I got my first sales job as a freshman in college. Having never sold something other than homemade lemonade in grade school, it was terrifying to be in an environment where there was so much pressure on numbers and my worth was determined by hitting and exceeding quota. I went to my dad, the ultimate salesperson who had started in sales and eventually built his own successful computer business. He gave me advice that became my motto in work and in life. He told me to stop focusing on the numbers and to focus on giving 100% effort every day.
“Focus only on your efforts, the results will follow.”
I followed his advice and began giving my best pitch on every call every day. I stopped worrying about quotas and numbers and focused on doing my best. The results were not immediate, but within a few weeks the numbers started to follow. Since then, I have applied this motto to each position I have worked in. It has always proven successful.
In “As A Man Thinketh” James Allen states,
“In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are results, and the strength of the effort is the measure of the result.”
This quote is applicable in every aspect of our lives, especially our careers. Most of us come to EL with zero experience in transportation, but each one of us can put forth our best efforts in our job duties. In the end, our individual and company numbers are going to be in direct correlation with the efforts we make on a daily basis. The results will always follow the efforts, however weak or strong those efforts have been.
Bob Sanders, one of my favorite football players, is a great example of giving it your all. In a sport where size is a big factor for success, Sanders was only 5′ 8″, yet he earned a reputation as one of the toughest, hardest-hitting defenders in the game. He was referred to as a human hand grenade, leaving bodies strewn about the field after his tackles. Sanders did not have the size or strength that most players had, but it was how he played the game that made him a success. Sanders said that his goal was to never slow down on any play, whether during practice or games. He gave 100% effort on every single play. The results were several awards, including Defensive Player of the Year 2007, two-time Pro Bowler, two-time first team All-Pro and Super Bowl Champion XLI.
We don’t have to be the biggest, strongest, smartest or best. We just need determination to give 100% every day and never slow down. If we put our best effort into everything we do, positive results will always follow.
-Jen, Senior Account Manager Full Truckload