The most satisfying feeling you can get in the gym is the "pump." - Arnie
You've gotta love how Arnie compares the pain of pushing to the point of explosion in his muscles to a climax and then goes on to say how he gets to feel this great in all aspects of his life. All the light is on the eleventh rep. All the success is right past the point of giving up and pure exhaustion. It's the exact same way in sales and prospecting. As Jeb Blount says, before you go home - ALWAYS MAKE ONE MORE CALL.
These quotes from Arnie contain so many parallels to modernized sales:
"Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.
For me. life is continuously being hungry. The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer.
If it bleeds, we can kill it.
The worst thing I can be is the same as everybody else. I hate that.
The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent.
It's simple if it jiggles, it's fat.
Milk is for babies. When you grow up you have to drink beer.
The best activities for your health are pumping and humping.
Bodybuilding is much like any other sport. To be successful, you must dedicate yourself 100% to your training, diet and mental approach."
I love the story of Jeb Blount buying a book on how to stop procrastinating which sat on his bookshelf for 3 years and then he sold it at a garage sale. He admits he has a PhD in procrastination. Don't we all!
We all default to the path of least resistance and easy way out as humans. HENCE why Social Selling is more popular than Pinkberry frozen yogurt in the world right now. If we can retrain our minds to seek the PUMP, the burn, that extra call, push, attempt after rejection and failure - our success is hidden in there.
As amusing and over the top as this post is, it's the truth of life and the elite performers are in athletics and sales.
Top earners in sales train their mind and the body!
You've got to develop your grit, mental toughness, sticktoitiveness, and self-discipline. You've got to approach sales with a Growth Mindset. Read about how Satya Nadella is transforming Microsoft's culture that way, "generating more than $250 billion in market value in just three and a half years." Wow!
Carol Dweck is the pre-eminent genius on Growth versus Fixed Mindset and even helped coach Satya on the Microsoft turnaround! Her theories are so grounded in what really works and help business, life, and parenting.
The greats 'fail forward' and are never done learning, growing, challenging themselves, and climbing to the next mountain peak (GROWTH). The mediocre give up on the 9th rep. If they're not perfect on day 1, why try? That's the myth of FIXED. Even Koby Bryant is still working on his basketball game and David Beckham - soccer.
The truth is that success in selling and prospecting is a high octane dedication to quality daily outbound activity every workday of a week - always. Consistency, persistency, and PMA - positive mental attitude. Visualize a positive outcome. Success is an inside job and starts with a decision internally to get fired up about doing more of the right things, that 20% that drives 80% of the results. Hint: ACTION.
How do you push yourself past the point of giving up? How do you stay motivated and maintain a growth mindset versus one that is fixed?
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Tony Hughes is ranked as the #1 influencer on professional selling in Asia-Pacific and is a keynote speaker and best selling author. This article was originally published on LinkedIn where you can also follow Tony's award-winning blog. Also, visit Tony's keynote speaker website at www.TonyHughes.com.au or his sales methodology website at http://www.rsvpselling.com/.