Two Things I Wish I Knew Earlier in My Career.

The Obsession

Edition - 027

Welcome to The Obsession, glad you're here.

Everything is sales. You’ve probably heard this before, and while there’s some truth to it, it’s relevant whether you’re in a traditional sales role or not. I hope these insights help you in your work.

Here are two reminders that have recently been beneficial to me:

1. You Matter

If you’re in your 20s, and you’re part of a sales team, you might have a  title like internal, analyst, hybrid, vice president, consultant, or something else. This role is often a stepping stone to something bigger. 

In this junior position, I’ve found it to be a game changer take ownership of all sales activities.

It can be easy to pass off wins to your senior partner, but I challenge you to truly own them. This shift in mindset changes how you work and think about your contributions. Without you, the win might not have happened. You are a key part of the team, and the team might not have been able to succeed without you.

Hiring talent is the number one pain point I hear from my clients. If you’re part of a team, I promise you’re making a bigger impact than you realize.

A practical way to track your impact is to keep a record of your activities, either weekly or quarterly. This allows you to reflect on your achievements throughout the year. At the end of the year, you can look back and see all that you’ve accomplished.

2. Your Efforts are Respected

It’s easy to feel down when your efforts don’t yield immediate results. However, I’ve learned from clients that they truly appreciate every personal touch. Every event invite and follow-up conversation is valued, even if they don’t respond immediately.

My encouragement to you is to maintain your motivation to break through with that one client. Keep up the polite persistence, and it will pay off, even if it takes years.

Take a step back and think about it. They have clients just like you and at the end of the day we are all playing some version of the same game. 

To Close

My point in sharing is that I went though this process of learning these things so far in my career and if you are just starting out, learning this sooner might help you get over the hump you are facing. 

What has been a game changing thought for you in your career?

The Weekly 3

1) One Question I Asked Myself

Am I giving myself enough credit for the wins I've helped create, or am I passing them all off to someone else?

2) One Idea That Shifted Me

The people you're trying to reach notice more than they respond. Your effort is landing, even when your inbox says otherwise.

3) One Challenge to Take Into Your Week

Start a running list of your wins this week, calls made, meetings set, relationships moved forward. Don't wait until the end of the year to realize how much you've done.