My flight was delayed due to a maintenance issue.
The guy sitting next to me is so pissed off.
He’s yelling.
“Why can’t I get on the plane? Why do I have to sit out here?”
“Unbelievable. First a weather delay, now another delay. This airline sucks!”
Focusing on things you don’t control is a recipe for being upset and pissed off all the time.
The cause?
As Ryan Holiday says, “Your ego is the enemy.”
The tell is the word “I”.
We’re wired to be self-centered. We only see things through our lens.
Here’s the thing.
Maintenance and weather aren’t something airlines do to you. It’s how airlines protect you.
There are always multiple lenses to view things from.
What does this have to do with sales?
Salespeople focus on things that they don’t control all the time.
Getting meetings. Closing deals. Quota.
The problem?
When you focus on the things you don’t control, your ego attaches your self-worth to an extrinsic reward (meetings/sales).
When you don’t get your desired outcome, you feel anxious and rejected.
The way out?
Do away with having expectations.
Let go of things you don’t control.
You don’t control:
-Quota.
-Your territory.
-How people interpret your message or if they respond.
-When of if people buy.
-The weather.
-Maintenance issues.
You do control:
-How you respond to setbacks or objections.
-What you say.
-How you say it.
-The number of people you reach out to.
The joy of selling (and life) happens when you let go of things you don’t control.
Dissolve your ego (simple but not easy).
Focus on the process, not the outcome.
Fishing, not catching fish.