sales training blog - startup sales mentor

It is interesting how things sync up in life if you are just paying attention. The receiving of this question paralleled a potential client giving me an amazing little book titled: 212 The Extra Degree by S.L. Parker. For the review, if you are familiar with my format, I give it 10’s across the board. If you do not know my format, when you are done reading this, click on the book review category to see from other posts how I rate books. This little tome took me less than an hour to read, and in that hour I was again transformed by a simple concept spelled out clearly. Now, to the question:

Question:

Is .9999 repeating the same as 1?

Answer: 

While I am quite certain that this week’s question was sent to me as a joke, the sender could not have known the significance in their timing. In Parker’s boo, he shares some statistics from sporting events and other activities. One of these is close finishes at the Olympics and there is one event that is so close that the difference between gold and fourth place is .o7 seconds. I want you to imagine four people passing you in .07 seconds. Actually, I want you to try and register .o7 seconds.

Now, think about the question again. If the person in fourth place had done one more push up a day, ten more feet of running daily, focused one iota harder at the beginning of the race, they could have transformed from unknown to a medal winner. The answer to your question is yes, and the difference is tremendous! Now let’s translate this difference to sales. In sales, what is the reward for finishing second. Last time I checked it was nothing. If it happens often enough, perhaps a pink slip. In sales that infinitesimal point zero ad infinitum one is enough to cost you a client, a commission,  and all that comes with success. If you cannot see the difference and you are in sales, in my opinion you will not be in sales for long. If you cannot see the difference and want to, buy Parker’s book (There is a link to your left). It will open your eyes… it reopened mine.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.