How Clear is Your Mirror?

I use this phrase with my clients all the time, “be sure to use a clear mirror when you are looking at your own performance or those who report to you.” I have found this is much easier said than done. For some reason, sales people and sales leaders do not do a good job of self-assessing or accurately assessing their team members. Do you use a clear mirror? Do you self-assess? Of course you do... but do you self-assess accurately? People always say, “I’m my own worst critic...” but I don’t often find this to be true with sales professionals. Let’s take a short quiz. It is really short…. and will take you less than a minute.

One a scale of 1-10, rank yourself in the following sales categories/fundamentals:
1. Prospecting
2. Appointment dialing
3. Meeting preparation
4. Presentations
5. Client rapport  
6. Follow up
7. Negotiating
8. Closing
9. Client retention
10.Upselling business

So….how did you fare? Were most of your scores 7 or below? If so, you’re probably doing a fairly good job self-assessing. If you found yourself tooting your own horn with scores 8 and above… then you’re really not doing a great job of self-assessing.  I know… some of you are getting angry right now thinking I don’t even know you so how could I know if you’re a true “9” when you appointment dial?
So let me ask you this… what was your filter? There are two filters you can use:

1. How you perform against your peers/How your company measures your success
2. What you believe could be your personal best

 Are you measuring yourself against what you believe is your personal BEST or how you perform against your peers?  If you’re measuring against your peers, you are not self-assessing accurately.  Who cares how you stack up against others?  How do you stack up against yourself?  If we asked Tiger Woods to take a quiz to rank himself on the 10 fundamentals of golf, do you think he’d score himself based on how he does against his peers or what he thinks his potential is? You know the answer… if he ranked himself against his peers he allows no room for growth… no room to get BETTER!

This is what I mean by self-assessing and using a clear mirror. Your personal BEST is all you can be. Stop measuring yourself against your peers – start thinking about what YOUR personal best is. The minute you stop learning, growing, developing and achieving MORE than you ever thought possible… is the minute you should just get out of sales. It’s all about YOU – and YOUR capabilities. If you start thinking like this, you’ll achieve things you NEVER thought possible.

Parents…  want a tip to teach your children to self-assess at a young age? Next time they ask “Mom, how did I do at my soccer game today?” Bite your tongue before you say “You were awesome honey! I’m so proud of you!” Instead ask first, “How do you think you did?” Children begin self-assessing and self-correcting at a very young age. You’ll be amazed at the variety of answers you get. Try it… let me know how it goes.

Mirror still foggy? Call me……………913.908.8348 or email me at tara.renze@prospectstopartners.com