I still recall my first sales meeting with vivid detail. Tom Vanyo, the owner of the brokerage firm spent a great deal of time exposing the merits of self-improvement, and how important it was to develop yourself both as a person and a sales producer. It was easy to see that this meeting, and the ones that would follow weren’t going to be completely about making the sale, but rather about personal development. In a way, they became an integral part to my personal foundation.
Now in all honesty, what brought these foundational ideas into the forefront of my mind was a conversation I had with a life insurance agent. It was a friendly conversation. After a few sips of tea, he admitted that he still struggled with setting appointments, and prospecting. While it wasn’t a shock to me, since many salespeople have trouble in that area, I was saddened to learn that he had been trying for nearly three years. It wasn’t a unique story; it was one I had heard countless times before.
It was during that conversation that once again I thanked my lucky stars that I had the opportunity to learn from a “king” sales person like Tom Vanyo. Through his teachings, I was able to realize the true value of personal development, both in my private life, and my very public one as a sales professional. True professionals realize that it is not only the product or service that makes the sale, but also the person. By developing your interpersonal skills, how you interact with people, you can easily transform yourself into someone that people will be more than willing to do business with.
So how do you see yourself? Do you excel in what you do? If so, you may just find yourself in the company of kings. As stated in Proverbs 22:29: “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.”
It is up to you to develop yourself into a person worthy and capable of standing alongside such kings and giants. So why not start today by writing out your own personal development plan? Focus on what you have to do in order to improve your outlook, your relationships, and yes, even the way you do business. It’s a fairly simple process, and it can begin with that first step.
How soon do you want to stand before kings?
Thanks Tom!