I met with a gentleman this morning who recently left the sales profession. He had been with his company for about 18 months. He shared with me that the last 6 months there were what he would describe as a personal hell.

Upon delving deeper into the situation, we uncovered that it was the company, not the profession that made his situation a personal hell.

His company had a point system, where an appointment was worth a certain number of points, a second appointment worth a different total, and a sale worth yet a third different amount of ‘points.’ His boss had been sitting him down letting him know that he needed to get his point levels up if he were going to be able to make it in his business.

The tactics they used were not unlike many used in sales organizations around the world. The tactics are set up by those who have ‘been there and done that.’ However, they were not the tactics this young man was most comfortable with. Therefore, he was in a ‘personal hell.’

The story of this young man explains exactly why I have dedicated my career to furthering our understanding of the sales process. There are myriad ways to make sales, and there are equally as many different types of personalities in the professional of selling.

I believe, with every fiber in my heart, that if we are going to advance as a profession, we must begin to realize the absence of any ‘one way,’ when it comes to selling. With sound and honorable principles, a keen understanding of our customers, and a persistence as relentless as the tides, success in sales is available to all those who desire it.

The feeling that makes me smile as I drift off to sleep is that of a feeling that I can help salespeople find the peace and success they deserve. If I can provide salespeople with the courage to try things ‘their way,’ they will in turn realize their own personal success in sales. It is this easing of the tensions created by our professional lives, that seeps over into our personal lives. With a prosperous professional life, we can all enjoy our personal lives with a little more bounce in our step. This is why I jump out of bed each morning with two feet firmly planted on the floor and a smile on my face. Be strong young man; be strong.