was extremely difficult for me to do. It shook my confidence
and dented my ego but I had to do it if I was going to
make it. Most top salespeople have a similar story about
borrowing money from a friend or family member, maxing
out a credit card, or taking some other huge risk when they
were just starting out. Winners are always willing to place a
bet on themselves.
The truth is, if you are not investing in yourself, you’re not
serious about your career and you’re not committed to
success. After I do a speaking engagement or training, the
first people who approach me about investing in my book,
CDs, and other items are the most successful people. They
have an abundance mentality and they know that even one
new idea will more than cover their investment. On the
other hand, I also run into the struggling salespeople with a
scarcity mentality. I once had a new salesperson come up to
me and say, “I don’t have $40 for your sales book. Can I just
pick your brain and learn what I need to know to make it
in sales?” That’s someone with no commitment looking for
something for nothing. I can’t help that person because he
won’t help himself.
W
3
1 in 4
underwriters at
J.M. Wilson
previously worked
for a retail agency
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IT’S ALL ABOUT
WHO YOU KNOW
YOU CAN’t cheat your way to success
I’ve seen people who walk in the gray areas and justify
cutting a few corners to make more money faster. I’ve also
seen the people who overtly lie and misrepresent their
product to make some quick sales. While the first scenario
isn’t as bad as the second, both of these are an attempt to
“cheat” the system and bring success more quickly. And
while you may make some short-term sales, and perhaps
even appear to be successful to others, both of these
scenarios always end badly in the long run.
The only way to sell is with complete honesty and integrity.
Yes, following the rules and doing things the right way may
take longer and be harder, but at the end of the day, your
character and reputation will still be intact and you’ll still
be able to look at yourself in the mirror. In the end, any
short-term gain by cheating the system will always lead to
long-term pain and a shortened career. The tried-and-true
path to long-term sales success is one of honesty, integrity,
and ethics.
John Chapin is an award-winning sales speaker, trainer and coach. You may reach
him at 508-243-7359, [email protected] or www.completeselling.com.
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|January-February 2016| KANSAS INSURANCE AGENT & BROKER
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