Mark Blezard talks on sales.
I remember when I first started out in sales; I was selling advertising to local shops and restaurants in London.
I was working in Hampstead, North London, and my office was in Chelsea. The regional sales manager was shadowing me for my last call at 3pm. It went well and I made a sale. Better still, this meant I made quota.
A deep sense of satisfaction flowed through my body – I was in my comfort zone. “Let’s go back to the office”, I said to my manager. But the reply was not to my ‘comfortable liking’, “Why? It’s a 40 minute drive and it is only 4pm? Let’s do an hour of cold calling whilst we are up here”.
Bam! And there you have it. He got me out of my comfort zone and doing what was logical, using my time to the maximum to sell and make money. I knew it was right but it did grate somewhat. However, here’s the oddity, by pushing me just a little bit harder, when my new ‘comfort zone’ arrived it was so much sweeter.
I’m not saying that we should live miserable lives, beating ourselves up. No. Just question yourself from time to time and, occasionally, put yourself in a position that is outside of the norm and possibly uncomfortable. Why? Not only will it reward you with a different perspective on things but, possibly, you might learn a new trick or spot an opportunity that you’d otherwise have missed.
