Success in sales - or in any profession - is as simple as ABC: Attitude, Behavior, and Commitment. Successful salespeople have a winning attitude. They expect to win. They plan, manage, and evaluate their behavior. And, they maintain their commitment.

Their attitude of winning begins with defining goals - creating a vision of success. Putting aside all doubt, they focus on reality as they concentrate on working their plan.

Nevertheless, they know they must be willing to risk failure. They know they won't close every sale, that not every suspect will become a prospect, and that not everyone they will call on will recognize the need for their product or service or be able to make a decision. They know they will have to hear many no's before they hear a yes. But they do not let this potential for failure keep them from working their plan.

The behavior is consistent with their winning attitude. They make those difficult cold calls because that's the only way they'll be in front of the necessary number of prospects. They meet problems, stalls and objections head-on because they know that unless they can solve or eliminate them, it's over. They don't waste time with people who are not qualified to do business with them. They deal with money issues and the decision making process early in the selling cycle so there are not surprises later. They retain control from start to finish.

A commitment to their goals - and to their family, company, industry, clients, prospects, and themselves - is essential to every successful salesperson. They strive to provide nothing less than the maximum of which they are capable. And, they are committed to doing whatever it takes, even if it leads to pain, because the pain that results from doing "whatever it takes" is less than the pain of failure.

If you are not where you feel you should be in your career or life, check your attitude. What do you expect of yourself? What vision do you have of your future? Do you really believe in yourself? Is your behavior consistent with the action necessary to reach that vision? Are you working your plan consistently? Are you really committed? The answers to these questions are the answer to your future!

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