If I had a nickel for every person I have trained, I would be fairly rich. If I had a nickel for every person I have trained who didn’t really know if they could do their job, well, I’d be filthy rich! Why? Because the majority of people I train today are there by circumstance rather than by choice. And while a seasoned sales trainer or motivational speaker can harness the circumstance to build a better, stronger salesperson, it is always easier to deal with the issues up front.

3. The Productive, “Sell More” Achiever Asks Two Questions:

A. Can I do the job; and

B. Do I like it well enough to actually do it?

I remember a job I had for one day. I was working at a drycleaner establishment. My job was to stand by a circular steel table and turn pants pockets inside out. I understood what I was supposed to do. I could do it, although my heart wasn’t in it. I was bored silly. I took the job because I needed a job and the money. I decided, however, that even though I could do the job, I would not do it. So I subsequently quit the job and looked around until I got a job that I liked better. Even though we understand and can do the job, if we hate it, or aren’t challenged by it, we won’t be very productive, and certainly not fully empowered.

As every good sales trainer and motivational speaker knows it is a real skill to get people to do something NOW! It’s a skill to get people to act and to do so quickly. Leaders don’t want to have to pull the fire alarm every time they need forward movement! So how do we get people to do it now?

4. The Productive “Sell More” Achiever Does It Now

In other words, don’t procrastinate. A person doesn’t need a fire under his or her butt to get moving! Let there be immediate production—no wasted time—no coming to work late—no extended breaks—no missed days of work. All of these interfere with “DOING IT NOW.” That sounds like my dad yelling at me as a kid. Ha! But now that I’m almost 50 and have realized that I’m not the world’s smartest guy, well, it is good advice!

A sales trainer friend of mine, who is a great believer in efficiency, hung up a sign in his office one day. It read, “Do it now.” Within 24 hours the cashier bolted with the contents of the safe, his stenographer eloped with his eldest son, the office boy threw the ink bottle into the electric fan, and the whole office force took the afternoon off. That’s not what we mean by “DO IT NOW.”

Recently while in Dubai on a speaking trip, I had the CEO of a large Middle East company ask me a question, “Big Al,” he said, “How can I get my people to do things right?” That seems to be the question of the day doesn’t it?

5. The Productive, “Sell More” Achiever Does It Right

Strange, isn’t it, that there’s always time to do it over? So why not take the time to do it correctly in the first place? Leaders and sales trainers know that success and empowerment in the work place will come by consistently doing the job right.

Many of the major car manufacturers have allowed their assembly line workers to move from one section of the line to another to “follow” the product from start to finish. They don’t give extra pay or extra benefits for those moves. By allowing the employees to be involved from beginning to end, the productivity increases and the employees develop pride in the finished product. At the same time, mistakes and sabotage decrease radically.

For years, sales trainers and sales managers have given great encouragement to their people. Helping to lift the spirits of those under their careful watch is, at best, a never ending job. Today we’ll take a quick look at helping people to do their best!

6. The Productive “Sell More” Achiever Does Their Best

I am talking today about pride of workmanship. Most sales trainers have little time for the person who says, “That’s good enough.” That statement implies that if we took more time and paid more attention, we could have done better. Sales trainers and strong leaders know that “good enough” is clearly not!

That’s All I’ll Ever Ask

Some years ago, Winston Lloyd who later became one of America’s top foreign policy experts, began his career as an aide to then Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Lloyd relates the story of his first encounter with Kissinger. He presented the secretary with a long awaited report on conflicts in South America. Without even glancing at the report, which Lloyd was handing to him, Kissinger asked, “Is this the very best you can do?” Lloyd stammered a bit, and said there were a few informational gaps. “Take it back,” was all that Kissinger said, and dismissed him.

Asking for help is a key ingredient in the success of many of today’s greatest success stories! Every sales trainer and motivational speaker knows the great value in getting people to ask for help!

7) The Productive “Sell More” Achiever Asks For Help

Many a manager has asked, “Why in the world didn’t you call me sooner?” Well, we thought we could work it out. Or we didn’t want anyone to know that we lacked some knowledge. But time is money. And the empowered manager knows that all the time you were trying to figure something out, it was costing him money for your non-productiveness. And when he comes to bail you out, the problem is most likely worse, than had you called for help right away. That’s costly. Remember that knowledge is power, but applied knowledge is even more powerful.