No 'Perfect Time' for Success!

Last night my wife and I watched the movie “5 Year Engagement” starring Jason Segel. The premise of the movie for those of you that have not seen it; is a couple is waiting for the 'perfect time' to get married and end up being engaged for five years! The longer they wait the hard it becomes to get married.

Timing is not often related to selling. Most so called ‘sales experts’ stick to the functions of selling; forgetting one of the most important factors that your customers are people. Timing plays a huge part in everyday life. Whether it is a couple’s decision to get married at the ‘perfect time’ or when to look for a new job, there is no such thing as the ‘perfect time’.

The best way to use timing to your advantage is to decide what you are postponing and take action today. If you want to buy a house one day; call a real estate agent. If you are behind on your sales quota; talk to someone in your company that is not struggling and listen to their advice.

Gary Player a professional golfer and winner of 9 major championships once said, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” Gary worked harder than his competition and his success followed.

Don’t get caught playing the waiting game. Procrastinating pushes you further and further away from the goals. Set a clear goal with a deadline attached to it and share your deadline with others. Making your goal public will push you into action.

Here’s an example from my life. When I decided that I wanted to go from being a Territory Sales Rep on the road to a National Account Manager it took me 2 years to achieve this goal. More than 100 resumes, many interviews and 3-5 offers that did not meet my objectives came and went during this 2 year time period. I had made my goal public with my family and most major holidays I would have to give everyone a update as to how my job search was going. I am glad I had to provide my family updates because I felt saying I had quit my search to my entire extended family wasn’t an option. So I kept working towards my goal each and every day.

Finally the timing was right and I achieved 100% of my goal. Achieving this goal started with me deciding the perfect time was right now. I am confident if you do the same you will soon achieve your goals.

Your feedback is important:

Are you currently waiting for the perfect time for something? If you are I would love to hear about it.