motivates, enthuses is the
key to business success. To become a champion you need such an
offer... to stay a champion you need such an offer... and to regain
your throne you need such an offer... only better.
Thus brainstorm improvements you can
make in your offer that will cause prospects to jump through hoops to
get it. The offer is your key to becoming champion again.
Set your objectives.
At my company, Worldprofit, Inc., each
month we crown a sales champ, then one grand champ for the year. To
win these titles you need a daily, weekly and monthly objective..
Remember this is a champ's objective... and must be appreciably
better than the one you lost by. Here's a hint. Structure your game
so that you achieve at least 10% of your monthly objective in the
first two days of the month. That'll show the folks you mean
business, and makes you a cheerful competitor.
Get started.
Every loser has never been a champ, but
every champ has been a loser. And, properly handled, losing can be a
very good thing. Because losing forces you to review your methods;
study your methods, and improve your methods...
... because from such study and
analysis come all future championships... won by you, because you
accept nothing less from yourself -- and never will.
About the Author
Harvard-educated Dr. Jeffrey Lant is
CEO of Worldprofit, Inc., providing a wide range of online services
for small and-home based businesses. Services include home business
training, affiliate marketing training, earn-at-home programs,
traffic tools, advertising, webcasting, hosting, design, WordPress
Blogs and more. Find out why Worldprofit is considered the # 1 online
Home Business Training program by getting a free Associate Membership
today. Republished with author's permission by Vaurn James http://SuccessRoute.biz.
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