Miller's Sales Blog Applying Character in Sales

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

An author (whose name I don't recall) wrote that we should set goals for ourselves that are within our own control. When we have goals that involve the decisions of others, we tend to manipulate and control others, which in turn leads to frustration and anger (or some other unhealthy reaction) when we don't achieve those goals. This author's solution was to distinguish between goals and desires. Missing a goal leads to frustration, but not reaching a desire leads to disappointment, and disappointment is preferred to frustration.

I read this shortly after the end of my first year as a sales rep at Sun when my main customer stopped spending in the second half of the year, because the federal courts overturned a law which had created their main market opportunity. Needless to say, I missed my goal that year, and it was very frustrating. Luckily I'm a reader and ran across this author that helped me deal with the frustration by retooling my thinking in differentiating between goals and desires. Since my sales were not totally within my control, hitting my numbers actually fell into the category of “desires” instead of “goals”. When my sales manager gave me my goal sheet in the following weeks, I explained the difference to him and protested that it should really be a “desire sheet”. He said, “I don't care what you call it, just sign it.”

When we read through the gospel account by Matthew, we come to chapter eleven where Jesus says: “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden (have high goals), and I will give you rest. Take My yoke (goal) upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentile and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke (goal) is easy, and My load (goal) is light.” (New American Standard Bible, words in parenthesis are my paraphrase).

Now we know why they call it “the good news”! Easy and light goals!!! Every sales rep's dream.

When I read this passage recently, it was like cool water to a thirsty soul. I was feeling weary and very heavy-laden, meeting with customers and partners during the days, getting calls from our area management about needing this and that, demands coming from everywhere... Then in the middle of this, Jesus says “Come to me... and I will give you rest.” I'm signing up for this; I need some rest!

But I ask myself, “How is His yoke easy and His load light?” In chapter twenty-two, verses thirty-seven through forty, He explains that all the rules and commandments in the Bible can be summarized in two things: loving God and loving others. All of that comes from within and is completely within our control. Compared to all the other demands we have on us for which we honestly don't have total control, this really is light and refreshing.

It enables me to develop a new and complete philosophy of life where my main goals are within my sphere of getting it done: I can take the Lord's yoke on myself by focusing on how I respond to Him and others. But do I forget about the “goal” assigned to me from my management? Not at all – the other key goal of my philosophy of life is: “Whatever you do, do your work as unto the Lord.” Again, how I work is within my control. At the beginning and throughout the day, I can remind myself that my goals are to respond well toward those I meet and work as though I was working for the Lord directly. While my boss may be the vice president on paper, in my heart I know I'm working for THE CEO.

Posted at 06:42AM Mar 18, 2008 by George Miller in Personal  |  Comments[3]