Guest post by Marhnelle Hibbard, co-founder of Dialexis (learn more about the author at the end of the article)
How to keep the music playing in all areas of your life!
Being successful in sales is more than a full time job. Of course, there are goals to meet, clients to call, and presentations to make, but what about the other aspects of your life? Is success just about exceeding quotas and making President’s club? Or does it also mean being a great wife, mother, sister, daughter, community leader, and friend or even have time for you?
While you may agree that true success means you’re doing well both professionally and personally, many sales leaders claim they simply don’t have the time to “have it all.” In the sales profession, there are too many demands and constant pressure. Something (usually from the personal sphere) has to slide … or does it?
You Can Have it All
A few years ago I had a realization. I was in the midst of managing a struggling sales team scattered across the country. My travel schedule doubled, and I was under pressure from more projects and expectations than I’d ever had before. I had no time for anything.
But then something shifted. Under all this pressure and all the demands, I realized there was time for it all … for getting the reports done, calling the clients, cleaning out my inbox, and even attending the kids’ games. So what was different?
I was different. I made a choice to make it all happen. I realized that it wasn’t about time or the projects or anything or anyone else. It was about ME and the choices I made. Rather than focus just on work, I chose to focus on other areas as well. When I gave all aspects of my life the attention they deserved, I found that I was on my game.
The real win was that with this new focus and mindset, I was actually more successful in leading my sales team because I was no longer being reactive and crazy. Rather, I was calm, supportive, and strategic with them. It was the clear proof that you can have it all—a successful sales career, a rewarding personal life, and a functional family.
How You Can Have It All (the lyrics)
Be open to the possibility that you can have it all.
We are all heat-seeking missiles when it comes to being “right” about how we see things. If your thought is, “This just isn’t possible, and I know because ……” then you are doomed. However, if only for a brief moment you consider the possibility that you can have it all, then you have a shot!
Reframe your reality.
Consider the domains you are struggling with, don’t have time for, or are feeling overwhelmed in. Reframe your view of “what is” and design what you’d like it to be. Think about it as if you were an architect and could design anything.
Use your imagination. What would a satisfying career and personal life look like to you? What do you want to experience? For example, you may see yourself being recognized as the top performer, having new clients, getting great referrals, being a great partner, spending time with your kids, and taking time for you … all while making it look effortless and having fun.
Think “flow,” not “balance.”
When all areas of your life are attended to, you flow. In other words, rather than try to “balance” everything at once (give equal time all the time to everything, which is impossible), try to “flow” from one aspect of your life to another. It’s actually the imbalance of our attention in every aspect of our lives that gets us out of flow.
How does this flow look? When you’re at the client meeting, focus on that only. Be fully present. When you leave the meeting to coach one of your sales reps, have your focus flow to the coaching meeting. When you leave to go to your kid’s game, be there without being on your iPhone. Focus on the game.
So it’s not about balancing everything at once. It’s about letting your energy flow into the different aspects of your life—actually letting the shift happen so you’re not always in one realm of your life and thinking about another part (i.e.; work). Each domain of life is just as important as the others. Give them all ample time … and you will experience the difference.
Give up control.
When you make yourself involved in things you don’t need to be a part of, you quickly get off track. Release your control over meaningless stuff. Let your people do their jobs. You don’t need to know the micro-detail of everything. When you do this, you’ll notice that panicky feeling of needing to be on top of everything shift to a calm sense of urgency for the things that really matter.
Are you willing to look at how to make each area of your life counts to create real success? Are you willing to make some adjustments, some different choices? Are you willing to believe it is possible? Once you realize it is possible, you will experience being in the flow and it will be effortless (most of the time) and you will ultimately keep the music playing in all areas of your life! Women are amazing creatures – step back and create the life you want!
About the Author
Marhnelle Hibbard has over 20 years experience in sales and personal development. As co-founder of Dialexis, she is a personal leadership coach and delivers keynotes and workshops on leadership and sales. A sought-after speaker, her expertise and strategies have helped organizations such as DuPont, Herman Miller, Steelcase, Wells Fargo and other executives throughout the United Sates to grow their business, enhance team results, and reach new levels of sales success.
Marhnelle gained national recognition by authoring an internationally distributed Personal Development Program for women. In addition, she co-authored a highly acclaimed leadership book, The Canoe Theory: A Business Success Strategy for Leaders and Associates in addition to SOAR Selling: How To Get Through to Almost Anyone: The Proven Method for Reaching Decision Makers. Her passion is to partner and work with the most committed and successful people and companies in the market, and to mentor and coach them to attain outstanding results. For more information visit www.SOARSelling.com.
You can find Marhnelle on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter (@soarselling).
