The Sales Boss

CHAPTER 20 The Business of You

Sales Bosses understand that, ultimately, they are self-employed and work for themselves. You must have the mindset of an entrepreneur who recognizes that success and failure are fully your responsibility. As the Sales Boss, you are in the business of you. No matter what company you have chosen to attach yourself to, your income is predicated on what you have done and what you have failed to do. You don’t get credit for your sales plan or what you intended to do. You get credit for what you actually produce. Unlike almost any other role in the company, your value is measured by a black-and-white measuring stick of revenue generated for the company and, typically, you are only as good as your last quarter. Past wins are soon forgotten as the pressure of today’s shortcoming in sales grows larger. The only remedy is sales. Sales fix everything. This is the reality of a Sales Boss’s life. It takes a unique personality to be able to operate with this level of unending pressure, but the Sales Boss thrives in this environment.

Recognizing that you are in the business of you means that you take care of yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally. You are responsible for filling yourself up with the things that will inspire, refresh, and energize you. These things will give you the ability to give of yourself to the team. I’d like you to reflect for a minute on a couple of questions and, rather than simply read these questions, actually answer them. ...