Since the start of the year, I've had the opportunity to speak at several 2009 sales kickoff meetings. Not surprisingly, my main theme is "how to win in challenging times". Many attendees have asked me for a copy of my talk - I am posting the highlights in this week's blog....

• Many successful sales people and sales managers have made their careers during tough times. The "A" players and potential "A" players exhibit skills and attitudes that separate them from the pack.
• Most sales people will use the current economic climate as an excuse to check out. This is a huge mistake. If you plan to go on cruise control until the economy picks up, you don't have the mental toughness to succeed in sales.
• Sales people and sales managers who win in tough times follow this formula:

1. They accept reality and don't pine for the good old days
2. They never whine on how bad things are - and stay away from people who do
3. They look at their personal circumstances and ask "Based upon what is in front of me this year, how can I get to a better place?"
4. They define reasonable goals that if achieved, would make the year a win. Goals are both quantitative (revenue, new accounts acquired, number of people in network, etc.) and qualitative (improve prospecting skills, become industry expert, etc.).
5. At the end of every day, they ask themselves if they gave 100% effort. If yes, they consider the day a win.
6. They all share the common belief that if you continue to do the right things in the right way, results will eventually come.
• I am excited about these times. The long stretch of economic prosperity has made us too soft. I am amazed at how many people feel entitled to a certain level of income and success. These people can kiss their lifestyles goodbye.
• Don't sit back and let 2009 do bad things to you - identify opportunities to get to a better place and make a commitment to do so.