Last week, I had the chance to be out in the field and ride along with an account manager, Jeff, to observe his daily routine and sales process as part of my preparation for an upcoming Go for No keynote.
Jeff was a master of self-management. With no one dictating his day, it was entirely up to him to make things happen—and he did.
To maximize our time, Jeff selected a small geographical area to focus on. When I asked him what mistakes he saw other sellers at his company
making, his answer was clear: “Spending too much time working on their route. They just need to get out there.”
And that’s exactly what we did. Jeff had a plan, but he also left room for spontaneity. He fully embraced the Go for No philosophy, dropping in on new prospects unannounced.
No hesitation.
No overthinking.
Just, “Let’s do this!”
He walked in with confidence, and I couldn’t help but admire his boldness.
It was the perfect balance of good habits and structure paired with the courage to seize opportunities as they arose—even when there was a chance of hearing
“No.”
Without self-management, you won’t make the time for bold moves. And without boldness, even the best-laid plans can fall flat.
When was the last time you took fearless action outside of your plan?
What opportunities might you be missing because you’re spending too much time planning your route?
