Why Do They Always Preach You Have To Be #1?

I am currently reading another sales book, and invariably there is a quote from someone who is the #1 rep in the country and how they became so successful.  I always laugh when I read these quotes because these people are so full of themselves, and basically full of shit.

When Robert Ringer wrote the book "Looking Out for #1", he didn't intend for people to use it as a justification to be jerks and walk all over people.  He wrote it to help people take control of their lives, and not get bogged down by other people's issues.  Yes it is a manifesto for selfishness, but suddenly everyone wants to be #1.  And the focus in every corporate sales culture is on being #1.  Why? Because it's a sign of success.  Well aren't you still successful if you're number 2 or 3 or even 4? I know a lot of number 1's, including myself, and believe me, we're nothing special.

Consequently I put together a list of 5 qualities it takes to be number one:

1. It Helps To Be Lucky - I remember an operations VP at a company I worked for had a placard on his door that read,
  “I'm a greater believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it”

― Thomas Jefferson

Well Thomas Jefferson never worked in sales. Sometimes being in the right territory, at the right time, with the right quota, can make all the difference between being number 1 and being number 101.  Years ago, I interviewed the number one rep in the country at my company, because he was up for a promotion to management, and my branch needed a sales manager.   

I asked him, "What did you do to have so much success at such a young age, and in such a short time with our company?"

"One word. Sony.", was his answer.

"What do you mean exactly."

" I sold Sony.  It's the largest account in the company to date. Of course I had help from Greg my GM and Jeff the manager.  But it made my year."

" What about other accounts?  What other accounts did you sell besides Sony?"

He laughed and said, "What other accounts did I need to sell , when I sold Sony?"

He explained the entire sale to me, and in reality this kid, and he was a kid, walked into a territory and a situation where Sony was already about to close, and he just happened to be the rep in the territory at the time.  He seemed well spoken, well dressed, and ridiculously cocky.  Needless to say, I didn't hire him as my sales manager.  The little prick just got lucky.

2. A "Good" Attitude -  Positive mental attitude is what everyone preaches for you to be a successful rep.  What the hell does that mean?  I don't have a positive attitude and yet I've been in the top 5 as a rep and manager at several companies.  And currently I am the number one rep in my region and number two in the country.  And as your reading this, do I sound like Professor Positive?  The answer is NO!

However, it is essential for you to have a good attitude and not get bogged down with whining. A top sales person, has to overcome ALOT to be successful, so just keep focused on your goal, which is to make money.   I whine a lot and then I get over it, but if you just keep on whining and don't try to stop, then you turn from a whiner into a wiener.  And nobody likes a wiener. 

3. Confident Not Cocky - I've met a lot of number one's who are cocky.  Why?  Because they're number one.  But they don't always stay number one, and when they have a bad year, because the bar is now just to high for them to reach it, for some reason they remain cocky, and blame it on everyone else.  The name for that person is "asshole", and I'm happy to see them fail.

However, a confident person, is one who knows their own abilities, and trusts enough in themselves to achieve their goal(s). And a confident person never flaunts their success. That type of behavior should be beneath them, and reserved for someone who is cocky.  Trust in your abilities and you will do well in sales. 

4. You Need To Actually Like People - I have never met a successful sales person who didn't enjoy being around people.  Not selling to people, but just being around them, and engaging in conversation.  Number one reps, just like any other salesperson, genuinely like people.  Most good reps find people fascinating, and they want to hear their "stories", this leads to understated trust with the prospect or customer, and helps that rep sell.  Me I find that as I get older, I find people less fascinating and more annoying, but I am able to overcome this issue with a good attitude...plus I sell to people I like which helps.

5. Focus And Fun, Focus On Fun - I combined these two together because a top rep maintains focus on their goals, but also on fun.  This will help with your attitude as well, because if you go out and try to enjoy yourself each day, then you will have fun.  If you're too focused on your goal, then all the fun is taken out of the job.  Who the heck wants to be in sales if you can't have fun?  That's the whole reason we're involved in this profession.  

I interviewed a few number one reps for this posting, and one of them told me specifically: 

"I get up every morning at 6:00 am, check my numbers, and then I focus on what I want to accomplish that day, and how I can make it more fun for the customer. That's it. Nothing special. "

When you're out there in the field, it is important to strive to be successful, but not everyone can be Numero Uno.  There can only be one.  But it's okay if you're number 3,4, or even number 20.  Just so long as you feel good about who you are, and where you're at.

Have a great day selling!

-M