Talent Is Overrated
What beats talent? A lot, actually.
You knew kids who were natural born athletes when you were growing up. Their talent allowed them to play 11 sports well, meanwhile, you seemed to trip over air and were the last one picked for the team.
While these kids may have excelled at their activity effortlessly, their “natural” talent only took them so far.
During mid-high school, “naturally talented” people are surpassed by those who have developed the disciplines and dedication necessary to become excellent.
The talented salesperson often sets records when they are new, but fizzles out as soon as the initial excitement wears off.
The disciplined salesperson understands that sales is all about relationships, and by investing in tedious daily tasks, they are building a strong foundation that ultimately grows their business via planned word of mouth activities.
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Dedication, discipline, and perseverance win over talent every time.
A professional fighter doesn’t have a great workout and proclaim themselves “ready”. They invest countless hours into their physical and mental game. A marathon is won long before the race day. Sales records are shattered long before money changes hands. It is about the daily success activities.
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Leverage tools that are available to you.
Floatzilla is an amazing kayaking and canoeing experience on the Mississippi River. More than 1500 paddlers participated this year, and yours truly needed to find a way to congregate them in one spot in an attempt to break a world record.
Screaming would have had a minimal effect. I used a megaphone to direct them, and saved my voice.
You could scream at the top of your lungs to attract customers, or you could leverage technology to aid in your ability to be heard. What technology can you leverage?
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Recruit someone to kick your butt when you get off track.
A coach or mentor will hold you accountable when you slack off. It isn’t a matter of if you will get off course, but when. It often begins with a cloudiness in your beliefs and vision, and progresses to your thinking and attitude.
(Jeff Goins wrote a great article on Why the Myth of the Starving Artist Must Die) Your accountability partner will make a world of difference in snapping you back into shape and propelling you toward your goal.
Talented people are amazing, and by coupling a steady stream of discipline with their strengths, you will become unstoppable!
