Once you realize that you CAN do nearly anything anyone else is doing, and that you can succeed at a very high level doing it if you choose to make it a priority and decide to invest the time and effort to do so, your world of possibility opens up for you.
When I committed to becoming the number one sales producer in my company of 25 other sales reps, I achieved it in 90 days. Within 9 months, I was the number one producer out of five branch offices. And you CAN do it, too, if you choose to…
The exciting thing, though, is that a “can do” attitude is contagious. When you infect a whole team, a whole company, a whole family with a “can do” attitude, a lot of exciting things begin to happen. I always think of the impact one runner had on the world’s performance once he changed everyone’s attitude with his own accomplishment.
Many of you may have heard of Roger Bannister. He was the first man to run a mile in under four minutes. This may not seem so remarkable now, but before May 6th, 1954, it was an acknowledged and accepted fact that the human body was physically incapable of running a mile in under four minutes. Everyone knew it was impossible to even try. But Roger didn’t believe it.
He knew he could do it, and he was determined to keep trying until he did. He failed at the 1952 Olympics (he came in fourth), but he didn’t give up trying. A few years later, on an unlikely day and track (poor weather conditions, cold day and a wet track), Roger shattered the world record, and the world belief, as he flew down the last straight and finished the course with the incredible time of 3:59.4.
He had done the impossible and broke through the 4 minute mile.
As amazing as this was, what was even more amazing for the world of running was that just 46 days later, a runner named John Landy beat his time. And over the next few years, even more people broke through the four-minute mark. Suddenly, people realized that it could be done and they believed they, they did it as well.
The world is filled with stories like this, and in business, it is also true. I remember when our team of inside sales reps were given new customized scripts and offered a huge monthly bonus for the rep who used them to capture the most new clients. The previous record was seven in a month. Marty, an average rep before the new scripts and contest, rigorously adhered to them, worked hard, and by the end of the month, he hit 21 new clients! We were all floored.
But once that new record was set, we began believing that perhaps we could do it, too. And some of us did.
If you are a leader of a sales team, athletic team or head of a family or cause, start believing that you can. Then transfer that belief to your team. If you do, then soon you will amazed by what your team can and will accomplish.