Mind Your Mindset

Having the right mindset goes beyond having a cheerful, positive outlook (although that's important, too) to being open-minded about constantly learning and adapting to the always-changing sales landscape. Top performers are open-minded when it comes to continual improvement. They believe in consistently working on their craft, they're open to new ideas, and they have a positive outlook on continually learning and implementing new approaches in the pursuit of improved sales performance. Top performers actively search for new ways to do things better.

In observing thousands of sales professionals across hundreds of organizations, we have identified scores of characteristics that are consistent among them. For example, top performers are consistently looking for ways to improve and get better. They're always looking to grow. When they think back to when they started out in their careers, they recognize that over the years they've grown professionally by asking for advice, reading widely, keeping up on industry trends, and seeking training. Today's top-performing sales professionals, regardless of tenure, are always looking to improve. Why? Because they know that success in the past doesn't guarantee success in the future. They also realize that it can be way too easy to become relaxed, to get too comfortable, or to become regimented in their approach to sales. When that happens, it's easy to become close-minded to new ideas. When that happens, it's easy to stop learning new things, to quit working on their craft, to stop practicing.

Resistance and complacency are not at all uncommon among lower performers. Our research has revealed that lower performers—those sales reps who typically find themselves ranked among their colleagues as having the fewest sales, the smallest sales, and infrequent sales—really don't want to change. They view change as a lot of work, work that might well be undertaken with little payoff. They resist change, whether out of fear or laziness or arrogance. This can manifest itself in an attitude that makes it clear to everyone around them that they are not willing to make a change.

While top performers welcome change and are open-minded to the potential benefits of employing a new approach to accelerating the sales process and closing more deals, lower performers often actually work to sabotage efforts to change. While top performers are finding ways to make change work for them and their customers, lower performers often spend much of their time trying to justify why they shouldn't change. We've also seen that lower performers give up on change before even giving it a chance to work.

You can see here how mindset matters. Top performers are open-minded to change, and they generally view it in a positive way. They are optimistic about the improved results that change might drive. Lower performers, on the other hand, are closed-minded when it comes to change. They prefer the status quo and are uncomfortable with change, which they often see as unnecessary. Lower performers find it difficult, if not impossible, to see how change will benefit them.

We understand that change can be difficult, but we also know that it's critical to embrace change if you want to be a top performer. Going about that need not be intimidating. In fact, McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm, notes (and we agree) that in order to accept change and enthusiastically adapt the new approaches that will allow you to improve performance, just two things must happen: you have to understand how your actions will affect outcomes, and you have to believe that all this change is worthwhile.¹ Top performers understand this implicitly, and what's more is that they are open-minded to change because they appreciate the potential benefits of implementing change. They look at change through a lens of optimism, believing that the anticipated outcomes of change will be of benefit to them, their customers, and their organizations.

Top performers also understand that change simply for the sake of change rarely sticks. In order to enjoy lasting improvement, it's critical to believe in it. Top performers trust that making the kind of adjustments that will allow for that change is worthwhile. In short, they feel the need for change, and they feel motivated to change.

The kind of motivation needed to embrace change often stems from an understanding of the benefits of change. For sales reps who are looking to become top-performing sales professionals, there are many benefits of following a proven process designed to accelerate the sales process and close more deals. Let's look at just some of the benefits of following the Critical Selling framework:

• Stronger, longer-lasting relationships with new and existing customers
• Accelerated sales cycles with higher win rates
• Improved confidence when dealing with customers
• Higher levels of trust and credibility with your customers
• Reduced objections and negative pushback from customers

Positive outcomes such as these motivate top-performing sales professionals in organizations we've worked with (Alliant Credit Union and TIAA-CREF, for example) because they can see how embracing the kind of change that results in these benefits is worthwhile.

Here's the thing: the things you've done along the way won't keep you successful forever. It's critical to continue to hone your craft, learn new skills, and pay attention to how the industries you sell to—and the sales profession itself—are evolving. Because the truth is that things are always changing: Buyers are changing. Products are changing. The sales profession is changing. You need to adapt to these changes—and to all the changes that will keep coming down the line. The people who stay great at sales are the ones who want to improve, are open to change, work on their skills, and practice, practice, practice.

Always Be Improving

Top performers know that the key to securing more and better deals isn't about “always be closing”; rather, it's about “always be improving.” Best-in-class organizations, for example, emphasize practicing core skills because they want to instill institutional competency across their employees. Why? Because best-in-class organizations know that practice is a key component to success. The same is true for best-in-class sales professionals.

Top performers are always looking for ways to improve their performance. They understand that the key to always be improving is to investigate new ideas, assess new approaches, implement those changes that seem most appropriate, and put in the work to see it through. That doesn't mean they jump on every new sales technique that pops up. But it does mean that they keep practicing on honing and improving their skills. They're open-minded not only to the notion of change but also to the fact that change takes time, effort, and practice (as well as patience).

Oddly enough, although we hear throughout our lives that practice makes perfect, society tends to value what it perceives as effortless success. Sales is no exception when it comes to valuing this perception. Sometimes we call this “talent” or “luck.” We admire that salesperson who has a gift for gab, who is a people person, who can sell ice to an Eskimo, as the saying goes. But there's much more to it than that. Top-performing salespeople don't rely on talent alone, and they don't believe that success comes without effort.

Indeed, the notion of easy success can actually be more negative than positive. Duke University researchers, for example, have found that the idea of “effortless perfection” can be stifling and suffocating and that it can hinder development.² This perception can make it difficult to embrace the notion of “always be improving,” even though practice is critical when it comes to the world of sales performance.

Practice is fundamental in continuous improvement, although we realize that it might be easier said than done for some people. Practice takes time—time a lot of busy salespeople might believe they don't have, or time they don't think they need to invest. But time is the very thing they should, indeed, set aside if they want to become top performers in their organizations. You can practice with your peers, your manager, in training, and even by yourself. Or you could practice on your customers, with greater risks at play. The choice is yours.

Let's turn for a moment to the world of sports, which is analogous to business in many ways, not the least of which relates to the importance of practice. The best athletes aren't necessarily the ones with natural talent. Not that talent doesn't matter, but evidence has shown that the greats are those who are dedicated to practicing because they want to improve their game. Wayne Gretzky. Ted Williams. Venus and Serena Williams. Kobe Bryant. The list goes on and on. But perhaps one of the greatest athletes of all time is Michael Jordan. The Chicago Bulls point guard didn't start out his career as a basketball player at the top. In fact, he was cut from his high school varsity basketball team. So what did Jordan do? He embraced discipline and practice. Jordan was known for going back to the court after losing games and practicing shots for hours on end.³

Practice, however, isn't just about putting in the time. Jordan understood that practice for the sake of practice didn't matter if he wasn't improving. His goal wasn't to spend time shooting free throws on the practice court. It was to sink every free throw on the practice court so he could implement that skill with success on game day. He understood that the key to continual improvement was to practice the right skills in the right way. As Jordan has said, “You can practice shooting eight hours a day, but if your technique is wrong, then all you become is very good at shooting the wrong way.”

You don't want to become very good at approaching customers in the wrong way. Whether in basketball or baseball or manufacturing or sales or whatever, practicing the “right” things in the right ways is critical when it comes to success. Top-performing athletes don't just get good and go out and win games—and neither do top-performing salespeople just get good and go out and win sales: practice is key.

When it comes to sales, what does it mean to practice? It's not like you can go out to the selling court and volley a few sales pitches back and forth with one of your competitors. Rather, practice for sales professionals means conducting industry research, studying the competition, improving product knowledge, leveraging sales tools, working on your presentation skills, learning how to be a better listener, and so on. The truth is that there's no shortage of areas where you can seek to hone your skills in order to keep improving—because you should always be improving. There is a misconception in sales that once you've had success, you're good enough, and so you can just keep on doing what you have been doing. But the truth is that those who are the best are the ones who continue to work on improving their skills. They are committed to practicing because good sales is about sustained effort. You don't just learn how to sell and then stop learning or trying to improve.

Stay Patient through Change

Change can be difficult. As you learn a new process and implement the changes that go along with it, what once was familiar to you might suddenly feel clunky. Let's say, for example, that you want to work on your golf swing—you have had enough with all the hooks and slices. You realize that it's time to go back to basics and work on your mechanics. In no time, you're aching in muscles you didn't even know you had. Your shots are still going all over the place, and in some cases, they're even worse than they were before. Your friends are starting to call you “Double Bogey.”

At this point you have two choices: you can quit and revert to your old swing and accept the level of player that you are, or you can persevere with the new swing in the belief that the change will soon feel like second nature and that it will get your game where you want it to be.

Just as with any kind of change, some people might begin to institute new approaches advocated in the Critical Selling framework only to find that they might not work perfectly on the first try—and then give up. Most of us resist change, at least at first or for a little while. It's easy to make excuses and give yourself permission to go back to the old ways. It's easy to revert to comfortable (i.e., bad) habits when expected results don't materialize instantaneously. That happens to all of us. It happens in sports (my old swing was working just fine), in dieting (I can go ahead and eat that double bacon cheeseburger), and in business (our current procedures are adequate, thank you very much). Researchers Emily Lawson and Colin Price note that “employees will alter their mindsets only if they see the point of the change and agree with it—at least enough to give it a try.”⁴ You have to keep trying.

Top performers understand that change is necessary if they want to improve their performance. They have the mindset that accepts that change takes time, and they realize that change will take some work, that it doesn't happen overnight. Top performers understand that change can be a little uncomfortable, but they accept that because they know change will lead them to a better place in the end. Because of that, top performers are as persistent as they are patient. They push through the discomfort that often accompanies change. They know that they have to keep practicing if they want to make a change for the better.

Continual improvement requires practice and an open mindset. Having an open mind means that you have the willingness to change. Top performers understand that if they really want to accelerate the sales process and close more deals, they have to commit to practicing all the skills in the Critical Selling framework—all the skills with every customer during every sales interaction.

Mindset matters here, because you have to be all in when it comes to understanding and applying the Critical Selling framework. You don't get to pick and choose from among the various skills and strategies and best practices; they all build on one another. You can't jump from delivering a solid opening to presenting your solution. You can't deliver a solid presentation without first discovering key information about your customer. Rather, you have to embrace the entire thing, from start to finish.

We are proud to continue to work with thousands of top-performing sales professionals at organizations such as American Express, Catalent, MGM Resorts International, and TripAdvisor, and we have gathered data and insight about skills, strategies, and best practices. We've looked at what works and what doesn't when it comes to accelerating the sales process and closing more deals—everything from planning to building relationships to becoming a trusted advisor. Our research has revealed that following the process is crucial when it comes to getting sales right. And that means not just following the process today with one client, but forever with every client.

Top performers understand that fully committing to the process is crucial when it comes to connecting with customers and improving sales. If you want to become a top performer, if you want to accelerate the sales process and close more deals, you have to believe in the process and make a commitment to yourself to embrace the kind of change that will allow you to improve your behavior and, as a result, your sales record. That means you have to change your mindset.

Having an open, positive mindset is critical, because nothing will happen if you don't first commit to yourself. And that means that you have to embrace new learning and new approaches that will allow you to reach higher goals. Indeed, in a report on the importance of changing attitudes and behavior in order to improve performance, researchers at McKinsey note that “employees may need to adjust their practices or to adopt new ones in line with their existing mindsets in order to reach, say, a new bottom-line target.”⁵ We couldn't agree more.

Embracing change, adjusting existing practices, adopting new approaches…all of that means that you have to commit yourself to training and practicing. You need to be open to the possibility that there is room for improvement in your approach to customers. That's not to say that the experience, insight, and wisdom you've gained during the course of your career is without value. Rather, it means that in today's highly competitive marketplace, it's important to recognize that customers are evolving and that, as a result, sales also is evolving. You have to keep up with your customers. And to do that, you need to believe that embracing change is first about adopting a new mindset.

Making a change for the better is critical if you want to be a top performer who can keep up not only with the competition but also with today's demanding customers. The Critical Selling framework—which focuses on the skills required in planning, opening, discovering, presenting, and closing—ensures that you practice the right skills in order to accelerate the sales process, reduce the number of objections you face, and ultimately close more deals. But getting each phase of the process right takes dedication. It takes practice. It may take some trial and error to see what works for you and your customers in their particular situations. And, perhaps above all, it takes a mindset that accepts the necessity of change, embraces the need to keep improving, and understands the need to stay patient through change. By following the process—and by keeping an open mind—you'll be in a better position to consistently be a top performer.

Accepting change, adapting the right mindset, and practicing your skills are crucial when it comes to working toward trusted-advisor status and toward becoming a top performer. It also takes planning. Planning is a critical step in the sales process, and we'll discuss that next, in Chapter 3.

Critical Selling: Lessons Learned

• Research shows that top-performing sales professionals embrace a positive mindset that leaves them open to change and allows them to grow. They understand that no change will stick without a shift in behavior, and the first step in accepting change is to embrace an open and positive mindset.
• Top-performing sales professionals embrace change, but that doesn't mean they jump in feet first to try every new sales technique that hits the world of sales. Instead, they keep an open mind, research their options, assess those with the best potential, and stay patient while working through the change.
• Top performers avoid common pitfalls that lower performers often fall into. They understand that being tenured doesn't excuse them from seeking new training opportunities, they don't get complacent or lazy, and they constantly work to keep improving.
• Top-performing sales professionals accept that change is normal—and that it is a necessity if they want to stay on top. Instead of avoiding change, they actively search for new ways of doing things in order to practice their skills and remain at the forefront of their industry.