Big Changes

I realize that in order for me to truly become a "Closing Machine," I need to make some significant lifestyle changes. There are only 20 business days left in March, which is not much time at all in the sales game. I'm going to need to do a few things, fast.

During work hours:

During 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday I need to resolve to cut out a few of my bad habits:

• No more eating out for lunch.

It's costing me too much money. Money that I am not making up for with sales. If I'm going to eat out everyday I'm going to have to earn. I can't reward myself each day for something I do not deserve.

• Get off my ass and make more cold calls.

Too often has the weather or any number of other excuses stopped me from completing as many cold calls as I know I can. I'm making a commitment to get at least 60 business cards a day, and cold call after 5pm a minimum of one day a week.

• Cut down on driving time.

My territory is huge and I put a considerable number of miles on my car. I'm averaging about 3000 miles a month traveling between 3 cities, each about an hour apart from each other. I need to stay in one area each day without exception. I can't afford the gas and I'm running my new car into the ground already.

• Be more productive with my time while I'm in the car.

Music, talk radio, and the like are not helping me become a better salesperson. For the significant amount of time each day that I am in the car I need to be listening to sales and business-related audio books. I've listened in the past and they really pumped me up. I don't know why I stopped, but as of right now that is the only thing that I will allow to come out of the car speakers.

After work hours:

I can't stop working even after 5pm, and the following steps should help me in life no matter what I'm doing:

• Get organized.

My office is a mess of papers and business cards scattered around. If I had to find something in a pinch I'd be out of luck. I write notes and important pieces of information on scrap papers which easily get lost in the shuffle. I have several leather daily planners which I haven't even opened up. Each day I am going to commit myself to writing a To-Do List. I need to keep my office clean so that I actually want to spend time in there.

• Exercise.

In several of the previous jobs I held I expended a great deal of physical energy each day. At least with my current job I still get out and move about as part of job, but it's definitely not enough. I figure that forcing myself to do both weight training and aerobics each day with only help me have more energy during the sometimes long workday. If I'm truly going to become "The Closing Machine," I need to look the part.

• No TV.

Like most people probably do, I waste too much time watching pointless crap on TV. It's not helping me in any way other than killing time that I can never get back. From now on I will only watch the television if I am doing something productive, like exercising, at the same time. And only then will I limit myself to 1 hour day at the max.

• Read more.

I have a huge assortment of books on selling that have been collecting dust ever since I bought them. Every time I started to read sales books in the past it always encouraged and motivated me. The pressures of the job and dread of reading a long book have kept me away from them when I needed to read them most. I'm going to set aside at least one hour each day to read, and make myself realize that I am only becoming a better person for it.