This is my first of several blogs delving into the origin and meaning of my sales leadership “Words of Wisdom” catchphrases. You can access the complete list here  stm360.com/blog/words-of-wisdom-for-sales-leaders

“You don’t have to like it, you just have to do it” is one of my favorite quotes and a frequent topic in my coaching conversations. It’s origin comes from the Navy SEAL community. Basically it describes a mindset of taking obstacles straight on, no matter how difficult or unpleasant they may be.

So how does this apply to sales and sales leadership?

The majority of people who choose a career in sales start in a BDR-type role - pounding the phones, getting rejected, day after day. BDRs can get very creative finding ways to 1) avoid making calls and 2) rationalize why calling doesn’t work. This is the first true test of a sales career. Is the person willing to come in everyday and LEARN to talk to people? Will they develop a “grind it out” mindset?

AEs are faced with a different set of unpleasant but necessary tasks such as travel, updating the CRM and going around gatekeepers. Sales leaders are required to frequently report up the chain, hold people accountable, fire non-performers and malcontents.

The point is, EVERY job comes with a set of tasks that are unpleasant and/or a grind.

If you find yourself hesitating to perform difficult parts of your job, you can take a step back and analyze why. Are you being lazy? Do you find those tasks boring? Are you afraid to act?

Or you can skip the analysis part, kick yourself in the ass and just get after it. That is my preferred method.

Don’t whine about it. Don’t think about. Just remember “You don’t have to like it, you just have to do it.”

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