The Man With Two Watches Is Never Sure

Dear Colleague,

The old adage goes like this, “The man with one watch knows what time  it is. The man with two is never sure”, which begs the question…

Do you know what “time” it is?

The challenge with many sales professionals and entrepreneurs is they tend to be so creative and expressive, they loose laser focus of their real objectives. Why do some people tend to be more successful in their sales than others? Why do some sales people thrive when others meander through “challenging markets”? Why will some sales people and entrepreneurs earn major money and market share when others succumb to “corrections”, “adjusting markets” and “market gluts”?

The answer is…they are looking at only one watch. They know what time it is and there is no uncertainty about the time. There is no confusion.

Naysayers will submit the excuse that sounds like, “I am a realist. There is a definite softening in my market. The statistics prove it.” The reality is that line of thinking is evidence that you are wearing two watches. The man (or woman) with only one watch sees nothing but opportunity in any market.

The other reality is… even in markets where sales may be down as much as fifty percent, someone is selling the other fifty percent. Is it you?

There are three key elements to being in the “zone of sales success”. The first component is Intention. You may know it as focus, purpose, target or even your objective. Your Intention is the complete certainty with which you move toward your desired outcome. When you “wear two watches”, you can never be one hundred percent certain of your Intention. Your ability to focus on your desired outcomes and to block out peripheral opponents is the key to your success.

Peripheral opponents are the “other watches”. These opponents cloud your vision. They distort your focus. They cause confusion which, in turn, cause fear and disillusionment.

Your Intention is revealed by your laser focus and the certainty with which you work toward your objectives. In order to keep your Intention in line and reach your desired level of success (or better) it requires that you do the following:

• Be specific with your Intention. Areas of Intention for sales professionals include Prospecting, Follow-Up, Referrals, Asking for the Close, and being committed to finding solutions for your customers. The area in which most sales people fall short is asking for the sale. Why? The surface answer is a fear of rejection. The deeper, more truthful answer is a lack of Intention. The other watch in this scenario is the possibility of someone saying “no” to your sales proposition. “No” is the peripheral opponent. Your genuine Intention does not hear “no”. It hears, “what else do I need to do to get a ‘yes'”?
• Pay attention to what is working and continue do it better than before. Often, people will sabotage their own success out of fear of the unknown. In other words, they haven’t reached this level of success before and the uncertainty of the situation causes one to go back to what is familiar and comfortable. Have you ever had a banner month of sales and then follow it up with a lackluster effort the following month? Your subconscious put the brakes on because your Intention was not set to that level of success yet.
• Get clear with your Intention every day. You would not dare consider yourself a physical success if you only went to the gym once a month or three times a year. Your Intention is much more acute and requires regular attention and reinforcement. You may reignite your Intention in many ways. The most powerful way is to set aside a small amount of time early in the morning to get clear with yourself about your Intention. In this way, your focus remains in place through the day regardless of the fires you encounter or the situations you face. In essence, you are putting on one watch in the morning.
• Associate with other “one-watch-wearers”. It is a fact that you can measure your level of success by taking a look at your associations. Read books, listen to audio programs and mastermind with people of similar Intentions. There is enormous power in association. You don’t even have to associate with someone in your industry. In fact, cross-industry association is even more healthy for your powers of Intention.
• Finally, you must continue to upgrade your Intention. Personal and professional growth is essential to human fulfillment. Growth is a result of your ongoing assessment of how you will continue to challenge your Intentions and your possibilities. Your exterior accomplishments are a direct result of your inner improvements. In effect, you replace your one-watch with another new watch.

Thank you for taking time to read this article. So often, I am approached by sales people who attend my seminars and workshops asking me about the process, the system, the solution or the secret to real sales success. The answer is quite simply your dedication to your singular focus and Intention for sales success…or any other form of success for that matter.

Until we greet again in person, remember…”Success is YOUR choice. Choose well.”

– Paul Montelongo