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ow many times have you heard a person say, "it wasn't my fault" about a lost sale? News flash: everything is your fault (or phrased differently-your responsibility). If we truly take responsibility for ourselves and as a leader to our sales teams, every- thing is our fault, because ultimately we are the only things we can control. A great leader can never be a victim and just as important a great leader cannot allow people on their team to be victims. We have all heard the phrase "crap hap- pens", but how we respond to it deter- mines whether or not a person is a victim. The same goes for your business, the econ- omy is not causing your business to strug- gle; rather, how your business is respond- ing to the economy is causing the struggle. To be a successful and victorious sales leader it takes a true commitment, time, strong coaching, a willingness to learn and to take calculated risks and most impor- tantly a refusal to be a victim blaming "the economy." Despite the economy you can motivate your sales team by taking respon- sibility and placing the correct emphasis on logical sales goals. There is no room for a realist in sales Sales people don't need to be realists; they need to be a blind optimist, it is finance's job to be realists. The finance department needs to be realistic in setting budgets and expenses based on current trends and forecasts to ensure the financial safety of the company. On the other hand the sales people need to only think of how they will achieve their sales regardless of the situation. When a sales person says "I am not a pessimist, I am realist", I know one of two things are true: 1) whatever goal or obstacle is causing them to make this statement will stop them from being successful, because they have already accepted it, 2) maybe they accidently came to the sales team from finance, and per- haps they need to go back to finance. This is not a punt on finance by any means; rather it is an understanding that each role and responsibility has its place for a team to be successful. In sales there is no room for realistic goals and realists. This does not mean that a goal should be a pipe dream, it does mean a goal or result should be logical. The difference between logical and realistic is that realistic has limitations based on someone's experiences and fears and logical deals only with the action and the allotted amount of time. The question every sales team should answer when they are faced with an obsta- cle is "what can we do to overcome this obstacle, then do it again?" If your life depended on it, could it be done? Great salespeople are visionaries who live a dream and find a way to make it happen. Market share versus industry status There are a lot of companies in today's economy blaming the economy and the their industry down turn for their results. This year it is the economy effecting sales, three years ago it was the competition cut- ting the prices and before that it was the competition had a competitive advantage. The economy is just another reason (excuse) why our sales are not where they need to be. This is not to say that the economy or budget restraints are not a real issue, but they are, and will always be an issue. The goal is the same, to increase sales, but the obstacles have changed. That does not mean there are more obstacles, just different reasons for not closing sales. The solution is to understand how the game has changed and change your game plan to make sure victory is the only solu- tion. For most businesses the solution is to increase market share. This requires a dif- ferent skill set than getting current cus- tomers to buy more or account manage- ment. This skill set is not new, but it may be a skill that many veteran sales reps or top sales reps have not used in a long time. The sales leader's job is to help get the top reps back into getting new clients. To win in sales is to take control of your top sales reps and veteran reps and develop a sales plan and practice. Victims blame others and situations for where they are in life or their per- formance and results. Victors and great leaders know that they cannot control every situation; rather they can control their response. We can prepare our best and change when our best is no longer working. Success and failure, both, are just a result of what a person or team does, and not a permanent state unless you chose it. The economy and belief between your ears will affect your success more than any stock market, government or competition. ★ Nathan Jamail, president of the Jamail Development Group and author of "The Sales Leaders Playbook," is a motivational speaker, entrepreneur and corpo- rate coach. As a former Executive Director for Sprint, and business owner of several small businesses, Nathan travels the country helping individuals and organizations achieve maximum success. His clients include US Army Reserves, Nationwide Insurance, Metro PCS, State Farm Insurance, Century 21, Jackson Nationa l Insurance Company and ThyssenKrupp Elevators. To book Nathan, visit www.NathanJamail.com or contact 972-377-0030. 46 R INK MAGAZ INE may/june 2010 rink issues ■ Sales STARrinks.com BY NATHAN JAMAIL H Don't be a victim, Bad Biz is your fault Stop Making Excuses for Your Sales Woes.

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