Consistent and Deliberate Activity Generates Sales

In Aesop’s beloved parable, The Hare and the Tortoise we are taught a valuable lesson that applies directly to sales. Let’s read the parable and then discuss its relevance to sales:

The Hare was once boasting of his speed before the other animals. "I have never yet been beaten," said he, "when I put forth my full speed. I challenge any one here to race with me."

The Tortoise said quietly, "I accept your challenge."

"That is a good joke," said the Hare; "I could dance round you all the way."

"Keep your boasting till you've beaten," answered the Tortoise. "Shall we race?"

So a course was fixed and a start was made. The Hare darted almost out of sight at once, but soon stopped and, to show his contempt for the Tortoise, lay down to have a nap. The Tortoise, sure and steady, plodded on and plodded on, and when the Hare awoke from his nap, he saw the Tortoise just near the winning post and could not run up in time to save the race. Then said the Tortoise:

"Sure and steady wins the race."

All of Aesop’s fables conclude with a moral, or in other words, the lesson to be learned. In this fable, the moral is “sure and steady wins the race.” Sure and steady is another way of expressing consistency. It can also be interpreted to mean follow-through or follow-up, or continue to the end. Sure and steady means persistence. Sure and steady might also refer to being prepared and following a plan of action. Aesop’s moral of sure and steady might also be interpreted as following a plan to reach a goal. Consistent effort might be another interpretation for the phrase, “sure and steady wins the race”. In the world of sales, it is not what you know that really matters; it is what you do that counts. Sure and steady suggests you are moving forward along a deliberate path designed to bring success.

Each month I ask my clients to take a few minutes and write about the success they are experiencing in their sales activities. They will typically write about a sales principle or skill that they have applied, which has helped them realize a certain degree of success. The purpose of this activity is to remind them of those things that have contributed to helping them find success and then to continue doing those successful things. A few months ago one of my clients, Jon Meldrum from Meldrum Scale Company wrote the following:

This month started out a little dry as far as sales were concerned. I had a ton of prospects in my pipeline, but nothing was moving forward. I sat back and tried to think of ways that I could close sales and continue to grow my pipeline. I came up with a few things that I could do to help close my sale. I spoke with Tim in my weekly meetings and he pointed out that I needed to be out more, seeing the customers. I tried to plan better so I could get out of the office and see more of my customers. The results of my efforts allowed me to close more sales and add new customers to my pipeline through referrals. I was able to reach my monthly goal that I had set. It almost appeared that I would fall way short at the first of the month.

I now understand the importance of the things we are taught as salesman through the Business Performance Group. I am trying to apply all that I am taught into my sales activities. I am not generating the best month ever numbers, but I am consistent in the numbers that I am ending each month with. This has helped me focus on what my customers need and not be so worried about getting the high numbers. I have heard that slow and steady wins the race. Well as far as I can tell it is the same with sales. You will have your ups and downs, but the more consistent you are, the better success you will have. I have come a long way from where I started. I still have a long way to go, but if I continue to apply all the things I am taught, I know I will be successful in my sales activities.

Using the analogy of the Hare and the Tortoise, although speed is a desired skill for winning a race, the winner is determined by who crosses the finish line first. In sales, there are many who have excellent skills, the skills necessary to be top performers. Those salespeople who start out doing all the right things, but over time become complacent and because of complacency, reach the finish line behind those, who even though their skills were not as well honed and brightly polished, never-the-less, pursued a course of consistent effort with their eyes sharply focused on the goal and ultimately out-performed all the others. At the end of the sales day, it is not how fast we perform our activities that count but rather, how well and completely we performed. Salespeople must be actively and consistently engaged in applying the correct principles and skills to achieve the success they so desperately want to achieve.

I would encourage all salespeople to fill their days with consistent, deliberate, well-planned and perfectly executed activities. Doing more has no value unless the things we do are correct. As in Aesop’s fable, the Hare and the Tortoise, so it is in sales – SURE AND STEADY WINS THE RACE.