Tag: #getrdone #doyourjob #arlington

What You (Diligently) Sow is What You Grow

Sales is hard enough on its own. Nevermind the fact that most salespeople can’t get out of  their own way, which hinders them from achieving success. Keep in mind — everyone is a salesman. You’re selling your mate on getting married, selling your coworkers how much you love football, selling your congregation on giving or the Gospel, selling your friends on the latest Netflix series, etc. Although this blog is written for those who are in a career revolving around commissionable sales, everyone can get something from it if we are willing to apply the principles.

Picture this — summertime is the time for gardens to be bearing the fruit of your labor. Some plant a garden early in the season. They spend time tilling the soil, adding manure, compost, coffee grinds, putting up a fence to keep the animals out, and more. They water diligently and pick weeds every day. This garden will have a crop producing too much for one household, causing the homeowner to give away tomatoes and cucumbers by the basketful. On the contrary, another person plants a garden by simply adding plants to the ground. Some days they water, and some days they do not, and it just doesn’t seem like their garden really produces much of anything.

Many people that are in a sales profession liken it to the lottery; they think if they put in $1.00 worth of effort, they will quickly become a millionaire. Nothing can be further from the truth. In fact, it is more like a garden. There is planting and much caring as well as a lot of sunshine that is required. But the most painful thing is time. Most people give up before a crop is yielded. In sales, it will be harder; take longer; cause more grief; and disappoint, so much more than most expect. It takes lots and lots of hard work.

The garden analogy is just like a sales career. The one who does more than is expected bears a bigger crop. If you work on having a good product demonstration, study your market, know your product inside and out, want to help someone to buy and not just wanting to sell, have diligent follow-through, are polite, ask for referrals, update your notes, ask for the sale, fight for deal — you will have the proverbial baskets of tomatoes and cucumbers to give away. But if you attempt to have a half-hearted approach you will get a half-hearted crop because what you diligently sow is what you grow.

 

 

Want to be Unknown?

Recently I paid a visit to Arlington National Cemetery. It is not the first time I have visited this location, but I will tell you, it never gets old. I grew up in a patriotic home and have always had a reverence for this nation. It dawned on me as I was watching the guard perform his duties flawlessly, that we are all called to a similar mission.

On the tomb itself, it reads –HERE RESTS IN HONORED GLORY AN AMERICAN SOLDIER KNOWN BUT TO GOD. Although the cemetery is filled with heroes, there is an emphasis on the ones that fulfilled their duty in an unknown fashion.

In business, there are too many of us clamoring for the next level, and waiting for the bronzer to call to ask which pose we would like be cast in, for the statue on the front lawn of our local town hall. Harry Truman said “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” If we put our heads down and look to the common goal without looking for a continual praise parade from those below, around, and above us, we could and would accomplish so much more.

If we would take this approach in our church, and fulfill our duty as a Christian without looking for the recognition, imagine what could happen. As Christians, we are all called to die to self and follow Christ, but too many times, we are too worried the cares of this world. If we were focused on His life, His things, and His agenda, there just might be more light in the world. The Bible places a special  emphasis on those in Heaven who have been martyred for their faith. Now that is something to be celebrated — The tomb of the unknown Christian — if you will.

So, whether in protecting our nation, moving up the corporate ladder, or standing in the gap in our local church, I encourage all of us to take a sober look at ourselves and be willing to be unknown. It just may not be as bad as we imagine. After all, the least will be exalted over the greatest in end.

 

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