You Get What You Get When You Do What You Do!

Credit: Bill Gillespie

Years ago I got mad at my P&C Insurance guy. Our auto rates took, what I considered to be, an unfair jump. I shopped around, found a less expensive option and made the switch. I showed the dude who was boss and saved money in the process.

Then…I got a phone call. “Bill, we’re unable to offer you insurance. I apologize but underwriting has declined coverage.

I was stumped. “Why not,” I asked. The agent responded, “you were not truthful on your application. You told us there were no citations.”

I was stumped again. I explained, “I don’t have any citations.” The agent said, “I know. But Mrs. Gillespie does. She was ticketed on 985 for doing 96 in a 55.” I was dumbfounded. She hadn’t told me. It happened six months earlier.

I called a third company, shared the whole story, secured coverage and spent a fortune doing so. I’ll skip the husband/wife conversation details. There is nothing to be gained by sharing how that went. I still can’t figure out how her ticket managed to be my fault. We can explore that later.

What does this have to do with selling? More than you think. Behavior drives outcomes.

You get what you get when you do what you do. Tomorrow’s sales come from seeds you plant today. If you don’t prospect, you won’t grow targets. If you don’t grow targets, you’ll run out of places to call. If you don’t make calls, you won’t add appointments. If you don’t make appointments, you won’t sell stuff. If you don’t sell stuff, you won’t earn commissions.

It isn’t any more complicated than that. You can’t cheat, sneak or pray your way into good numbers. Sales success depends on doing what works.

Selling is unforgiving too. Every coworker can see your success or lack of it. No other position is as visible as sales. Every employee knows if you’re bringing in work. They know if you’re not working.

Selling rewards hard, consistent work more than talent. The really good news is you don’t have to be good at it to succeed. You just have to do the work. Doing that puts you ahead of almost everyone else. If you do the work, you’ll sell stuff. If you sell stuff, you’ll make money! Selling is Simple!

Her Ladyship liked to drive fast in her fancy sports car. It cost a great deal for her to do so. You get what you get when you do what you do. It’s exactly the same in print sales.