There was no synchronicity between his management of time and ter-
ritory. The process was random, hinging on which fire needed to be put
out first. In other words, deadlines (renewal dates) were driving the entire
process. His stress was compounded by the fact that he didn’t usually be-
come conscious of the deadline until 30 days before it arrived.
After calling me a few expletive deleteds for laughing at his schedule,
he suggested we roll up our sleeves and figure out a more efficient method
for scheduling his business. After an entire weekend, we succeeded in
scheduling his business for the next year. We scheduled specific days each
week for setting appointments and calling on clients and prospects, leaving
ample time for process and paperwork. And, most important, he would no
longer drive right by potential appointments while traveling to meetings
three hours away.
Another important decision Mark made was to hire part-time admin-
istrative help to manage communication and paperwork. By the end of
our planning, Mark’s stress level had remarkably ebbed—his demeanor
showed it. What neither of us could foresee, however, was that the change
would soon be visible in his production. In the next year, Mark went from
the middle of the pack to number one in the nation for his company, and
he had the honor of receiving the first of what would be many President’s
Club plaques.
Here is a perfect example of how awareness and teachability can help
a sales professional take a quantum career leap. Mark possessed the inter-
personal skills necessary to succeed in sales but needed help on the process
side. Mark’s teachability kept the door open for him to improve and move
to the next level in his career. Just as important as facing his weakness was
the step of hiring help to handle the things he hated doing.
While this book deals with some of the interpersonal issues mentioned
in the list of necessary skills, there will be other skills for which each of us
will need to seek help. Being teachable includes a willingness to admit
where we need help as well as a willingness to seek out the help we need.
INTERVIEWING FOR CRITICAL MASS
Larry was convinced that his company’s interviewing and screening
process was hit or miss in regards to detecting critical mass attributes.
Consequently, we developed interview questions for each cornerstone to
hone in on an individual’s competitive drive, achievementality, teachability,
and wit. Figure 5.2 shows the questions we developed for picking up on the
attributes that comprise critical mass.
Applied Critical Mass 51