As the young sales professional entered my office for a 15-minute coaching session arranged by his General Manager, I could sense his anxiety as our discussion began. After some small talk, we turned our attention to his big question. I knew in advance about his story and his desire to truly become a professional at the business of sales. His GM had provided the question to me in advance of our meeting:

"What is the secret to increasing your income year after year in sales?"

There Is No Secret

I was very direct in our session that there is no secret, no magic wand, and no fairy dust to be sprinkled that creates a consistent increase in your personal income. Wouldn't that be nice if we could magically ascend to some stratospheric income level without any effort? The secret is out, and it's this: "Some people simply want it more than others, and they are willing to do the work required to increase their income more than others."

Winners Win and Losers Lose

A winner does everything the average salesperson does - and a little bit more. The winner gets up early and prepares for his or her day...and a little bit more. The winner makes follow up calls...and a little bit more. The winner prospects every day...and a little bit more. The winner closes...and a little bit more. The winner practices...and a little bit more. The winner sets up goals and pursues big dreams...and a little bit more. The winner, in fact, does whatever it takes to win, and then they do...a little bit more.

The Thin Line

The loser is actually just like the winner because the line between the two is thinner than you can imagine. The loser gets up early, prepares, makes calls, prospects, studies, practices, sets goals and yes, he or she even has dreams. The losers do almost everything required to win, but they do a little bit less. They experience rejection, and they stop calling. They almost reach their quota, but they go home early. They are so close to their goal, they can see it, but they stop short of the little bit more that is required to win at the highest level.

The Difference

As I shared these words with the young sales professional, I could see his eyes widen as he began to understand the message. It wasn't what he expected to hear, but it was coming through loud and clear. How badly do you want to increase your income? How much does it mean to you to achieve this goal? If I said, "Get up two hours earlier very day," would you? If I said, "Double your contacts every day," would you? If I said, "Practice a minimum of one hour a day every day," would you? If I said, "Start a learning library and read 20 minutes every day," would you? The difference is the winner will do and the loser will not do these "little" things. The real question is, "Do you want to be a winner, or can you live with losing?" The choice is definitely yours!

Moments of Decision

I encouraged him to go away and make a decision about his future. Decide which of the two groups described below you will be part of starting today.

Group 1: The whiners who do almost enough and then complain about how bad their life is because they don't have enough money. The "bellyachers" who hang out with negative people and then wonder why they have poor results. The complainers who arrive on time, leave early, and then blame others for not achieving their goals. The genuine "wannabes" who do everything necessary but just a little bit less than is required. This group of people all live in the "land of mediocrity" and hang out with the "Fellowship of the Miserable."

Group Two: The winners who get up every day with a burning desire to be somebody special. The winners who believe it is their duty and responsibility to provide for their family. The winners who practice, drill, and rehearse not until they get a technique right...they practice until they never get the technique wrong. The winner refuses to associate with anyone who operates negatively. The winner who values their time and uses it well to contact as many people as they need to in order to achieve their goals and dreams.

The winner who studies relentlessly, reads relentlessly, follows up relentlessly, who loves the grind, the rejection, the setbacks and thrives on the pressure because they know in the end, they will win. This special person just does it and does it and does it until the job gets done. Then they do it again and again and again. They hustle and execute...and a little bit more.

Take Massive Action

In closing, it's all about your personal choices. Once you decide which group you want to join, it will become self-evident how much personal action is required. Will you get tired? Yes. Will you have disappointments? Yes. Will you get your teeth kicked in? Yes. Will you be challenged? Yes. Will it make you look deeply within yourself to find that extra gear and effort necessary to win? Yes. Will you ultimately win in the end? Yes...and a little bit more.

Make a difference today.

Remember, It All Matters,

— Paul

Find out about Paul Cummings University demos here.

About the author: For over 30 years, Paul Cummings has taught dynamic life changing strategies on sales, customer service, communication, building a better business, and leadership. Millions have had the opportunity to learn what it means to live and work at Level 10.