As the newest member of the sales team for an established printing company, Rob had all the necessary qualities for success. He was hard-working, capable, and personable. Add a healthy dose of self-confidence, youth, and the desire for financial independence; everything he needed for success was present.

Despite having no contacts in the marketplace, he was quick to get out of the gate. He made cold call after cold call. The number of put-offs and turn-downs far outweighed the number of appointments he set. But, he persevered. Within his first thirty days, he opened several new accounts and obtained business from former clients who had dropped off the radar. Most were small jobs, but victories nonetheless.

With each passing month, Rob got better. There were fewer turn-downs and put-offs and more appointments. Repeat business was developing. His income reflected his achievement. His first six months were a tribute to every sales professional who has ever dreamed of success. He was on the fast-track.

Then - he was gone! No longer in the business.

Jealous of Rob's consistent success, the older salespeople, who were all working on "big" deals, told him, "You'll never make it in this business going after table scraps," and "You'll never build a client base making cold calls." He began to believe their admonitions and lost his ability to see beyond the day. His eyesight became obscured by his newfound insight.

Without warning, his vision - and his goals - became blurred. His success had turned against him. What was beginning to become a lucrative selling cycle - a steady flow of business from his "cold call" clients - became too mundane for him. His internal voice, believing the "advice" of the other salespeople, was telling him, "You're better than this!" The more he sold, the louder the voice screamed, and the more blurred his vision became.

His "better than this" disease was spreading. It went from his eyesight to his legs. Rob was once motivated to get out of the office in the morning. He couldn't wait to call on the next prospect. Now, he couldn't walk any farther than the distance from his desk to the coffee machine and back. He found himself sitting around the office - planning his new marketing strategy for landing those big accounts.

The disease had affected his thinking. His original plan of uncovering new clients and resurrecting inactive clients, which had brought him success and financial reward, lost its appeal. It just wasn't good enough anymore.

Rob was earning a good living. By all accounts, he was successful. But the disease made him feel empty. Closing small sales, he thought, just wasn't good enough for a "real" sales professional. He decided he needed to go after "big" deals.

Rob closed a big deal now and then. But, the victories were far fewer than before and the income was less predictable. Fear, self-doubt, and worry set in. He began to question if he was really that good. He wondered if his early success was just an accident. He decided to take some time off and figure it all out.

It was over. The young man who had started down the path to a promising career in sales was never heard from again.

Rob's story is not uncommon. There are far too many salespeople who lose sight of their long-term goals. They can't see past the day's activities. They don't see how today's "grunt work" lays the foundation for tomorrow's success. They, too, stop three feet short of the goal line - and fade away. Don't be one of them!

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