Dynamic Sales Combustion

There is no denying that sales is not the dream career people typically strive for. But I’m sure you already knew that. As children, we share dreams of becoming doctors, astronauts, actors, singers, or professional athletes. Not one of my childhood friends ever said, “When I grow up, I want to sell…” insurance, used cars, cell phones, or anything else for that matter. I know that it never entered my mind. Why did you choose sales? I remember the exact moment I chose sales, or it chose me. It was more of a last resort than a career choice. I had absolutely loved my non–sales position in the entertainment industry, but that was short-lived. Like most newlyweds, Gina and I set exciting goals to buy a home, start a family, and travel the world. Have you ever set a goal, but life threw you a curve ball and made it tough to accomplish? A curve ball was hurled at us just ten months after we were married. Gina visited her doctor and heard three words that changed our lives forever... “You have cancer.” It was stage 3, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and we were told that it was growing very aggressively. Her oncologist prepared to start chemotherapy immediately and our goals quickly began to fade as we focused only on Gina’s situation. The next few days seemed like a blur and she was scheduled for her first cycle of chemotherapy. As they prepared her for the treatment, her oncologist pulled me aside and encouraged me to, “Keep Gina positive; keep her spirits high,” he said. Simple enough, right? At first, it seemed easy to think about being Gina’s source of positivity - her cheerleader to keep her in the right mindset. But it proved more difficult than I had anticipated as the realities of her diagnosis became evident. The chemotherapy alone caused her to become violently ill. She would undergo seven cycles of this treatment over the next twenty-one weeks, which ultimately had no effect on the cancer. Immediately after her diagnosis, Gina went onto disability and we would soon feel the tightening financial stress. I also knew that I did not have the time to drive through Los Angeles each day, work a full-time job, commute home, and fulfill the role of a caregiver. So, I searched for alternate career options and discovered an opportunity that appeared to provide me with the ability to control my time and income. This was exactly what we needed. The financial services industry required me to pass a few tests to become a licensed financial consultant. But there was a huge downside... it was all sales. Without a shred of sales training and with zero experience in the financial services arena, I had a life-changing decision to make. To make matters more difficult, I would not receive a salary, just commission. What was I thinking? Being in sales was foreign to me and I had a lot at stake, including my orders to keep Gina positive. I was the worst possible candidate for this type of job and I knew it. But what if it worked? I sat on the edge of Gina’s hospital bed and made the decision to become “Most Likely to Sell.” I pushed aside my hang–ups about selling and made a commitment to Gina to make this ‘sales thing’ work. My new career was off to a slow start. Income was not coming in as quickly as I had hoped. Although the dreams of being a successful sales agent were within reach, selling was far tougher than I had anticipated. My truck was repossessed, and our electricity was shut off. I was not achieving the results I had hoped for our situation was not providing my wife with positive thoughts. Instead of being a top producer, I found myself becoming an expert at preparing Top Ramen. Yes, it was only ten cents per bag. But often, that was all we could afford to eat. We kept positive attitudes, as much as we could. But if I was going to make my sales journey work, I needed an edge. So, I tried desperately to learn the secrets of successful sales people. I talked with the top agents in our office, intently studied sales books, and listened to inspirational seminars. I discovered that everyone in sales faced challenges, but some succeeded despite their difficulties. How do they do it? Some studies show that 8% of sales people generate up to 80% of the sales. I needed to be part of the 8%. Successful sales people are “going somewhere” and selling is a way of arriving at their destinations. But most fail to effectively operate their sales vehicle. Instead of cruising to their goals, they sputter and stall, rarely achieving the acceleration needed to succeed. Their challenges are often greater than their vehicle’s capabilities and when the “Check Engine Light” comes on, they quickly experience high levels of frustration. I may have started my sales career during less-than-optimal circumstances, but I could not afford to stall. I needed an engine to provide unlimited power to my vehicle. What if I could create a sustainable sales engine and experience dynamic sales combustion? I did! And by doing so, I did much more than just power my sales vehicle, I discovered my true potential. I now train sales professionals across the country on the ground–breaking techniques in this book. Dynamic Sales COMBUSTION is more than just theories, it is an instruction manual to creating your own high-performance sales engine and achieving the transformational sales results you need. If you are ready for new levels of success, Dynamic Sales COMBUSTION will introduce you to a transformational new way of selling, for you and your team. It’s time to get in your vehicle, buckle up, and start your sales engine.