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More Money, More Flextime: The Lesson of the Jar by: Thomas W. McKee
Salespeople are highly motivated by the need to hear
the word "Yes." But hearing "yes" is not a lottery
spin. It's the end result of an intelligent game plan
and daily execution.
But how do you construct an intelligent game plan
and organize daily patterns of execution?
Recently I was teaching a sales seminar. I took a
clear gallon jar and filled it to the top with several
large rocks. "Is the jar full?" I asked. Some people
answered "yes," and some "no."
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Then I took
handfuls of small gravel and loaded them into the jar
and asked, "Is the jar full?" This time they were on to
me. "No," they said. And they were right. They
watched me pour fine sand into the jar until it topped
off. "Is the jar full?" I asked. "What next?" they
asked. "Water!" I took a picture of water and filled
the glass jar to the very brim. Then I changed the question. "What is the lesson of the jar?" I asked. "That you can always cram more into a day!" "That when we think we are done, there is always more we can do" These were some of the responses I got. "No. That is not the lesson of the jar," I responded. Then I asked them, "If I had not put the large rocks into the jar first, would I have been able to put them in later?" They understood this immediately and a rumble went around the room. Before I was able to explain, many had grasped the lesson. It was necessary that the productive activities of their day come first. If this did not happen, their time would be continually cluttered with insignificant time wasters. They could see that if they were not careful, by the end of the day, they would be left with a jar of sand, and a handful of unplaced rocks. They had grasped the lesson of the jar. From there we began to construct a game plan leading to daily execution. Experts say it takes three weeks for a routine to become a daily habit. These salespeople were eager to develop habits which would begin each day with significant events, move smoothly through secondary priorities, and have a sense of satisfaction at the end of the day. The rest of our sales seminar focused on clearly defined methods for developing daily sales habits to fill the jar to overflowing. Here are three of the principles we established together:
Put Procrastination to Work!This rock has brought me the most success. It can turn a liability into an asset. For example,
Make a list of the next day's calls and phone numbers before leaving the office.
Keep a Daily Prospect Log
Track key information
Discover New Prospects Every Day
Harvest past prospect lists By the end of the seminar we had a crew of salespeople who now knew how to fill their days more productively, and who could move from big beginnings to fulfilling endings with more flex time and greater capacity for making money. Free Consultation
Be one in a hundred. Research shows that only one in a hundred attend training seminars, and those who do are among the most successful people in their organization. Advantage Point Systems, Inc. provides specialized training in communication, decision making and team building.
Seminars are great – it's our business; however, private coaching is the most cost effective and productive way to learn and practice correctly what you learn. We will work with you to observe, teach and coach your staff to be leaders who can manage change because of strong leadership skills.
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Dig your own well before you're thirsty. -- Harvey Mackay One-Stop Training Few managers have the time, budget or the expertise necessary to manage the numerous training and motivation specialist's needs to mount an effective continuing education program. Now, there is a powerful cost and quality alternative to costly training. We are able to offer you the following services at below-market prices. Team Building Retreats Spend one or two days away from the office with your managers for a special team building event. We will plan the retreat with team building activities. Consulting Services/Needs Analysis
Motivation Sessions
Get everybody together for an hour that will remind them to believe in themselves. It's a great reward for a job well done (and a powerful motivator for a job about to be done). The following are successful motivational sessions:
The Firehouse Syndrome: Effective vs. Efficient Management
Just When I Learned to Speak, Everyone Stopped Listening! -- Speaking to the "Sound Bite" Generation
How to Make the Team Work: The Power of Synergy
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