I’ve been hearing a lot of people talking about the advantages of working smart as opposed to working hard. A client of mine recently told me that what takes their colleagues an entire day to do, they can do in thirty minutes. But when I asked them what they managed to accomplish with the rest of their time at work (after having completed their daily tasks), they couldn’t tell me. So if you were to ask me what I thought of the above statement, I’d have to say that working smart won’t give you any competitive advantage, unless you’re willing to work hard as well.
As most good salespeople would know, the first step to becoming a better salesperson is putting in the time, and a tremendous amount of effort. There is no shortcut for work ethic, and you’ll find that most people who try to take the easy way out will fail. I recently did a Facebook Live on this very topic (watch it here).
My parents have said that from a young age, I would often tell them I’d be a millionaire one day. But I know that I wouldn’t have been able to achieve that dream and get to where I am today by taking shortcuts. In life, there are no quick fixes. You either put in the hard work, or you don’t.
HERE’S HOW YOU CAN ACHIEVE A BETTER WORK ETHIC:
Stop slacking off!
You can’t expect to be great at what you do if you’re not prepared to put in the required time and effort. Successful entrepreneurs are out there selling, not sleeping! How many times in a day do you lose focus? What you have to realise is that every time you lose focus, you’re making it that much harder for yourself to win!
Winners never quit. Winners don’t slack off and put things off. Winners get things done. Be a determined competitor.
Be a team player:
A team that can collaborate and move forward as a unit is unstoppable. Never underestimate the power of working together. Remember that it’s not all about you; it’s about everyone collectively being better, stronger, fitter, and faster, and producing better results, increased revenue, and more sales.
Learn to love the pressure:
Some people will tell you that pressure makes them feel anxious, nervous, and uptight, but any great sales professional will tell you that they’ve learnt to thrive under pressure. Personally, I look forward to pressure because it improves my concentration and motivation. Pressure keeps me on my toes and helps me get things done in a quicker and more efficient way. However, I have also trained many sales professionals who become paralysed when faced with pressure.
If you tend to get clammy hands and feel a knot in your stomach at the thought of looming deadlines, then I’ll teach you what I’ve taught others over the years – pressure, just like fear, exists mainly in your own head. You have the ability to shape it, and if you’re open enough to it, then you can use it as a positive driving force.
You might feel pressure from your boss, pressure from your colleagues, pressure from your clients and pressure from yourself. When you start to let this pressure overwhelm you, simply take a step back and realise that if you’re a hard worker who goes about his or her day in the right way, then there is nothing to be stressed about. The most useful thing that you can do is to reframe the pressure that you feel. Instead of seeing it as a negative, turn it into a positive. Perhaps set a target and reward yourself if you meet it. By controlling how you feel about pressure, you’ll find that you’ll be more able to take it in your stride.
Always give your best:
For me, working hard, giving everything you do your best and having a great work ethic does two things:
- It instils good skills and habits
- It makes you incredibly attractive to any prospective employers, clients or investors.
So next time you’re thinking of taking the shortcut, remember that hard work always pays off, and work-ethic should never be overlooked!
