Even If It Is Temporary, Learn As If It Is Permanent

Welcome to the Sales Life. I'm your host, marsh B, and sales is a profession, but selling is a mindset that you need in order to embrace uncertainty, handle the adversity, and never settle again. In my 20 plus years of the sales profession, I've developed five disciplines that I've applied to every area of my life, including personal and professional disasters, hurricanes shortages, recessions, obesity, homelessness, demotion, and suicidal thoughts. I beat 'em all. Be ready for anything and achieve everything with the sales life mentality. Get started with your coaching today@marshvice.com. You know, not everybody wants to do what you do for the rest of their lives. They don't. They don't want to devote the next 20 or 30 or 40 years and walk out the gates the same way that you did. And that's okay. In leadership you gotta understand and respect that. And what's important is, what do you do with the time that you have with the person that you're coaching? I was listening to author and coach Charles Schultz. He was talking about an athlete that he was coach. and he asked the young man, Do you wanna play college ball? And the young man said, No, I don't. And it kind of threw Charles off because the young man was doing everything. It took. To get to the next level of college ball. But then Charles' Eureka moment came about where he said everything that the young man is doing as an athlete is gonna take him far beyond his years of being an athlete. Think about if you played sports in high school, the disciplines that it took. Your summers are gone. You gotta get up and work out early. You gotta practice all day. You gotta come home and do your homework, long games, test the following morning, so you're up until midnight. Rinse and repeat over and over and over again. But think about the disciplines. That were created within you that today you can take far beyond. That's why I say every kid should play sports because of what it creates within you. You know, I'm 49 years old. and the last snap I took was when I was 22 in college, but I still use the skills that I learned in pressure cooker situations, seconds left, so tired that I was throwing up in my stands yet I had to fire out on another defensive lineman. See, it was those capacities that I've developed When I wanted to quit, when I was too tired to go on, yet I play the next down, I showed up for the next game, played another season. I kept my starting position. See, these are things, man, no one can ever take from me. And these are skills I use even to this. So I say this because I've been guilty of talking to young sales people and in the conversations they say, I don't wanna do this for the rest of my life. And I've been like little butt hurt about it. Little offended by it. Why? Just because I love it doesn't mean they have to equally love it and equally follow my tracks. They don't. But what's important is can I give them the skills as a salesperson that they can take far beyond their years of being a salesperson. That's the greatest joy for me is when someone comes up to me years later and is not even in the industry anymore and they say, I never forgot our meetings and I still use it to this day, and they're dominating the field that they're in. It's the best thing ever. It's because part of it, what I fed into 'em, I was hoping they would change their mind. I was hoping they would see what I see, but they didn't, and that's okay. They can still take the skills forward for the rest of their life and that's what's so important for you as a leader. is that you create within them something and many things that they can take for years to come when you're no longer in the picture. Now, on the flip side of this, I'm saying this as you're teaching, but also I will tell you this. If you're the student, if you're the one learning just because this is not. What you want to do for the rest of your life, whatever it is that you're doing right now, let them pour into you amass all the skills. The the consequences are low because you're not gonna be there for the rest of your life anyway. So why not go for broke and learn everything you possibly can? Because , even if you don't stay in that specific field, as you stretch the boundaries, there may , a particular technique or area that really peaks your interest and you leave the industry, but you work that technique and you carry it forward in another industry. So if you're the student, if you're the one learning, if you're interning, get all you can man. Like learn it all. And don't just come in there with this limited thought process of, I don't plan on being here. I just need this for some credits. No. Like pull it all in, soak it all in, because it just gives you more experience and skills that you can use for many years to come so think about it in school, you know, you take certain subjects and you're like, What do I even need this for? Cause I'm going for this. And you think it's a waste of. A lot of times it is, but sometimes there's something in there that 10 years from now you say, Man, it's been a while, but I remember, and you can use that for that moment. That's how life works. That's how experience works. So use that. While you're leading others or if you're learning from others, Create the disciplines and learn the skills as fill in the blank, whatever role you're in, so that way you can take them far beyond your years of being, whatever that role you were in. So my charge is to share and teach everything I know about sales. While you're here as a salesperson, so that way you can take them far beyond your years that you were being a salesperson. So there's five skills no matter what industry that you're in. If you're teaching it or you're learning it, learn how to communicate. Communication is everything. It's your superpower, regardless of how your nature is, you're shy, you're outgoing, whatever. Learn how to communicate, teach others how to communicate while they're with you, so that way they can learn How to talk one on one, how to set expectations, how to say what they mean without all the jumble in front of it. How to speak properly, Teach them how to be curious. Show up every day asking questions. Don't squash 'em because they ask you a question. Encourage it. And when you're there and you're learning, you ask questions. I'll just go with a bunch of assumption. You'll learn to ask questions better. Maybe you ask questions in a defiant way and kind of piss somebody off. Okay? Rework it a little bit. That mean, just stop asking questions. Maybe just ask it in the wrong frame with the wrong demeanor on it. Ask questions. Number three is be, creative. The man I've worked for for 24 years. He told me from day one he said, Marsh, I'm interested in things that create more business for me, but cost little to nothing. He said, If you could do that, you could be with me for a long time. So learn to be creative. Teach others how to be creative, how to use what they already have. Some of that is right here in their hands. It's just through the effort, and most of it is right here and applying it. And then if you're learning and you're in a position, you're interning or you're just here for a season. What things can you use that you already have that are all around you? Don't wish HR would buy more for you. No. Use what you got. Let's see what you got with it. Use it. Expand it, Think differently. That's that creativity side, man. It'll take you far beyond your ears The next one is be continuous learner and apply what you. So if you're learning, take on other areas there at work, you're not gonna be there forever anyway, in your mind, . So learn it, but also if you're teaching it, make sure man, you're bringing them something that's going to expand them, Push them to learn, push them to apply. Doing that right now with some managers that are doing some new things and they're having to unlearn. What they've learned for decades now, they gotta unlearn it, and now we're rewiring it. I gotta push 'em. Love my eyes. If I just let 'em, Hey, let me know how it goes. No, I gotta push 'em to do it because I push myself. And the last one while they're there with you, or while you're there with the company, first season. Learn the art of confrontation. Confrontation is not a bad thing. Learn how to productively confront fellow employees, management customers situations, confront those things. Don't let 'em build up and do it in a productive way. It's gonna come out messy sometimes it's gonna come out a little emotional at times. It's okay. Don't worry about that. You'll get. But through the reps, these five things, If you're teaching it or learning it while you're there, you can take and use these for the rest of your life. So whether we get a gold watch together, , or we just grab a beer and say, Man, it's been a great year. I wish you well. Either way. I've learned more because I taught it, and hopefully you've learned more. You can apply it. Remember, the greatest sale that you will ever make is sell you on you because you're more than enough. Stay amazing. Stay in the sales life.