The way of perfection - is all about mistakes
photo: Seppo Iivonen Martial arts aren’t all about fighting, they also have a bit of an artistic side as well (as the name states). S...
Martial arts aren’t all about fighting, they also have a bit of an artistic side as well (as the name states). Some styles, concentrate purely on that side and some use it very little. The way I understood the meaning of arts is having something deeper to concentrate on. It also gives you the path for constant development. Imagine a situation, where you apply a perfect counter strike and knockout your opponent, and still you master says that your guard was down during your kick. It would be hard to understand, why the result isn’t the one you would be looking for, but a perfect form.
In sales, one can have ready written scripts for sales conversations. Sometimes, these feel unprofessional and you might feel like, you can do better without asking bluntly the same questions all the time. More experienced salespeople have developed routines and have skills in developing conversations without scripts. They might get sales training and improvement tips from a constultant. But how do you ensure your skills improve after 10 years of sales experience?
Paying attention pays off
photo: Seppo Iivonen
I am using the same photo in
this post as previously in my other post (to evade, block or counter part 2). When I first saw this photo, I
felt quite happy of it. Then my master pointed out, that my thumb is
up. He told me that if I can’t control my thumb during a kick, I cannot
fully control the kick either. This may sound like a petty comment, but I
ensure you, it is not one. The hand with the thumb up, is not in my
control at that moment. What if my opponent had managed to evade the
kick and would be attacking me by kicking the thumb. I would have no
chance of blocking the kick and would hurt my thumb badly. If I can’t
control my whole body while kicking, I can’t fully control the situation
either.
While having sales conversations, I like to use SPIN-selling method. By using the method, I try to follow the pattern of asking questions first about the current situation and continuing to problems that the customer has with the current solution. Inexperienced salespeople provide answers and solutions to these problems, which she is clearly stating in her answers, whereas more experienced salespeople continue to ask influence questions. These questions point out, how the current solution with the problem cause more issues now and in the long run, the situation will get even worse. The final questions are called net payoff questions, where you will build up the feeling on how she would benefit by starting to do business with you. By fixing the current problem with a proper solution, she will have a better future.
In Martial arts, the concentration of a perfect form in movements, gives you a motivation to repeat the same techniques over and over again. There are always some small details that are out of your control, but when you learned to feel them and detect them while training, you can constantly improve your technique. It is very demanding to be in front of you master and receive feedback on your performance. But when you can find the reasons why you made that “mistake”, then you can start fixing them. In the long run, you will start feeling what do you do wrong while doing your movements and start fixing them on your own. This is the path of constant development.
A true martial artist is developing himself 24/7. You can, for instance, always walk with better control of your feet and improve your balance while walking. You can always concentrate on not spending extra energy, while you sit and not get your muscles tensed from sitting (if you sit in a chair for 8 hours a day, think how much tension your muscles get. What if you could improve your condition and not get worse? How much better would you get each day?). When you have a full concentration on developing yourself and fixing all the minor details, you can reach a high level as a martial artists. That is why, real masters have that special feeling when you meet them. They look very calm, happy and relaxed. Their eyes are full of wisdom, but they still have a good sense of humor. They are in control of everything and still they continue to improve their skills, even when they get older and older every year.
In sales, you constantly do these same kind of little mistakes. You interrupt your client, when she is explaining something. You become too eager to talk about you and what you have to offer, than to listen to what she really has to say and what she needs. These are rather easy to spot on your own as well. It is more difficult to realize that your questions and conversation skills are not up to date. You feel that the conversation was good and you have a solution or two in mind, which will be the basis of your upcoming offer. But she is not happy with the conversation and feels that she didn’t get any new information and will not accept your offer. These are the situations, when you need outside help (a master) to observe your sales meetings and give you honest detailed feedback. The more into details the feedback goes, the better for you.
While having sales conversations, I like to use SPIN-selling method. By using the method, I try to follow the pattern of asking questions first about the current situation and continuing to problems that the customer has with the current solution. Inexperienced salespeople provide answers and solutions to these problems, which she is clearly stating in her answers, whereas more experienced salespeople continue to ask influence questions. These questions point out, how the current solution with the problem cause more issues now and in the long run, the situation will get even worse. The final questions are called net payoff questions, where you will build up the feeling on how she would benefit by starting to do business with you. By fixing the current problem with a proper solution, she will have a better future.
Controlled concentration on fixing mistakes, is the key in self development
In Martial arts, the concentration of a perfect form in movements, gives you a motivation to repeat the same techniques over and over again. There are always some small details that are out of your control, but when you learned to feel them and detect them while training, you can constantly improve your technique. It is very demanding to be in front of you master and receive feedback on your performance. But when you can find the reasons why you made that “mistake”, then you can start fixing them. In the long run, you will start feeling what do you do wrong while doing your movements and start fixing them on your own. This is the path of constant development.
A true martial artist is developing himself 24/7. You can, for instance, always walk with better control of your feet and improve your balance while walking. You can always concentrate on not spending extra energy, while you sit and not get your muscles tensed from sitting (if you sit in a chair for 8 hours a day, think how much tension your muscles get. What if you could improve your condition and not get worse? How much better would you get each day?). When you have a full concentration on developing yourself and fixing all the minor details, you can reach a high level as a martial artists. That is why, real masters have that special feeling when you meet them. They look very calm, happy and relaxed. Their eyes are full of wisdom, but they still have a good sense of humor. They are in control of everything and still they continue to improve their skills, even when they get older and older every year.
In sales, you constantly do these same kind of little mistakes. You interrupt your client, when she is explaining something. You become too eager to talk about you and what you have to offer, than to listen to what she really has to say and what she needs. These are rather easy to spot on your own as well. It is more difficult to realize that your questions and conversation skills are not up to date. You feel that the conversation was good and you have a solution or two in mind, which will be the basis of your upcoming offer. But she is not happy with the conversation and feels that she didn’t get any new information and will not accept your offer. These are the situations, when you need outside help (a master) to observe your sales meetings and give you honest detailed feedback. The more into details the feedback goes, the better for you.
Not all mistakes are
crucial, but you need to be able to see mistakes everywhere, in order to
learn the method of spotting mistakes. Once you see yourself doing
those, you will start learning how to get rid off them and also, learn
how to develop your sales skills without external help. You will learn a
lot from books, podcasts and sales training, but it is wise to start to
get rid off your basic mistakes first. Otherwise, you won’t understand
what went wrong, when you don’t get a deal closed. Next time, when you
feel that you should have called a client before the end of the day,
call her immediately after the thought (no matter what time). Next time
you won’t forget to call her on time.
Everything you do, is done with a thought that this will get you closer to become a master. You train to get fit, go to bed early and sleep well, eat a healthy diet. Don’t waste your leisure time in something, that is not getting you closer to your goal. These are actually very simple steps, but very often hard to accept. Too often, people start making excuses like “I don’t want to quit drinking alcohol, since it is not actually that bad for my health and everybody else is drinking too” or “I don’t think you should try to lead a perfect life, you need a break sometimes”. Or “I have worked in sales for 20 years, so I know almost everything there is to know about sales. There are no tricks, just common sense of handling people”. Those all are valid excuses and all of us will accept them sometimes. But those are the reasons, you will not become a master.
What it takes to start aiming for perfection
Everything you do, is done with a thought that this will get you closer to become a master. You train to get fit, go to bed early and sleep well, eat a healthy diet. Don’t waste your leisure time in something, that is not getting you closer to your goal. These are actually very simple steps, but very often hard to accept. Too often, people start making excuses like “I don’t want to quit drinking alcohol, since it is not actually that bad for my health and everybody else is drinking too” or “I don’t think you should try to lead a perfect life, you need a break sometimes”. Or “I have worked in sales for 20 years, so I know almost everything there is to know about sales. There are no tricks, just common sense of handling people”. Those all are valid excuses and all of us will accept them sometimes. But those are the reasons, you will not become a master.
