The essence of building a remarkable sales team can be encapsulated in the classic "stonecutter short-story."
There are several versions of the story, and several ways to interpret its timeless lessons. It powerfully illustrates the importance of perception in your approach to your business, relationships with your team and clients. Do you see yourself as busting rocks, earning a living, or leaving a legacy? And what difference does your view of things make?, this story demonstrates that there is great value in seeing the bigger picture.
One day a traveler, walking along a lane, came across three stonecutters working in a quarry. Each was busy cutting a block of stone. Interested to find out what they were working on, the traveler asked the first stonecutter what he was doing. "I am cutting a stone!" Still no wiser the traveler turned to the second stonecutter and asked him what he was doing. “I am cutting this block of stone to make sure that it’s square, so I can make a living.” Still unclear, the traveler turned to the third stonecutter. He seemed to be the happiest of the three and when asked what he was doing, he replied: “I am building a temple.”
So what’s the point here?
That your experience depends on how you hold things in your mind – and it’s one of the keys for going from good to great.
The current economy is tough; there’s just no question about that.
But the question is this: Are you struggling in a lousy economy (chipping away at a large block of stone) or are you searching for ways to be as nimble and flexible as possible to adapt to new realities? Are you resentful of customers and clients who now seem to have the upper hand because they hold the cards, or are you upping your game to a whole new level of authentic relationships (building a temple)?
Even in the toughest of economic times, people don’t stop spending money, which means businesses don’t have to stop making money. They may, however, have to do some things differently and be willing to make some fundamental shifts in the way they view what’s going on.
Willingness to Adapt
The traditional vendor-customer relationship is a thing of the past. Buyers have unprecedented access to Information, and the next vendor is just a click away.
Things are also being automated at an unprecedented rate. According to Dan Pink’s book, A Whole New Mind - Abundance, Automation and Asia (outsourcing) are turning the business landscape on its head.
Many companies have failed to make the necessary adaptations to successfully compete in the new world order and the new economy.
As it turns out, Darwin’s “survival of the fittest” theory is not confined to biology. Some of the most valuable lessons can be learned from the companies that made the endangered species list during past times of economic strife in America. .
Great companies adapt to the current climate, They evolve, and they continue to grow for generations. They prepared properly by making wise but difficult decisions – where to focus, what to sacrifice, who to empower, how to leverage what they have, and how to maintain a winning mindset during a period increasingly characterized by failure.
So which is it for you?
Joe
