HOW MUCH IS “IF” WORTH?

I thought this was valuable information from Douglas Kolker who has graciously allowed me to reprint it. I hope it is as thought-provoking for you as it is for me. –Andrea Michaels

Have you stopped to think just how much the word "IF" is worth? Judging by the way so many salespeople talk, it must be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. For example: "If I had only gotten there sooner . . . ," "If our prices were only more competitive . . .," "If the economy wasn't so volatile . . . ," "If the competition wasn't so stiff . . . ," "If the timing was better . . . ," "If I only had a bigger territory . . . ," "If only they would return my calls . . . ." The list is endless.

"IF" appears to account for more missed opportunities than one could imagine. The professional salesperson can't and wouldn't blame a missed sale on any of the above "IF" conditions. A more likely set of "IFs" would be, "If I had only planned more specifically what I wanted to accomplish on this call . . .," "If I had set the agenda for the meeting with my prospect up-front . . .," "If I had only discussed all the money issues with my prospect earlier in the selling process . . .," "If I had determined who all the decision makers are and gotten them involved before I presented anything . . .," "If I had uncovered my prospects' real reasons for buying, not my reasons for selling before I presented anything . . ." "If I had taken the time to listen to what my prospect was telling me, rather than being so concerned about what I wanted to tell him." This list too can be very lengthy.

The most important "IF" is: "If I would only take responsibility for my actions, then I would understand that sometimes the results will be unfavorable, but in the long run I will be better off. I will be in control, my confidence and self-esteem will grow, my knowledge will expand, I will gain new courage, my sales will improve, and I will be looked upon as a true professional." 

Yes, "IF" is worth a great deal of money. Whether that money is in your bank account or someone else's will be determined by the way in which you look at "IFs." Are they externalized excuses over which you supposedly have no control, or are they internal conditions over which you have an absolute control? Be careful how you answer. Remember, it's worth a lot of money!

Douglas Kolker is President of Sandler Training based in Van Nuys, California. To find out more about what Sandler Training can do and how they can help you, call 818-995-7197, or contact them on the Web at http://www.douglaskolker.sandler.com/requestinfo.

Andrea Michaels is founder and president of Extraordinary Events, a multi-award-winning international event agency based in Los Angeles. Andrea is the author of Reflections of a Successful Wallflower: Lessons in Business; Lessons in Life and an in-demand speaker and leading voice in the special events industry. She may be reached via amichaels@extraordinaryevents.net.