If you want to hear trite answers at a cocktail party, just ask this question: “What business are you in?” You’ll get all kinds of meaningless answers. “I’m in the insurance business. I’m in the people business. I’m in the copier business.” I think that’s because people are conditioned a certain way. If you ask me, you’ll get this response: “I’m in the Troy Harrison business.” Some of you are thinking, “Sure, Troy, you’re self employed, you are your own business.” True – but if you want to succeed, you’re your own business, too.
Why do we externalize what we do? I think there are many reasons for it. One is that we think others will more easily identify with what we do if we refer to a product or service that we sell. But I think the biggest one is fear. We’re afraid of failure – and if we’re in someone else’s business, we have someone to blame for that failure. I see it all the time: “My industry isn’t doing well.” But if YOU are the business, who do you blame? Yourself and only yourself. That said, there are some very good reasons why you should BE the business, even if you work for someone else.
First of all, thinking about yourself as the business creates a different paradigm – you think about yourself, your career, and your work in an entirely different way. I’ll get to that in a moment. Second, you take complete and total ownership and responsibility for your own results (that’s the scary part). But third – if your business is successful, you never have to worry about your next appointment, your next sale, or even your next job.
First, however, you have to think of yourself differently. Here are the things you MUST have and define if you are the business:
- What product or service do you sell? While, under this paradigm, the product is YOU, you need to drill down. What is it about you that makes you marketable? In my own instance, some of my marketing qualities include expertise in sales, the ability to teach, ability to capture, entertain, and educate an audience, and devastatingly good looks (at least that’s what I tell myself). What about you? Some of the aspects that would make a salesperson marketable include the ability to acquire and drive new business, great questioning ability, quantifiable relationship growth, etc. But you can’t be all things to all people – what is it about YOU that makes you uniquely marketable, both to your customers and your employers?
- What is your marketing plan? Now that you’ve defined what it is that makes you marketable, how do you plan to communicate it? You’re reading a big component of my marketing plan. What do you do to constantly build and communicate your value? Do you spend time networking (face to face or online)? Do you publish articles? Do you blog? How do you review your market value with your employer, your customers, and your associates? You should constantly be figuring out how to build market value and visibility for yourself as a professional, as well as an advocate for your employer.
- What’s your personal growth plan? Too many salespeople leave their personal growth up to chance. If their employer buys them a book, they’ll read it – maybe. If their employer pays for training, they’ll attend. And – if not, not. That’s because they think of themselves as a vessel for their employer’s business, not as a business unto themselves. Constant skill building is essential to survive and prosper in today’s sales training environment. “But my company won’t pay to train me,” they’ll say. Then do it yourself. I’ve been doing public speaking for over 30 years, and selling for over 25 – but I still spend significant time and money each year enhancing my own skill set. Why? Because that makes the product of my business better and better. Continual education and development will do the same for your business.
- What’s your professional growth plan? I’m differentiating between PERSONAL growth (soft skills) and PROFESSIONAL growth (results). Would it surprise you to learn that I hold myself responsible for a sales quota each month? Or that I have a written business plan that includes my new prospects generated per month? Well, I do. Again, this is something that is more common with self employed than other-employed, but it shouldn’t be. Your boss will probably have a quota – but what is your own personal standard for income growth? Don’t let your boss drive your program – YOU drive your program.
The truth is that everyone – in sales, especially – should consider themselves to be self employed, and a business unto themselves. Try it. If you really embrace this concept, you’ll be more successful.
